Alanah Joseph graduated from the Annenberg School in May 2013 with a B.A. in Communications. Now, she works as an Executive Assistant at E! Networks, working closely with the Digital Media and Business Development teams. She discusses her background in M{2e}, and how her undergrad work prepared her for the position she has now.
What have you been up to since you graduated from Annenberg in 2013?
How did you get involved with E!?
I had interned for NBC Universal my senior year, so when I saw the job on LinkedIn I reached out to the contacts I had made in the Human Resources department during my time there. I received a call back and was thrilled, and after a few interviews--it was a bit of a process--I got my new title. This was about three months ago, so I'm still very new. I'm learning a lot because every day is different.
What was the hardest part about shifting into the workforce post-graduation?
It hasn't been an easy path. That's something I would say to all seniors or recent grads--you just have to keep your head up and work as hard as you can towards doing what you love. Things will work out. But I wasn't that person who had a job lined up when I crossed the stage in May. I had a number of jobs before I landed this position, and I couldn't be happier with the way it eventually worked out.
Having internships during undergrad makes the transition easier, because you have experience and exposure in your field. You become familiar with corporate culture, and understand how to maintain your professionalism and accountability. I'm also big on setting goals, long and short term. I know where I want to be when I'm 30, but what do I have to do now to get there? Right now I'm on Step One, but I'm on the path towards achieving my career goals.
How does your experience in Prof. Smith's American Media and Entertainment Industries class inform the work you're doing today?
In Professor Smith's class we talked about how social media and the Internet have been disruptive forces in the television industry, and now I'm on the front lines of that phenomenon working with a company that's been innovative in an increasingly digitalized media economy. I'm applying everything that I learned in that class to my position now. The course was extremely current, so it was as if I already had experience with the work I am doing now once I began at E!. It was a head start.
Any advice for current students looking for meaningful jobs and internships?
There was a year between graduation and landing my position now where I had to work really hard to get my career going. It wasn't a typical year. But what you can do after college if you don't have your dream job offer is to just go out and do what you want to be doing, even if you're not getting paid for it. I produced fashion editorials, learned how to use Photoshop, turned my living room into a photo space, built a website, I was freelancing as a journalist, I was hosting women's empowerment conferences--and I was doing it because I loved it, and not necessarily because I was getting paid. Of course you need a day job, but it can be possible. And when it came time for my E! interview, I was already so well equipped with my experience and I think it showed initiative. Be passionate, and everything else will fall into place.
