How did you get the job you have? What did you study in school, and does it help you today?
"I interned all the time, for credit, not for credit — you just can’t compare a classroom to the real world. By the time I got to MTV, where I was the Choose or Lose intern in 2008, it was my seventh internship and I was hired about four months into it. I studied print journalism in school, so I learned about journalism law, news writing, and creative nonfiction. The transition into broadcast was pretty seamless. There are great people here who go out of their ways to show you the ropes and offer constructive criticism."

What piece of advice would you give anyone who would like to do what you are doing today? Any words of caution?
"Always say yes when you’re starting out. There's never a job too small, there's never an industry party too lame, there's never a favor too big, and there's never, ever a skill you're above mastering. Stay hungry, know your stuff, and keep in touch with your contacts. Help your friends — the more jobs you can place your friends in, the wider your network grows and the happier your pals are! And most importantly: if you're kind and respect those you work with and for, they'll reciprocate.

I don’t have any words of caution, really. A good meal in Midtown is hard to find, so I tend to bring my own lunch."


Photographed by CJ Isaac