1.Name (First and Last)
Emily Siner
2.Twitter
@sinersays
3.LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/in/emilysiner/
Employment Info
4.Employer
NPR
5.Title/Occupation
Editorial Assistant, Digital News
Academic Info
6.Graduation Year (list as "Month Year")
May 2013
7.Major
News-Editorial Journalism
Other Stuff
9.Hometown
Glenwood, Ill.
10.Hobbies
Career Information & Advice
11.What are your job responsibilities/duties?
NPR has a thriving online news component, and I get to be a part of that. I write, edit and produce for various NPR.org blogs, including All Tech Considered, Code Switch and It's All Politics.
12.What does a typical day look like?
Depends what's on my plate. Some days I spend reporting and writing, other days I'm mostly producing radio pieces for the web.
13.What do you most enjoy about your job?
The high caliber of journalism around me all the time. People here are proud of NPR, proud of their work, and it makes me want to live up to that.
14.What is the most difficult aspect of the job?
I'm definitely a small fish in a big pond, so to speak. It's easy to feel lost in such a large organization. On the other hand, it's forced me to promote myself and seek feedback.
15.What on-campus activities were you involved with? Where did you gain relevant experience?
My two biggest commitments in college were being an editor at buzz Magazine and an RA in Allen Hall. Both were relevant to working with people, being creative and keeping calm under pressure.
16.How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your professional life? For this specific position?
The classes I took as a news-ed major were directly relevant and applicable in my field. I can look at the description for basically every entry-level job out there and say confidently, "I can do that."
17.What advice do you have for students interested in this field?
My advice is to be wary of advice. Many people will simply advise you to follow in their footsteps. Unless you want to do what they did, seek out mentors who actually listen to what you want - they'll be the ones to guide you through transitions and tough decisions.
18.What is one thing that you know now that you wish you had known when you started in the field? When you graduated from the College?
"Knowing people" is important in journalism. That doesn't mean you have to be insanely well-connected, but you should probably feel comfortable asking for a business card and following up by email.