This week, we were visited by three of our very own faculty: Chuck Borghese, Dan Farkas and Hans Meyer. All three faculty work in the field of journalism at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism here at OU . During this panel, our faculty shared about the intersection of their professional world and teaching at Ohio University, guidance for resources to get internships and some actionable advice for students as they prepare to go into the professional world. The key takeaways from the panel are below.
What do you do here at OU and what brought you to come as faculty?
Dr. Hans Meyer – Professor Hans Meyer teaches The Future of Media and Gender, Race and class in Journalism and Mass Media. Hans came to OU’s faculty because the university’s reputation proceeded itself. He instantly liked the community and students and appreciated the way that OU students were driven and ambitious.
Dan Farkas – Professor Dan Farkas is our very own Scripps PRSSA adviser. At Ohio University, he teaches Intro to Advertising and PR, Advertising and Public Relations Writing and PR planning. Dan was interested in the media and TV aspect of Scripps and later had an opportunity to teach at OU for 10 weeks, he loved it and ended up staying to teach.
Chuck Borghese – Professor Chuck Borghese is the managing director at the NEXT agency here at OU. NEXT solves problems for clients with the media that is appropriate for them. During Chuck’s time at OU, he fell in love with advertising and wanted to come back to show the world of advertising through NEXT.
How have your experiences in the professional world impacted your teaching here at OU?
Dr. Hans Meyer- Before becoming faculty at OU, Hans was a small town journalist where he developed his creativity skills and ability to take risks at trying new things. In the classroom, he tries to bring this out by emphasizing that learning is an ongoing process. He wants to teach the fundamentals of Journalism and let the students be the ones to apply it. He also teaches them to take responsible risks.
Dan Farkas- Dan tries to figure out what is happening today in the real world and then how he can talk about it in his classes. He emphasizes the importance of understanding what is happening, if you do not know what is happening, you are not able to tell how to get to people.
Chuck Borghese – What Chuck hopes he brings to the job that he brings from his past career, is to bring light to the center of what we do here at OU: understanding what the consumer needs most and what the brand can offer the most. Currently, NEXT is doing a lot of social media, but the tactic will change. What will never change is the magic of really understanding what a consumer needs and what a brand has to offer.
What do you appreciate most when students reach out to you for academic or professional-development needs and what advice do you give to students who are trying to apply for internships?
Dr. Hans Meyer- Hans loves to connect with people and help them find a place to start. Faculty have contacts and experiences that they want to share with their students, so use them as resources. Hans advised that being specific to the job that you are applying for on your resume is always a good way to stand out. Don’t use generic vague terms and spend time on cover letters to go over things in your resume that you can’t tell just by seeing it.
Dan Farkas- Every professor has office hours, so let them give you advice on what careers and classes to take and be interested in. Certain classes that Ohio University offers can set you apart from careers and in the job market. In applying for internships, Dan tells us to use the “why them, why me” differentiation. Dan guided us to start early and learn how to differentiate and show the skills that you learn in your classes.
Chuck Borghese– One of Chuck’s favorite things is to look at his previous students on LinkedIn and see what they are up to regarding the job market and their professional experiences. He always reminds people that he is there as a resource and wants to be a resource for you outside of college. Chuck urges us to care about what we are doing for the internship we are applying for and show where you were and where your experiences took you.
As the world of journalism and media changes more and more every day, what is one piece of actionable advice you’d give the students in this room as they prepare to become professionals in their field?
Dan Farkas- Understanding the story is the key to successful communication and storytelling
Dr. Hans Meyer- Go out there and try something different
Chuck Borghese- Don’t worry if you fall down, you can always get back up
You can connect with Dan, Hans and Chuck on LinkedIn.
Alessia Klosterman-Lando is majoring in Journalism Strategic Communication, and Political Science. You can connect with Alessia here.