While many journalists are struggling to keep up with the shift of job availability, broadcast students at Utah State University are turning job offers down.
These students credit the teaching methods and hands-on experience they received for what some of them said is an overwhelming amount of job offers.
“Most of these professors have worked in the industry for two decades or more,” said Zachary Aedo, a USU broadcast student. “Everything they tell you is backed by their own experience.”
Aedo has received eight job offers from stations across the country and is considering options in Alabama, Michigan, Alaska, Oregon, Utah or Washington.
Aedo said he is excited that he can go into the field and be picky about a job instead of settling.
Brian Champagne, a professor at USU, said his students are trained to provide content for stations during their schooling. Champagne attributes the 100% job placement rate for broadcast students to this style of educating.
“Based on what they know, employers assume this is their second TV job, not their first,” Champagne said. “We have continual surprises with what they know, not what they don’t know.”
By having his students constantly feeding their work to stations, some have had their work go national. In October the students provided coverage of a Logan resident who sent ricin to Trump and the Pentagon for CBS and Fox networks.
“Because they have so many opportunities for you, they demand more,” Aedo said. “I’ve helped cover election nights, council meetings, search and rescue, fires, even homicide.”
Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed is a graduate student in his second year, pursuing a doctorate in sociology at USU. He recently helped survey Utahns to see if environmental concerns affect the decision to have children.
Utah State University President’s Office recently held receptions for this year’s round of inaugural lectures. Three recently promoted faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences presented thoughtful reflections on their research and the even...
