I hate to say it – but it’s already second semester of this year. For seniors, this means continuing to send out resumes and cover letters in hopes of landing a job. However, Senior Micaela Pascale can sit back a little less stressed for her last semester at Quinnipiac – because she has landed her dream job of working in the Page Program of NBC!
I was lucky enough to talk to the wonderful Micaela, a sister of mine, to hear all about future. Read more to see what she has to say about her future job, how she got there, and advice on how YOU can get there, too!
SAMI MOORE, HER CAMPUS: So I’m sure our readers are dying to know, how did you get such an incredible job while still in college?
MICAELA PASCALE: It was definitely not easy! It required a lot of internships, resume facelifts, making connections, etc. But interning at MSNBC with Morning Joe during the fall definitely gave me a huge foot in the door with NBC. This internship definitely changed my career path for the better. This specific internship boosted my resume and gave me real world experience in live media that I absolutely needed. I then took a leap of faith and applied to the Page Program, the job that I’ve wanted since freshman year.
SM: What exactly will your job entail at NBC?
MP: I will be an East Coast Page; the job entails working on assignments such as being production assistant for the Today Show, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, just to name a few. I’ll also be working in departments such as Public Relations and Marketing. This yearlong program lets me get my feet wet in many areas and at the end (or during the program) I can receive another job offer from a specific show or department that likes my work.
SM: When did you find out about your position at NBC / when did you apply?
MP: I applied for this position in early November and went through several rounds of interviews. I just heard back from them about a week ago via email.
SM: Do you have any tips for other students looking to hopefully get careers at big TV stations – such as myself?
MP: Don’t give up. NBC rejected me 3 years in a row before I finally got an internship with them; it was not easy. Also, don’t be lazy. Focus your time on getting internships and doing anything that gives you experience in the field you want to work in. Experience is everything!
SM: Where did you intern? What did you learn at these internships that helped get you were you are today?
MP: My first internship was at Time Warner Cable in NYC where I learned a lot about the world of post-production. Obviously I enjoy live production but it’s good to be well rounded. Next, I interned at News 12 CT in Norwalk where I first worked with live news. It was important for me to learn about local news before I could move on to a national level. Finally, I interned at MSNBC on the show Morning Joe this past fall semester. This internship was the one that changed my career completely. I learned how to deal with publicists, celebrity guests, and what exactly happens during a 3-hour live broadcast. I didn’t think I could even be available for this internship because my call time was 4am at 30 Rock in Manhattan. I accepted the job immediately and just figured out my commute later. I knew that this would be the impressive internship on my resume that really gave me an advantage.
SM: What are you involved with at QU? Do you think your involvement will help benefit you at NBC?
MP: I am a sister of Alpha Delta Pi, I’ve been an Orientation Leader for the past 2 years, and I studied abroad in Rome spring of my junior year. Being in ADPi and being an OL definitely helped me develop my leadership skills. The reason I got the interview at Morning Joe was actually because of a sister; her actual sister is a production assistant on the show and she asked if any film or broadcast journalism majors were interested in the internship. This connection got my resume on my supervisor’s desk. Studying abroad also definitely helped benefit my relationship with NBC. When I showed up to my interview for Morning Joe the woman interviewing me had seen on my resume that I had just gotten back from Rome and it turns out that she had studied abroad in Italy as well when she was in college. We definitely bonded over this connection.
SM: 10 years from now, where do you see yourself?
MP: Ew, in 10 years I’ll be 31 and that’s terrifying. At that point in my life I hope to be the executive producer of a live morning show of some kind. I’ll be getting invitations to all of the award shows, of course, and also I hope to have a nice enough salary so that I can vacation in Europe once a year with my friends and hubby.
SM: Career wise, what is your dream?
MP: To be the executive producer of a live broadcast – something along the lines of the Today Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (soon to be Seth Meyers), or Saturday Night Live. Basically I want to be the female Lorne Michaels.
SM: Lastly, anything else you would want to say?
MP: Thanks so much for asking me to be featured! That was so nice of you guys!
Of course, Micaela! The girls of Her Campus Quinnipiac send you warm wishes for the rest of your senior year and in your career!