Sometimes in life all we need is a little bit of inspiration from a role model that can help steer us along on our path. Well, in one of my Journalism and Society classes this past week, we had a former Temple student named Donnell Jackson speak to us. After graduating in 2006, he went on to work for various television stations and will take up a job in New Orleans as the lead producer of a news program down there.
Now, that's pretty incredible on its own right there. Within three years, Jackson already has his career set up. So, how did he manage to pull this off? He gave a very insightful speech in which the entire lecture hall, faculty included, got to learn from his experiences. Personally, this was probably one of the best lectures I have ever had in my entire collegiate career. It's always appreciated when others can help lead you in your own journey.
So, what did Jackson have to say that could help lead us? The most basic principle that held solid through the rest of the presentation was simply "work hard." In addition to that, he also told us to "make a goal early on and stick to it" and "to not do it for the money, but do it because you love it." That holds some personal significance that is very integral in my life right now.
For those who don't know already, I started out as a biology major but then switched over to journalism after three semesters. Now, I did catch a lot of criticism for this, not all of it positive. Most who spoke to me after finding out about this transition always had something to say about job security. At this point in my life, I could care less if I have a consistent job. Instead, what matters to me is doing something that I actually like to do. I love writing and I honestly try to write as much as I possibly can. That can range from just simple articles for the paper all to way to complex songs. That's just me, I love it.
Moving back to Jackson's presentation, I cannot help but mention one of the most important points of all. "Make yourself stand out from the crowd." It sounds simple, but when there are so many people competing for a job these days, it only pays off to be that much better than everyone else. So, that also means learning many different skills. It pays to be a good writer, but it pays much better to be able to do many different jobs rather than only one or two. For my particular lifestyle, that means being a good writer, a proficient editor and also someone that can do layout for the paper if the need presents itself.
But, Jackson also spoke a lot about being the producer and what exactly that job entails. In short, Donnell admitted that he is a bit of a control freak, which led him to producing. Basically, he picks what stories will run, builds the rundown for the show and writes everything that the anchors say. Any one of those tasks on its own could be daunting enough, but Jackson manages to do all three and still love what he does.
With that in mind, I could not help but wonder about what I would like to do with my life. Sure, I'm the sports editor now, but can I see myself being a producer? I guess I'm a bit of a control freak too, so I can see that side of the job working out for me. When it comes right down to it, I still love the fact that I have so many options out there for me. Whether I end up in paper journalism or working for a television or radio station, I'll still be doing what I love to do. For me, that's all that matters.
For more information on the class in which Donnell Jackson spoke, check out Professor Miller's Journalism and Society blog at http://j1111.blogspot.com.