By Mario Baralta
The Career Services team at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is launching a new virtual networking event aimed at connecting students with successful Cronkite Nation alumni. The series, which begins on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 4:15 p.m. (AZ time), allows current Cronkite students to begin planning for their dream careers, regardless of whether they are a first-year student or a soon-to-be graduate.
The hour-long event, appropriately titled The 4:15 because four alumni are individually given 15 minutes to discuss their careers, features alumni who hold a diverse range of media and communications roles at distinguished companies, such as NBC, NASA, Saturday Night Live and CNN.
The monthly networking event is divided into two parts. During the first half, each alumna and alumnus is given the opportunity to discuss their professional life and share valuable insights as to how they advanced in their careers. The discussion is then opened up to a Q&A discussion moderated by Cronkite Career Services Director Michael Wong.
“Zoom has created new opportunities,” Wong said. “It [The 4:15] is a great, efficient way for students to pop in, learn from and meet our various alumni, hear about where they work and how they got there.”
Although students and alumni do not have to stay for the entire hour, they can tune in to the 15-minute sessions that align with their career goals. The series, which will continue through the 2020-2021 academic year, will feature alumni from a variety of professions and job titles — ranging from news anchor, reporter, social media specialist and president.
“The main goal is for our students to engage with Cronkite Nation,” Wong said.
All Cronkite students and alumni are invited to attend The 4:15 discussions. For more information, visit the Career Services website.