Amanda Wojciechowski is a senior whose interest in media led her to a minor in Media, Economics and Entrepreneurship. This past summer she worked at Sucherman Consulting, advising legacy media companies on how to connect with a new generation of consumers. She discusses her time at USC and why she gravitated toward M{2e}.

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This past summer you worked at Sucherman Consulting through an M{2e} internship. Tell us about the company and what you did there?

Sucherman Consulting is a media consulting company that focuses primarily on traditional media outlets such as CBS, CNN, and Viacom. Lately, it has begun to work with new media start up companies as well. For the older media companies, Sucherman helps them stay competitive and relevant as the industry changes. For the new emerging media companies, Sucherman helps to create their backbone and framework. The firm also deals with executive placement by finding the right candidates for senior positions through all their different networks. While there, I helped primarily with searches for executives and consulting projects that involved digital disruption to find the new media players in the industry.

You've worked in the music industry as well as the TV industry. What are some of the changes in the media landscape you find most interesting?

What I found most interesting was how unprepared the media industry was for change, even though, in hindsight, the signs were so clear. I have been working with the Grammys for three years and saw just how transformative the development of new ways to consume content has been for the music industry. I was also surprised by how resistant to change some traditional cable companies and network companies were and how that affected their revenue stream. Since so much of the media industry is up in the air, I find it interesting to make my own predictions on where it is heading and what the next innovation will bring to the industry.

Tell us about your academic journey. What is your major and how did you come to the M{2e} minor?

I am a senior and business major. I first started in business and always had an interest in media. I was initially in the media entertainment industry minor, but discovered the M{2e} program through Prof. Chris Smith. Then after taking a few classes, I decided to make the switch and stay in M{2e} because I was able to combine my business studies with entertainment and media to round out my education.

Has what you've learned in the classroom been useful to you professionally? 

I am currently interning at a media consulting company and we've been working a lot with digital transformation and how media companies are reinventing themselves to stay competitive. There have been several classes in M{2e} that have helped me not only learn about digital transformation, but also the history of the media industry and the changes that have taken place. This helped me in my consulting work with legacy companies that are transitioning in order to reach the digital millennial generation. In addition, the economics courses teach you how the economy of the media industry is different from traditional businesses. 

Now that you're preparing to graduate, what type of opportunities are you looking for professionally?

I want to work at the forefront with new media companies such as Netflix and Hulu that are experimenting with streaming and the different ways millennial consume TV and film.

Looking back on your time at USC, what stands out?

Overall, M{2e} has been a great experience that truly provided me with the multidimensional education I desired. M{2e} has taught me skills that translated directly in my work experiences and has connected me to larger networks in the media industry.