This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Montclair chapter.
Name: Betsy Louda
Year: Junior
Major: Television
HCM: What made you interested in attending Montclair, and what’s your favorite part about it this school?
BL: The thing that most interested me regarding coming to MSU was definitely the television program here. I had heard about the top notch facilities and competitive program and knew that I definitely belonged in it. My favorite part is the opportunities I’ve been provided just by being a part of the program. Such as, internship opportunities.
HCM: Tell us about your internship. What are your responsibilities?
BL: I am a production intern with NJTV News, which is a show that airs live every weeknight at 6pm on NJTV. My responsibilities vary- since it’s a public network, I have a lot more responsibility than a typical intern would. They include being on site at location shoots with reporters, transcribing video that is needed for news story packages, program research, guest escorting, and production and editorial assistance. I definitely have a lot of my plate, but I love every minute of it.
HCM: What are your tips for high school seniors interested in majoring in Television?
BL: Two words: GET INVOLVED. Even if you think it’s too early to start networking and making connections, it never is. Connections are a huge part of this industry, so make as many as you can! There may be multiple staff members that have a history with a network you are interested in working with, so do your background research and make yourself stand out.
HCM: What’s your piece of advice for those interested in finding an internship/building their resume?
BL: I would say that experience is everything; try to apply to as many things as you can. It’s extremely difficult to get an internship in this industry, especially without some sort of prior experience. Be sure to put as many television related technical skills on your resume as you can because some internship coordinators will only review applications that have certain key words on the resume (ex. “Final Cut Pro”). Every internship experience you have will greaten your chances of scoring your dream one. So it’s not a bad thing to try out different divisions of television even if you think it may not be what you want to pursue as a career. For example, even though I may want to work in the Daytime Talk Show industry, I’m interning with a news show because it’s unpredictable what will spark an interest in me, and it’s always good to know the different areas of production on a professional level.
HCM: Where do you see yourself when you graduate?
BL: When I graduate I’m hoping to be employed as an Associate Producer with a major network such as ABC or NBC, and would like to eventually work my way up to being a Senior Producer or an Executive Producer.
We thank Betsy for all the great advice and being such an inspiration. We wish her the best of luck!