Attending college is about more than gaining knowledge. It’s a personal journey to discover which skill sets will lead to a fulfilling future. With such a daunting task ahead, hearing from an alumna who has already walked that path can provide insight and inspiration to those just beginning their journey.
Anna Skog ’21, who dual-majored in English Writing and Communication, has graciously shared her success story in becoming a Digital Content Producer for WOOD TV8.
Why English Writing and Communications?
Like many students, Anna didn’t enter college knowing what she wanted to do after graduation. She knew that she enjoyed her English classes. She knew she loved writing. However, having this knowledge doesn’t always translate directly into a career path. These passions can turn into any number of careers: traditional publishing, writing and editing, radio, etc. Anna needed a chance to explore!
Taking classes allowed her to experience her passions in different environments. It gave her access to career options she may not have considered and professors who could mentor her along the way.
“While I loved my writing classes,” Anna reflects, “I took a couple of communication classes, like Intro to Communication freshman year. And I was like, I love this. This is so fun. I love the sort of English where you can organize an essay, but I also like speaking about it out loud. I wanted to have that in a job, that communication aspect, so I took more and more communication classes. I ended up taking so many that I could do a double major in English writing and communication. I wanted something where English and communication intersect, and there are tons of places. They're very closely intertwined. One of those major places was media.”
Growing up, Anna explained that she came from a family that valued media. Her dad would get the newspaper every day. They watched the news every night. Even today, she frequently reads articles in her spare time. Going into some form of media made sense for her, but then came the question of which role to pick.
Anna explained, “I didn't know if I wanted to do radio or TV. I just didn't know what I didn't know, and I needed to get my foot in the door and see what it looked like in the world.”
Influential Professors and Classes
When asked about the professors and classes that were the most influential during her time at Aquinas, Anna had no shortage of names to drop.
Dr. Dave Weinandy was the first professor who came to mind. According to Anna, reflecting on Communications 101, Dave “makes it so much fun and so engaging. It’s almost like you’re going to listen to a comedian. He just goes up there and entertains you. You are so enveloped in what he's talking about, and you forget that you’re even learning sometimes because he’s just so interesting.”
In terms of classes, Anna noted that, of all the communications classes she took, Dr. Ian Borton’s social media class is among the most applicable to the work she does today.
She recounted a major project in this class that helped frame her understanding of brand identity on social media. “I’ve actually come back to talk to his social media classes. He puts you into groups, and each group takes on a campaign where you take on a cause and try to post about it. Ours was called, ‘Spread Thanksgiving.’ It was around Thanksgiving time, and we wanted to make sure everyone was thankful. I don’t know that our social media strategy was all that good, but we were learning.”
Anna explained that this project helped her learn to speak from a brand’s perspective instead of her own. Much of this class centers around building a personal brand through social media and how professionals use social media to better illustrate their company’s specific mission or cause. Now that she posts for WOOD TV8, she needs to think about what that voice would say, rather than her own. She states, “You really have to have their vision nailed down and know what they would want to look like online.”
On the English writing side, she recounted a journalism class that helped her gain the confidence to report on stories. She shares that journalism used to be intimidating to her. “I didn’t do a journalism major, which is weird to me now. But I was always like, they’re so intense. I can never be a journalist. Now, I am a journalist and I'm like, why did I not major in journalism? When I look back, it was that class that gave me the confidence to say, you know what, I could do this. I could be a reporter. This is fun, and I enjoy it.”
On the subject of confidence, Anna also described how impactful it was to meet people working in her desired field. She explained that Professor Eric Hultgren brought in someone who worked for WOOD TV8 at the time, which allowed her to ask questions. She also shared that Professor Hultgren used to work for MLive and that he often spoke from real-life experiences.
“That's the good thing about Aquinas. They bring in people that are currently working in that position, and so you can see them and be like, one, I can ask them any questions, and two, I could do it too.”
How Persistence Won Her a Career at WOOD TV8
Anna had her eyes on WOOD TV8 for years before she finally received her offer letter.
To build her resume, she completed an internship and an externship during her Aquinas
years. Professor Philip Tower helped her find her internship at “Free Beer and Hot Wings,” a radio show hosted
on 97.9 WGRD.
Fast forward to 2019, Anna visited Aquinas’ Advantage Center hoping to find more opportunities. There, she learned about an internship with WOOD TV8, which was adapted into a virtual ‘externship’ due to the pandemic.
“They called me and were like, hey Covid's happening. We're not doing this anymore, but we are doing a virtual internship. So, I did a little externship/Zoom thing over the summer. Every week or every two weeks or something, we would get together on Zoom and learn about a different position at WOOD TV8. So, that's how I connected with them,” explained Anna.
When it came time to find work after college, Anna applied to many positions at WOOD TV8 between her senior year and the following summer. Her dedication paid off. Even though she received countless rejections, her perseverance eventually won her a content producer role.
Reflecting on the Writing Center
In addition to her classes and internships, Anna worked in AQ’s Writing Center for three years, including the required class and training program. These experiences helped her hone her writing ability and develop editing skills that would later translate into her career.
“Having to express why you think something might be wrong or why you think something needs to be changed really helps you solidify your writing. There’s a saying that the best way to learn is to teach, and I think that’s very true,” Anna explained. “It forces you to think about how you're constructing words and sentences. So, I think that that was a way to hone my own writing. It also gave me the toolbox needed to discuss writing like when I'm at work.”
Anna is constantly discussing writing with her peers and manager. From rewording headlines to restructuring sentences, learning how to talk about writing is an essential skill in her workplace. This experience also exposed her to many types of writing, allowing her to adjust her style to fit any type of writing: social media posts, TV scripts, website articles, etc.
“I have those tools because of the Writing Center,” she shared.
Advice for Incoming and Current Students
When asked to share advice for incoming and current students, Anna gave a couple of answers.
“Start looking for opportunities early,” she advised. Anna wanted to join a TV station or radio to develop related skills. Her professors knew the right places to look and guided her to the right opportunities.
“I think our strength lies in having such close connections where your professors know you really well. They know your interests and who you are, and they’re excited to help you. So, go ask your advisor, ask all your professors, ask what they suggest for you, and try to figure out what you want to do before you’re even in a position where you’re looking for a job after college.”
She also highlighted the importance of figuring out how to create a career doing what you love.
“When you're trying to figure out what you want to do in life, which is hard and I'm still kind of doing it, think about what you do in your free time. If you didn't have to do it, you weren't required to do it, you're not paid to do it. Then, also think about what you're naturally talented in and where those two things intersect,” explains Anna. “That's where you'll find you're supposed to be.”
