TRF Winter Benchmark Trip: New York City
NYC Trip 2014
by Patrick Kirnan, TRF '14
As a part of the TRF Grad program, students are given the opportunity to go on a small trip over winter break to LA or NYC. On this trip we meet with and hear from a variety of professionals in the Television/Radio/Film Industry. I chose New York.
I grew up in New Jersey, about an hour from the city where my dad worked for many years. But until this trip, I never had the opportunity to see NYC as a professional environment for the career I was interested in. Trips to the city were always the family going to pick dad up or to a baseball game. However, this trip truly offered a unique experience in which we were able to hear from a number of professionals, young and old. Each area of the production process was represented: writers, businessmen, editors, content developers, program-directors, producers, etc. Representatives from A&E, CNN, Bravo, Sirius XM, HBO spoke to our group about what they do, how they got to where they are and answered any questions we had. The truth is, no two “success stories” are the same. Each had a unique experience: a leap of faith, a contact from years prior or being in the right place at the right time. It was refreshing. We heard real advice from real people, the good and the bad, no bullshit. The general consensus was that breaking in and getting ahead is tough and requires a good work ethic, but if you show up and you work hard, opportunities will come your way. Whether it was a little piece of advice as to what to say/do or a heartfelt story of loss and renewal, every speaker was insightful and helpful. As a student it can be so stressful to see your future, especially in a competitive job market like this. But it’s possible and up to us to go do it.
Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was a social gathering at Stout. Here the group was able to meet and mingle with a number of Newhouse alumni in the NYC area. This was a great change of pace, proving to be an informal environment where students could talk to peers about anything. After a few drinks, current and former students were sharing stories and experiences, and some even got job offers!
One of the major reasons I came to grad school was to figure out where I wanted to end up, where I would start work, and this trip was incredibly helpful in answering that question. I learned I could survive in NYC, the volume of work is steady, with a number of companies to choose from. I concluded that I might be there one day in the future. But for now, it’s time for me to go West.
