On Nov. 7 students had the chance to meet with dozens of media-industry professionals at the fifth annual Meet the Pros Career Expo on West Campus.
Meet the Pros is sponsored by the communication department and School of Media Arts, and was funded by the college-based South Coast Media Education Center. It is designed to provide students interested in career in media a chance to speak one-on-one with working professionals.
Students can easily connect with media people in the know by bringing the pros to them, said coordinator and communication instructor Sarah Hock.
The event has a history of drawing a crowd. Last year, more than 400 students attended.
The keynote speaker was Gillian Christie, founder and CEO of Christie Communications, whose company brings socially responsible companies mainstream through marketing and communication strategies.
Cathy Murillo, news and public affairs director for local public radio station KCSB-FM, talked about volunteer opportunities at the station.
People interested in working in radio or TV news can get free training from KCSB, and build their resume at the same time, by doing assignments for the station on a volunteer basis.
“Every good job I ever got in media was a job I volunteered for first,” Murillo said.
TV writer and producer Deidre Hanssen spoke with students exploring TV careers.
“If you want a career in television, you have to live television,” Hanseen said.
“Watch it all the time. Know what is and isn’t working so you can speak intelligently when you are out there networking.”
Hanssen gave away free copies of the book “Sex, Lies, & Promos,” which she co-authored with producer Jodi F. Gottlieb. Hanssen also stressed the importance acquiring work experience along with a good education.
“Education is important, but if you’re only learning theories and you’re not applying them in a real-world situation, you’re wasting your time,” she said.
Marc Shea, senior recruiter for companies Cafe FX in Santa Barbara, and The Syndicate, told students about artistic opportunties in the high-tech world of film visual effects.
“This event is a great way for students to find out what it’s really like to work in visual effects,” Shea said.
-Theresa Sweet is a Journalism 101 student
