By Cameron Haires

As we go into the home stretch of the fall semester, we shine the light on our fellow HBCU: Our mass communication department, along with several companies within the industry, were recently invited to their annual job fair.  On Thursday, October 26, people from in the Communication  industry and others came from their regular jobs to meet and recruit upcoming students and exchange information. 

Dr. Marine organized a bus for DSU students who were interested in going.  The bus was near full when I arrived to the flagpoles and our students were certainly dressed to impress.  As it neared 7:00 a.m., Ms. Perrine spoke to the students before the bus left and urged us to take advantage of the opportunity.

The bus arrived Howard university campus at around 9:00 a.m. and we were directed to the 2nd floor lobby where everyone had to check in.  We received stickers to write our names on and put on our attire.  The officials at the registration desks were generally upbeat and happy to assist anyone who needed help.    

After trying to navigate the building, I eventually followed the crowd of students and walked into a room filled with people.  The room turned out to be where the first panel, “5G Public Relations: How to Prepare For A PR Career In The Age Of Agility,” started at around 9:30 a.m.  Other panels started around 10 a.m. as more students arrived and began to venture around the building.  One of the favored panels was called “Landing A Job In TV News,” which featured Chris Lawrence from NBC4 in Washington D.C.  

(From left to right, Kia Baskerville – CBS, Terri Tolliver – Fox 5, Jennifer C. Thomas – CNN, Chris Lawrence – NBC 4,  Indira Somani – CNBC)

This panel discussed the TV industry and answered multiple questions about their experience and how we can immerse ourselves into the business.  The panel members shared personal experiences of failures and successes.  CBS representative, Kia Bakersville, spoke on how she landed her first job with one of the companies she spoke at the Howard job fair when she was a

student.  Some stories they shared included times when they felt uncomfortable at the workplace or had to handle themselves in a certain way to deal with a situation.  

Lambertis speaking on his humble beginnings as a radio personality

 The next panel I attended was “21st Century Radio: Podcasting and Beyond,” which featured “Antonio (Cuban Cigar Smoker) Lambertis,” who is a podcaster for Urban One.  He spoke on how no one believed in him when he started his radio show in the 1990s.  Radio stations thought he wouldn’t be able to sell his brand because it included cigars.  Now he’s hosting his own radio show in D.C. and preached to the attending students to be patience and to belief in themselves.  Other panels that were held included “All Things Media: Keeping Journalism Fresh;” Advertising: Engaging the Consumer Using Innovative Strategies” and more.  

The job fair started at 1:00 p.m. and featured corporations such as NBC, CBS, Facebook, Turner, C-SPAN, Edelman, and several others.  It was an illuminating sunlight that brightened the room along with some of the finest students that mass communication had to offer.  Many of the panelist from earlier sessions also were recruiting employees for their respective companies. 

The relaxed atmosphere witnessed many on the phone or interacting with their friends, when waiting for their turn to speak with company reps.  I spoke briefly with Terri Toliver from Fox News, who recommended for students to network and also focus on grades to get a job in the field.  The event ended around 6:00 p.m. as everyone got back to their regular routines.  The bus ride back to DSU campus was uneventfully pleasant.