Panel discusses jobs for Comm students

Six University alumni provided gems of wisdom and advice yesterday on how to break into the world of communications -- without dodging the harsh realities of the field. Held in the Annenberg School for Communication, the panel stressed the importance of networking while resisting the trap of riding on an Ivy League education's prestige. The discussion, entitled, "Communications Career Forum," and organized by the Undergraduate Communications Society, featured recent graduates employed in a smattering of media careers. Starting off the discussion, 1993 College graduate Josh Rafofsky discussed how he has made the feature film industry his field of expertise. He advised the audience of more than 100 students to take advantage of Career Placement and Planning Services and to "arm yourselves with as much knowledge as possible." "Hollywood brings new meaning to the term 'dog eat dog,' " Rafofsky said. "[Penn] has a strong alumni network?. It will allow you to leapfrog ahead of those people without that resource." Speaking on the reality of starting at the bottom of the ladder of success, 1995 Wharton graduate Jenifer Wana noted, "Every single company in the world needs marketing." Wana currently works as an assistant marketing manager at In Style magazine. "[A job] may be not as high-profile [as you might want]," she said. "In the end, money will just come if you're good." Joy Richter, a 1992 College graduate, added that entry-level jobs provide great experience. "You learn something new every single day," she said, also reassuring students that the "grunt" work of lower-level jobs "doesn't last forever." Richter also emphasized the importance of interning for prospective television executives, while discussing her own rewarding experiences as the associate producer for the Today show. She applauded the undergraduate crowd for attending the discussion. "It shows initiative," she said. "You could be at Smoke's, but instead you're thinking about your future." Playing on the audience members' "initiative," Alix Jaffe, who graduated from the College in 1992 and now works in marketing for CBS, candidly told them what sets strong job applicants apart from others. "In this age, everyone has a college degree," she said. "You don't have to have the 'right' answers [in an interview], but be an interesting, creative person." Robert Liu, who graduated from the College in 1990, currently works at CNN as a producer and reporter for one of the company's online services, Financial News Interactive. He advised students not to be too overconfident in their job searches. Landing a job as Philadelphia Magazine's editor-in-chief, for example, wasn't necessarily easy for 1977 College graduate Eliot Kaplan. He said it was the result of years of work in the magazine industry. "Of course you can staple, fax and answer phones -- you go to Penn," he said.

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