I wonder where our batch valedictorian is now. A few years back, I remember her getting in touch with me after resigning from her post in a telecom network, maybe out of boredom or she was simply fed up. In three days, my friend and I got her a job in the TV network where we both were working. And after another three days, she walked out of the job. She was either too smart or too impatient for the task. Now, we both wonder where she is.
On the other hand, a former student council officer of my batch now heads the Public Relations Society of the Philippines. During his college years, he was an active campus figure while maintaining excellent grades.
One of my classmates who graduated cum laude landed as a housewife. Oh well, I’m not saying that the responsibility isn’t tough but right after college, she got married and never had the chance to work in a company.
Recently, I saw my former classmate’s page in Facebook and she’s now a renowned newscaster in her province. She’s actually a regional correspondent of a giant media network. She didn’t graduate a cum laude. In fact, in my one-time attempt to cheat in a major exam, she was my seatmate slash cheat-mate.
My best friend did not get in the dean’s list, but everyone in our batch knows him and his jovial persona. Now, he co-directs a top-rating noontime show and a talent search.
A good friend and classmate was also not in the dean’s list, but her thesis won the best thesis of the batch and now, a very successful account director in Vietnam.
What is my point here: you don’t need to get a medal of academic excellence to do succeed in life. If you graduated with honors, fine, but how you take advantage of that achievement is what matters.
I was once a fresh grad and I thought I know so much. It's an advantage to have vibrant ideas but learning the ropes of showbiz is tougher than I thought. I guess the most important thing I had back then aside from the skills acquired from theatre are the helpful connections. College organizations are the best way to network with the people of same interest as yours. In my case, my first boss and mentor was a senior in my university org. Among the applicants, I think I was chosen because I somehow had a production background from the theatre group we both came from. At least, that common factor made our working relationship in harmony. From being his assistant, he recommended me to be a part of a showbiz talk show research team. And the rest is history.
Some fresh grads bear an air of arrogance, thinking that they know everything, and they are far better than the rest, thus deserve something better. I was once like that, only to realize now what a fool I was to think that way. Life is bigger than the university we came from. I was once disheartened to realize how a bigshot in the campus can find herself a big sh*t in the real world. Thriving and maintaining a career in showbiz is not only about what you know, it’s more of who you know. Keeping a good relationship with your co-workers and almost everyone you deal with will sustain you in the business. These same people can either help you get your current project done, or get your services for a new project.
So if you intend to pursue a career in broadcasting, aside from honing technical skills, start working on your people skills too. Because working in media entails good public relations apart from academic achievements.
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