Meghan Williams: Creative Director at Arnold Worldwide

Being a copywriter…

“I started off as a copywriter and am now a Creative Director so my role has changed a bit. A copywriter works with an Art Director and they will get a brief from the client/account team with all the deliverables, strategy and desired messaging. My partner and I go off and we concept ideas based on that brief. Then we present rough ideas to the client, they choose a few directions, we make refinements and detail the ideas out more. They usually decide on 2-3 ideas which will go into testing (where consumers will see the ideas in a rough form and react to them). Once the best idea is identified we go into production. Which means talking to directors, animation houses (if there are effects or animation), music companies, editors, etc. That whole process begins which leads up to the shoot which is where you get to bring the idea finally to life. We then go into post-production which is where we finish the spot. Cut together the footage, record voiceovers, color correct and clean up the film, etc. Then the spot ships and goes to air! So that said…we do a lot of different things on a daily basis depending on where we are in the process”

Julie Bronder: Digital Video Producer at Big 10 Network

Role of a digital video producer…

“As a digital video producer for the Big Ten Network, I do several things. I produce original, web-only content for BTN.com by working with on-air talent. Occasionally, some of these videos get aired on TV. Some of my additional responsibilities include clipping segments, such as highlights and features, from our on-air TV programming. These videos get posted online to BTN.com and our on-demand video app called BTN2Go. Another role is editing what we call “internet hits” by the BTN broadcast teams. These are short segments the play-by-play team records and that serve as a wrap-up to many of our live and streamed sporting events.”

Matt Weiss: Associate Producer at CBS Local Digital Media

How college prepared him…

“I do believe Marist prepared me for the real world through putting me in situations outside my comfort zone and helping me grow as a person, not just as a student. What I learned in the classroom was helpful but the biggest thing I took away was how to live away from home, how to interact with new people, how to manage my time and take responsibility for myself. I had never been away from home for more than a few days when I left to come to Marist my freshman year and I believe I left Marist a much more confident and capable person than I was when I got there.”

Robert Alberino: VP and Executive Producer for the San Francisco 49ers

Advice to students applying for jobs…

“Don’t call it a job. Don’t ever walk into a job interview and be like I would love a job. I wouldn’t hire anyone looking for a job because you can get a job at Taco Bell, Seven Eleven; always call it a career. That is number one, you get paid to do a job, and a career is a goal. By junior or senior year you need to have a compass for where you want to go. An unacceptable answer to the question, “what do you want to do when you graduate” is I don’t know.”

Angela Scherba: Account Manager at 360i Digital

Overview of her job…

“I work on the account side of advertising which means my job is to be the organizer and the face of the agency. I am the communication between the client and my team. I am the last fact checker and eye that sees everything before it goes to the client. When I get an email that says we have a new project I have to gather as much information as I can in regards to that product. Sometimes things are rushed and sometimes not. I have to get all the teams involved, strategic, production, and creative. Something that comes with working in the industry is learning how to react and respond. For the most part everything is different every day.”

Elizabeth Miller: Ad Sales Assistant at Sports Illustrated

Tasks and everyday responsibilities…

“My primary function is to support our New York ad sales representatives conduct Sports Illustrated’s print, digital and experiential advertising business. Aside from the regular administrative tasks associated with being an assistant (including the less than glamorous duties of managing calendars and tracking expenses), some of my responsibilities include booking print advertisements, assisting our digital planners in preparing advertising campaigns set to run on SI.com, and collaborating with our client marketing team to develop custom programs to pitch to advertisers.”

John Liporace: Managing Partner at Taylor Global

Most rewarding project…

“Working on campaigns that are leveraging major events that I grew up watching, such as the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games, are very rewarding. These are some of the marquee events in sports so if you work in the industry you want to have a role in those events and how brands can use them to better connect with sports fans and build their business. The most rewarding aspect has been having the opportunity to build an agency, change the business model drastically and enjoy some success.”

Dwyer Paulsen: Senior Style Editor for Time Inc.

Best Advice…

“I studied abroad during my junior year at UMass Amherst and that set me up for the real world. I had to do everything on my own, fend for myself, and be responsible to make the best out of every situation we face. At a young age this was the best thing to help me prepare for the real world. I suggest taking some time whether it is a week and explore a new city or whether it is the entire summer and explore a new country. Just take the time to be on your own somewhere new and face your own challenges.”

Geoff Brault: Marist Play By Play Broadcaster

Interest in radio broadcasting…

“Growing up, I thought it would be cool to be a sports broadcaster, but never really considered it a viable way to make money. I had an internship in the New England Collegiate Baseball League were I got the opportunity to broadcast a game because the broadcaster was sick. I had no prep or guidance, but was told I did a pretty good job. From then on I was hooked.”

Anthony DeBarros: Director of interactive applications at Gannett Digital

Changes within the industry…

“It has been entirely disrupted by technology. The industry was asleep at the wheel when it came time to recognize opportunities offered by the online economy. Because plenty of money could be made with print products well into the first decade of the 21st century, little real innovation occurred in newsrooms. Thus, the news industry was outflanked by the likes of Craigslist, Yelp, Google, eBay, Facebook and Twitter. It has yet to recover its ability to be a leader in innovation, though there have been some sparks lately.”