WHHS Journalism and TV production students recently got the chance to meet three alumni who now have successful careers in the communications field. On December 23rd, Gabrielle Ewing, Amanda Widoniak, and Valerie Shields came to discuss what their jobs are like and what they did to get to where they are today. Many of the students taking Journalism and TV are seeking careers in communications and were curious to hear about their journeys to success.
WHHS alum Gabrielle Ewing explained how she graduated last year from New York University, with a bachelor of fine arts in film. After graduating from NYU, she secured a position at 522 Productions in Alexandria, Virginia, where she describes her work place as a “video production meets [an] ad-agency.” However, Gabrielle’s success did not come without some challenges. Before graduating, she applied for over one hundred jobs before she landed a position as an Associate Producer. As an Associate Producer she works with clients to produce crystal-clear videos that capture the viewer’s attention.
Students then heard from WHHS alum Amanda Widoniak, who now works for BuzzFeed. After graduating from Boston University, she moved to Los Angeles with a friend, where she worked hard to find a job, until “by luck” she found a job as a production assistant. Widoniak then moved up the ranks from an assistant to a producer before she began to work for BuzzFeed. At BuzzFeed, she is a producer. Widoniak works with directors, writers, and clients, “puts the puzzle together” for various projects, and finds locations and crew for productions.
Valerie Shields, the final alum to speak, majored in Public Relations at the University of Rhode Island. Once she was at URI, she convinced the school to pay for her to go to a job fair where she was hopeful to find an internship. She then became a sales representative in Kentucky before traveling to Florida to take a position with the Tampa Bay Rays as a sales and communication coordinator. After living in Florida for a few years, she moved back to New Jersey to work a part-time sales job in the Yankees ticket sales office. Today, she is in charge of all mass communication for Yankees.com and is living happily with her family.
All three women had excellent advice to give to the students. The overall theme was to persevere, work hard, and try to establish as many connections as possible. They explained that unpaid internships, such as Valerie’s job doing media credentials for the Yankees, can help open doors in one’s career. Working hard even after the internship period is over is also crucial; Amanda churns out 2 projects a month at BuzzFeed. They also stressed the importance of having connections and building as large of a network as possible, as knowing many people expands one’s opportunities. Amanda also explained how important it is to always have resumes on hand and updated in case something unexpected occurs.
Gabrielle, Amanda, and Valerie all stressed that working in the communications field is not easy. They explained that if there is anything else the students could envision themselves doing, then they should go do that, as it would be much easier. However, they stated that if a student truly wants to be working in the communications field, then they will love their career and be able to be successful if they work hard.