Intrepid Miami journalist

Introduction: Week three of my journey to the next station in my career has been equal parts satisfying, challenging and motivating.

For those joining this ride for the first time to wherever and whenever we arrive there, I've decided to take you, my LinkedIn colleagues and friends, along with me on this transition. I'm on my way from Miami Herald business editor to another purposeful post as a media leader, editor, reporter, innovator, public speaker, professional communicator, speechwriter, consultant in South Florida or another robust city in America.

Big picture: My purpose is essentially twofold: hopefully at least one person who reads this mini-series benefits by learning something useful about career management, and by telling my career transition story in real-time that should help open more doors to meaningful professional opportunities for me.

Colleagues I've collaborated with in newsrooms from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to West Palm Beach, to Chicago, to Philadelphia, to Houston, to the San Francisco Bay Area, and back across the country to Miami, know that I'm committed to paying it forward by mentoring the next generation of journalists. In my two years at the Herald, besides the excellent business journalism my reporting team delivered, I'm especially proud to have served on the company's culture committee. Our first order of business this year was reviving the newsroom's mentorship program, so that wily veterans can impart as much of their wisdom to our youngest and newest reporters.

Common bond: When I called this week satisfying thus far, one example was spending a couple hours over lunch Nov. 14 in Miami with Michael Butler, one of my former Herald reporters who covered minority and emerging businesses and the entrepreneurs running them and at times tag-teamed on real estate reporting with Rebecca San Juan. Mike and Rebecca are two of a growing group of young, hungry and talented Herald reporters. After I participated in a corporate values forum by leading an executive panel in a discussion about the challenges of and progress in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in workplaces, Mike and I headed to Julia & Henry's, downtown Miami's new food hall for the lunch experience.

Although Mike and I come from very different backgrounds, we share a common bond. We both walked the hallowed halls of Temple University in Philadelphia, where we studied journalism decades apart. Because Temple prepared both of us for our vocation and then launched us into our journalism careers, that gave me additional motivation as Mike's editor to go the extra mile coaching him. That continues now after my time at the Herald. This is a bright, conscientious, collaborative young man with a bright future and big upside as a reporter. He already understands the necessity for the Herald to be inclusive and diverse in its storytelling, in order to engage the Miami-Dade County community and beyond. He knows this because he's truly walking the walk with his storytelling.

Zoom in: As I've noted multiple times in earlier dispatches of this mini-series, networking fuels my and any career journey. It's the daily must-do in order to learn about job openings, which can ultimately lead to interviews. This week I've got two interviews for vastly different positions.

On Nov. 15, I had a second conversation with a hiring manager of a respected national media organization. We had a spirited, productive 60-minute conversation. This media outlet's appeal to me is that it practices and prizes entrepreneurialism, operating with bold ambition in a rapid growth mode. Being an innovative, high-energy business journalist, think I'd feel right at home working and collaborating under this company umbrella. I'm hoping the organization has a mutual attraction and moves to set a date for a third conversation. Stay tuned for an update on this exciting opportunity in the coming days or weeks.

Another big win: Found out this week my persistent networking yielded another win, adding greater momentum to my career journey. One of Miami's most accomplished business and civic leaders over the past half century wrote and submitted a letter recommending me as the person best equipped for a key media-related leadership position. This is a key victory, because I'm well aware there will be stiff national competition for this critical role. I realize my candidacy rests on my journalism and leadership experience and my strong confidence in my ability to make a significant contribution in this role. Having this highly respected and accomplished Miamian in my corner hopefully helps convince the organization it should give me an interview, thereby a chance to really compete for the job.

The endgame in my journey to the next career chapter is securing as many interviews for meaningful positions in some form of media or communications. Interviews afford me, or anyone else in this boat, real opportunities to sell my capabilities, knowledge, skills to prospective employers and vie for employment offers.

This particular journalism leadership position comes with a great deal of responsibilities and potential rewards for me and many others in the profession and the communities we inform and serve.

Bottom line: Finally, an esteemed editor who hired me as a business editor earlier in my career, and now remains a supportive member of my professional network, reminded me this week of something he and I both agree: family remains the inspiration and foundation for whatever transpires in your professional life. Indeed, during my nearly three weeks in my ongoing transition journey, I've had more time to reflect on the people who matter most to me. They are my immediate family, former colleagues and close friends. Family absolutely comes first, then there's some overlap in those latter two groups.

It's family members who you typically share with the highs and lows of each week of a challenging career ride to the unknown next stop. You can count on them for motivation and unwavering encouragement.

The latest example came Tuesday morning during my train ride from Palm Beach County to Miami to participate in the workplace conference held at the Rubell Museum by From Day One, a Brooklyn, New York-based national conference series and media outlet focused on innovative ways for companies to foster stronger relationships with their employees, customers and communities.

My daughter Laney Bomberger-Schmotzer told me she reads my dispatches I share here on LinkedIn and on Substack about my career journey to my 7-month-old twin granddaughters Diana and Daphne. Wow! What a boost Laney and her baby girls gave her dad and their Poppa. They made my week. At the same time, Laney's message reminded me my most important position in life, along with being the life partner of creative kitchen designer Kathy Styer, is being the best dad and grandpa.

Thank you very much for reading. Hope you'll return to continue this journey with me ... wherever it leads, and to glean more insights on career transition management. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, or at paulbomberger.substack.com, or at bombergerpaul@gmail.com to offer tips, thoughts, suggestions, messages.