Selena Pappas ’20 is a broadcasting major and editorial intern for Oswego alumni publications. On Oct. 29, she attended an event in Sheldon Hall Ballroom that drew more than 100 students to hear from alumni and staff of the massive conglomerate NBC Universal. Executive Vice President Tom Winiarski ’91, Senior Director of Emerging Platforms Matt Romano ’05 and their non-alumni NBC Universal colleagues pumped up and recruited SUNY Oswego students for careers ranging from IT to finance to broadcast. As a junior broadcasting major, realizing that I only have one year left at the campus that I have called home for almost three years has been a wake up call. For someone who still does not know what they want to do with their life, knowing that I have just one year left to figure that out has been terrifying. But there’s hope for me and for everyone in the same position as I am. On Oct. 29, I attended the NBC Universal networking event. As an introvert, events like this scare me, but I knew that if I did not take advantage of the opportunities Oswego offers to grow as a person and a professional, I would regret missing the chance to find out more about what I might want to do in the future. The event welcomed NBC employees and consisted of a panel discussion, including executive vice president of advertising sales planning and monetization Tom Winiarski ’91, senior director of emerging platforms Matt Romano ’05, supervisor for account services of NBC sports Ryan Hourigan, recruiter for campus programs Nicole Goolsby and senior vice president of account services and ad sales Keith Devine. The discussion was followed by a networking opportunity that allowed current business and communications students to speak one-on-one with potential employers. All in all, it was a great opportunity to learn about the different internship and job positions NBC has, as well as how students like me can take advantage of the resources Oswego offers to grow as professionals and stand out to employers. The advice they gave in the panel discussion was my biggest takeaway from this event. I learned that if I want to pursue a career in the communications field, I have to remain engaged and be ready to take on responsibilities. Devine stressed that we can start building our professionalism by doing something as simple as taking off our headphones when we walk through campus and start engaging in conversation with professors. Being able to hold meaningful conversations is a first step in enhancing networking skills. Before attending this event, I did not realize how many different job and internship opportunities NBC offers. Winiarski made a point of saying that because NBC ownership is so broad, there is a place for everyone. This was comforting to hear because as a broadcasting major, I have always been told that the digital age is causing the number of jobs in this field to decrease. Winiarski and Romano both assured us that there are plenty of opportunities within NBC for someone with a communications degree. The hardest part, they said, is being able to stand out among thousands of similar applicants. This event made me realize that not knowing what I want to do yet is OK. Winiarski mentioned that a job is just one miniscule part of life, and it certainly is not the "end-all-be-all.” It was reassuring to hear that there are jobs out there, and that Oswego’s connections with renowned companies such as NBC give students like me the chance to grow as professionals and individuals.
-Selena Pappas ’20