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Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism University of Southern California
ALUMNI

Dan DiPietro-James

Class of 2003, Bachelor's



I had several internships in college starting in my sophomore year. I worked with ATVN all four years and networked a lot. After traveling to Europe for a month and a half, I came back and sent out resumes and tapes, always keeping in touch with the people I sent them to. Luckily, I had two job offers in a short period of time. You have to make yourself stick out, not by having a different color tape than everyone but you need something with substance that makes you different from the other candidates applying for the job. Best advice: keep at it because it will happen when you least expect it. Take every opportunity to network yourself. It will pay off.

Survey

What are the top three skills journalism students should learn in college?:

Writing, news judgment, networking



What were your duties at ATVN? :

Writer, editor, producer, chyron operator, camera



How did ATVN prepare you for your career?:

ATVN is a great learning environment and professional atmosphere that is very similar to the actual market. Serena and Willa, as well as all the other staff, make ATVN



What is your advice to aspiring journalists?:

Volunteer as much as possible, make mistakes and ask how to fix them. It’s the best way to learn.



What should graduates keep in mind when negotiating their first job?:

Don’t expect the world but you do have some leverage. Try to get out of a contract or only sign a year. Be thankful for any job you get.

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