The Journalism Program at Hunter College has been invited to be part of the CUNY Inclusive Economy Initiative (CIE) starting this semester.
CIE aims to enhance student career success by promoting employer relationships and guiding students as they align their academic and co-curricular activities with their career goals. This initiative focuses on investing at the department level, using faculty expertise and fostering relationships to enhance student preparation over time.
David Pavlosky, the department’s chief operations officer and internship advisor, and Jeanie Ahn, who will be networking with potential employers in the field, hope that students can become better prepared for what CUNY considers a high-demand field.
Tasked with finding 200 students for the program in its inaugural year, Pavlosky and Ahn hope to help students seeking employment in not only journalism but any field requiring expertise in communications. “Economics and Biology have already branched out and made connections and there’s a hope that Film and Media can converge and use their connections for our students,” said Ahn.
The program is designed to complement existing career services at Hunter and classes such as From Classroom to Career, as well as other media courses such as Media 180.
Pavlosky was key in securing funding for the program, which will last for three years in a trial phase. If the program is successful, the funding can be extended.
Ahn’s role will be to reach out to prospective employers using her existing connections and those of Hunter faculty, who have worked or currently work in the field. Ahn aims to help students understand what exactly it is that employers are looking for so their resumes and skills can be tuned to meet those needs.
Through workshops and panels, students will have the chance to meet industry specialists and more professionals than they could at the typical career fair.
Tara Chiari is the Hybrid Advisor who will work more closely with the students, using Ahn’s research to best train students based on their abilities and qualifications. Additionally, she will work with faculty to incorporate the skills employers want to see in their curriculums.
The program accepts students on a rolling basis, and students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Ahn noted that May and April are the busiest for summer internship applications and applying to the program will optimize students’ chances for success.
