Class of 2000

Bio:

In 1998 I started working for Ken Lindner and Associates, where I interned for two years. In 2000 I went to work as an agent for The Irv Schechter Company.

ATVN positions and duties:

Producer, writer

How did ATVN prepare you for your current job?

ATVN taught me how to put together a package and resume tape and what makes a good on-air personality.

What is your advice to aspiring journalists?

Start in a small market and get all the experience you can. No job is too small. Be nice to everyone you meet because you NEVER know where they will end up!

What are the top three skills college journalism students should be working on in order to be prepared for their first broadcasting job?

1. Communication - Be able to explain exactly what you need and what you want in any given situation.  2. Persistence - Don’t take no for an answer, whether it be about a job or an interview.  3. Teamwork - It takes more than one person to put together a quality show. Help when you can!

What is the most important thing a college journalist should know when he or she is trying to negotiate his or her first job?

There is very little wiggle room. If you don’t take the job, there are 20 other people out there ready to claim it. DON’T SIGN WITH AN AGENT!! This advice is coming from an agent. There is NO need for someone in Elmira, Texas who makes $18,000 a year to let an agent take 10%. The contracts are very basic. I would suggest not signing a contract for more than two years. 

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