Here’s some important Take-Aways from our 7th Annual Diversity and Media Career Summit
By: Derick Borbon
On Wednesday, June 26th, we had our 7th Annual Diversity and Media Career Summit at BRIC Arts Media, where aspiring media professionals got to hear an abundance of essential career advice from our guest panelists. Throughout the day, prominent figures in the media industry shared their insights for young professionals trying to break into the industry. Here are some important takeaways from our summit:
In the first panel of the day, Networking for Success, we heard from Joe Rockhill, SVP Portfolio Ad Sales Marketing at FOX; Radha Subramanyam, Chief Research Analytics Officer at CBS and President of CBS Vision; Mason Williams, Head of DEI at Mattel; Jen Abbondanza, VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at NBC Universal; moderated by our very own Director of Community, Camila Brango.
Joe Rockhill: “When you find someone that you have a connection with, it’s easy to find ways to work together.”
As the SVP Portfolio Ad Sales Marketing at FOX, Rockhill gave insights on how he got his foot in the door. He mentioned that there are many different ways of networking. Whether on LinkedIn or at a summit like this one, identify possible connections you can make, show them that you’re thinking about them, and find ways to be memorable. Also, don't forget to follow up!
You never know what exciting opportunities can sprout from new connections, or where they can possibly lead to, so get out there and network!
Radha Subramanyam: “I knew I didn't know all of the answers."
The Chief Research Analytics Officer for CBS and CBS Vision President (who is also a valued member of the CenCom Board of Directors) jokingly mentioned how she hates networking but emphasizes that she wouldn’t have her career without it. She gave a tip on approaching networking as seeking advice. Tell colleagues or potential mentors about your interests and experience, which helps you refine your options. If you do it authentically, it will lead to all kinds of places organically.
If you’re more of an introvert like me, you may find Radha’s advice helpful in situations where you may not know how to approach future mentors and colleagues. Putting yourself out there can be a bit of a challenge, but in the end, it can be extremely rewarding. Find the approach that works for you.
The amazing part about our summit is that after our first panel, it facilitated young professionals like you and me to network with amazing companies. During our networking session, The Center for Communication’s partners, including Warner Brothers, ABC News, A+E Networks, were on site connecting in-person with our community of students and recent grads!
After our partner networking session, the second panel commenced, A Creators Conversation, continuing the prominent theme of the importance of forging personal connections when pursuing a career in media. Our panelists included Krystal Atwater, Creative Director of Integrated Marketing Communications at Mattel; Kwame Amoaku, Deputy Commissioner of the Film Office at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment; Wes Jackson, President at BRIC Arts Media; Jon McLeod, Associate Producer at ESPN and Co-Chairman at ESPN T.R.U.S.T.; and was moderated by Sabina Ghebremedhin, Senior Coordinating Producer and Head of Race & Culture at ABC News.
Kwame Amoaku: “Make sure you keep your skill sets sharp as well as your interpersonal skills.”
As the Deputy Commissioner of the Film Office at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Kwame shared how working hard and networking are essential in this industry, especially on TV and film sets where production assistants play a critical role. He emphasized pushing yourself to be your best at work because networking, though necessary, only takes you so far. You must be able to show up and show out and keep working on your skills as well, which is something that stuck with me.
Jon McLeod: “If you don’t have experience, create it.”
The Associate Producer at ESPN and Co-Chairman at ESPN T.R.U.S.T. talked about how today’s media makes it easier to create and put out content. If you don’t have an opportunity yet, don’t let that stop you. He also mentioned how social media makes it easier to meet people with similar interests and create opportunities to network. This is important because we can often take for granted the tools and resources that are already disposable to us. There’s always a chance to create and capture the experiences that are all around.
As the day winded down, we get to our final portion of our programming, our Keynote Interview with Deborah Roberts, Co-Anchor of 20/20 and Senior National Affairs Correspondent at ABC News, moderated by Jen Joseph, Executive Producer at George Stephanopoulos Productions and Senior Producer at ABC News. Here, they dropped a few gems when it comes to building your professional network.
Deborah Roberts: “Be a little pushy because you have to.”
Deborah sat down with Jen and had a candid talk about her experience in the industry. She acknowledged that this industry is hard to break into, but stressed that genuine interactions can potentially lead to opportunities. She mentioned how passion and competence can take you far and if you have the opportunity to meet someone in your industry, make it a point to introduce yourself.
From this, I learned you cannot doubt the force you become when you are authentically yourself and are genuinely passionate. Don’t be afraid to put yourself and your interests out there, it’s a must in this industry.
Jen Joseph: “Make sure that you’re seeking out opportunities to shadow and learn.”
Jen shared how current job opportunities can be chances to grow. Though opportunities may not always be obvious, they're present. Think more about the job or role you would like and find ways to work towards that while using your current resources.
In all, our panelists and guests provided significantly helpful insights for upcoming media professionals. They gave tips on how to make connections, a look into the media field’s intricacies, and how to go for the job role you want.
A special thanks to our exceptional panelists, remarkable moderators, and, of course, you for joining us at our summit. To learn about upcoming events like these from the Center for Communication, sign up for the weekly newsletter and be sure to follow us on social media! We hope to see you at our next summit.
