Estwick's take

By Ronnie Turner

Gary Estwick has lived in the real world long enough to know that it’s not going to get an easier for aspiring journalists.

Estwick, an alum of the SJI Class of 1999, has held a variety of jobs during his sports journalism career, including stints at the Austin American-Statesman, the Cincinnati Enquirer and now The Nashville Tennessean, where he covers the Tennessee Titans and the NFL.

Noting today’s struggling newspaper industry, Estwick had one simple message for the SJI Class of 2009 during Friday’s discussion on finding job opportunities: Get great in a hurry.

“Just being good is not good enough,” he said.

Estwick told the class of nine that they should drive to do more than they’re expected to because it could be the difference landing a job after graduation and being unemployed.

Estwick himself started out by covering high schools for the American-Stateman and told the students that they’ll likely start out doing the same, if not more, for their first jobs.

Upon landing that first job, Estwick told the students that they would have to work even harder to keep it.

“Don’t just do what you’re expected to do,” he said.