Title:GEMA’s 14th Annual Career Panel

The Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance (GEMA) held its 14th Annual Alumni Career Panel at The Wagner Alumni House. Four distinguished alumni working in diverse departments in the entertainment and media fields presented their insights to an audience filled with Georgetown students.

Panelists included Nick Barnicle (C‘07), co-founder of Prospect Productions, Lauren Epshteyn (C ‘07), a Sales Strategy Executive at Google, Joanne M. Kelly (L ’96, MBA ‘96), the Vice President & Chief Counsel of AOL Inc., and Manuel Urrutia (B ‘94), the Senior Vice President of International and Corporate Strategy at Time Warner Inc.

Mitch Peyser (MBA ‘93), who is Vice President and Executive Producer at Time Life and the Co-Director of GEMA in DC, moderated the hour-long panel.

The panelists spoke about the process of getting started in the media industry, and Georgetown’s influence on their career paths. Ms. Kelly noted that, because of Georgetown’s incredible location, student should take advantage of all the connections that DC has with numerous media companies in the area. A common theme during the panel conversation was a strong desire to work in media, and a willingness to use any resources that Georgetown provided them. Questions from current students included what mistakes to avoid, and how to get original content to stand out on the Internet.

Panelists advised students to do more than just what may be asked, and to research company culture and employee backgrounds prior to interviews. Panelists also stressed that technology is ever changing and media is tied to advanced technologies and platforms with mobile sweeping the media landscape. Students were advised to do it yourself, create a YouTube channel, and build connections online.

Informal discussions between students and alumni continued in the reception that followed the panel.

Written by Tara Jabbari (G ‘17) and Stephanie Kim (B ‘17)

View panel photos