Alumni Spotlight

1. Name (First and Last)


Bryce Jakobs



2. Twitter


@BDJakobs



3. LinkedIn


Bryce Jakobs



Employment Info




4. Employer


NBC Chicago



5. Title/Occupation
Content

Producer



Academic Info




6. Graduation Year (list as "Month Year")


May 2012



7. Major


Broadcast Journalism



8. Minor and/or Certificates


Business



Other Stuff




9. Hometown


Sterling, IL



• Hobbies


Live Music, Sports, Cooking



Career Information & Advice


• What are your job responsibilities/duties?


My job consists of writing copy and editing video for the morning newscast. Content producers are also responsible for occasionally producing shows, producing cut-ins for the "Today" show, editing packages and writing stories for the web.



• What does a typical day look like?


Typically, I get into the office around 12:30am. For the next 6 hours or so, I am writing scripts and editing video. Sometimes, that can mean writing as many as 35-40 stories in a particular morning. Once the 6:00am show is over, our team goes over the "highs" and "lows" of the day and we start preparing for the next day. We also occasionally help out with the 11:00am newscast.



• What do you most enjoy about your job?


I love that no day is ever the same. Every day, I come into work with a fresh slate of stories, covering a variety of topics. I get to learn about politics, health, sports, technology, entertainment, etc. I always say...I don't know a lot about one thing, but I do know a little about a lot of things.



• What is the most difficult aspect of the job?


The toughest part is the schedule. Flipping your schedule on its head can be very tough. It makes it difficult to establish life balance, but I do the best I can.



• What on-campus activities were you involved with? Where did you gain relevant experience?


I tried to get my hands on everything when I was in college. I worked as a video manager for the basketball team. I was a reporter for Daily Illini "On-Air". I produced "Illini Drive at 5" on WPGU and I was an announcer for the Big Ten Network "Student U" program. I figured the more experience I gained in different areas of the field, the better.



• How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your professional life? For this specific position?


Illinois helped me find the area that I was best suited for. I went there with the intentions of being on-air. But after a couple years, I found my place in production. Obviously, that was integral in getting me where I am today.



• What advice do you have for students interested in this field?


Learn Everyone's Job! If you know what everyone around you is supposed to be doing, it will make doing your job a lot easier. It will also make you significantly more versatile, which is an attractive quality to employers.



• 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?


I wish I knew how demanding the schedule was and the sacrifices I would have to make to be successful. I thought I had an idea. However, it wasn't until I got into the industry that I really understood that this is a "24/7/365" business.