A new semester comes with a lot to juggle, but you don’t have to figure it out from scratch. CSUN alumni Camilla Rambaldi ’13 (Journalism) and Jonathan Gonzalez ’13 (Broadcast Journalism), classmates-turned-NBC4-colleagues, shared a three-step game plan to help you start strong: Finish key projects early, chase internships before deadlines sneak up, and build your network through clubs, mentors and Matadors who have done it before. Use their tips as a simple checklist you can start this week and keep coming back to all semester.
Jonathan Gonzalez’s Steps To Stay Ahead This Semester
Deadlines move fast in a newsroom, so Gonzalez builds in breathing room wherever he can. His three steps are all about staying ahead before exams creep up.
Step 1: Get those class projects done early — don’t let them linger.
Step 2: Start looking and applying for internships. The hiring process can take a while.
Step 3: Talk to older students or recent grads about what you can expect as you progress toward graduation, and how you can be successful. Networking can be very helpful.
Try this this week: Choose one assignment you can start today and set a mini deadline on your calendar.
Camilla Rambaldi’s Steps To Build Your Network and Your Reel
Rambaldi’s advice is to concentrate on the long game. She focuses on relationships and real-world experience that can shape your path long after the first week.
Step 1: Attend Meet the Clubs and join the CSUN chapter of Radio Television Digital News Association.
Step 2: Start looking ahead at internship opportunities early on. Network. Network. Network!
Step 3: Find a mentor in the business who can help support your goals and provide feedback on your work.
Try this this week: Go to one event, meet one person and send one follow-up message.
Rambaldi and Gonzalez did not get to the newsroom overnight. They started with small, consistent choices each semester. As this semester begins, their message to current Matadors is simple: Start now, use the resources around you and trust that the steps you take today can open doors sooner than you think.
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