UGA Career Week

This is a long, long post, so it will continue after the break …

While we believe that a university education should prepare you more to be a productive member of society than for a specific career, we understand there’s a need for that latter directive. We teach a lot of classes, talk about industries and prepare kids, intellectually and practically, for jobs.

But how do you get one? That we do in a bit of a scattered manner. So, this year, we’ve started linking a bunch of things together into what I’m calling the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Career Week.

Most of these things will be open to the public and only one of them (the Bluejeans Workshop) will have a fee associated with them (and even then it’s only $35).

So, come one, come all to Athens in March – learn, share, get smarter, get wiser. Details after the break.

University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Career Week Activities

Wednesday, March 21

1:25 p.m.
DGK Presents: The Business of Freelance
Aaron Stecker of ASV and Jody Danneman of Atlanta Image Arts discuss what the “freelance” market really means for those entering the production world.

1:30 – 4 p.m.
Career Fair – Tate Student Center

Thursday, March 22

The Business of Visual Journalism
A day of smart people helping you get smarter about business. All sessions will be in the Drewry Room of Grady College. If you’re planning on attending, please click through and let us know so we have some crowd estimates.

10:30 a.m.
The Photographer’s Online Marketing Blueprint
Allen Murabayashi

This talk will cover the fundamental web marketing tactics, essential website design requirements and critical features (plus some advanced concepts) that will help photographers better utilize their website as a business and marketing tool, and grow their online presence to best generate new business.

Photographers are just starting to realize that the website is the center of online marketing and client service activity – not just a “brochure” for demonstrating skills and describing services. Attendees will gain actionable insights to build a comprehensive online marketing strategy and fine tune their websites to provide real business advantages, delight clients, and keep them coming back for more.

The discussion will include:

• Optimizing a website to attract search engine traffic
• Making productive use of social media to attract customers
• Blogging essentials that support new client acquisition
• Lead generation and engagement
• Conversion optimization – turning more website visitors into customers
• Using your website as an e-commerce tool

Allen Murabayashi is an avid photographer and frequently speaks on how photographers can use online marketing to grow their businesses. Before PhotoShelter, Allen served as a founding employee and Senior Vice President of Engineering at HotJobs.com, where he assisted in the company’s massive growth from a 4-person start-up to a publicly-held company with over 675 employees. He oversaw a staff of 50 engineers, and was responsible for the development of HotJobs.com, Softshoe, and a number of internal applications. Allen graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor’s degree in Music with distinction in the major. He serves on the board of the Eddie Adams Workshop, the leading student and young professionals’ photojournalism workshop. Allen flosses daily.

1 p.m.
The Business of Photography
Stanley Leary

So you’ve decided to hang out your photography shingle and feed yourself off of your creativity. What’s next?

Stanley Leary is one of the most successful editorial photographers in the Atlanta market, shooting for corporate clients like Chick-fil-A and Coca-Cola as well as a long list of nonprofit and educational institutes. In this session he’ll walk you through figuring out how much you need to charge clients, negotiating usage rights, selling clients on yourself and developing a marketing plan.

2:30
Photos, Videos and Public Relations
Scott Hartman and Ashton Staniszewski

Freelance clients come in all flavors, from news organizations to nonprofits to public relations firms. In this session, Scott Hartman and Ashton Staniszewski will talk about working with and for PR firms, what the expectations are and how you build a workable relationship with them.

Hartman leads the multimedia group at Jackson Spaulding Creative in Atlanta and Staniszewski is the firms first in-house photographer.

4 p.m.
DGK Presents: The Wireless Production Set and New Storage Technologies
Mark Anderson, Account Executive at G-Technologies will talk about new technologies such a Thunderbolt, E-Sata, and RAID systems. Mark will also demonstrate the new G-Connect drive which offers wireless file transfers for backpack journalists and filmmakers.

Friday, March 23

DGK Presents: News and Narrative Lighting Demonstrations from PC&E
Mark Wofford and Bill Villarinho from Atlanta’s PC&E (Production Consultants and Equipment) will run sessions demonstrating lighting techniques for backpack journalists and filmmakers. Mark and Bill will also hold sessions on how to rent production gear in the Atlanta market.

10:00 – 11:30 Lighting For News Interviews and Backpack Run ‘n Gun!
11:40 – 12:25 How to rent gear for your film (and student film)
12:45 – 2:00 Lighting For Narrative
2:15 – 3:00 How to rent gear for your film (and student film)

3:15 p.m.
International Reporting symposium – Drewry Room

4:30 p.m.
Mixer – Hotel Indigo

Saturday, March 24

Bluejeans Workshop
The Bluejeans Workshop has a $35 fee associated with it, which includes a box lunch. The fee jumps to $50 if you register after March 19. All sessions are in the Grady College.

8:30 – 8:45 a.m.
Registration and Check-in, Drewry Room

8:45 – 9:00 a.m.
Welcome, Studio One

9:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Panel Discussion and Q&A

10:55 – 11:55 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions
(Yellow group to 205, Red to Studio 1, Green to Drewry)
International Reporting – Heather Allan and Bob Duncan, Drewry
Reporting and Anchoring – Samantha Hayes, Studio 1
Social Media as News Gathering – Ben Meyer, Room 205

12:05 p.m. – 1:05  p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
(Yellow to Studio, Red to Drewry, Green to 205)

1:15  p.m.
Lunch in Drewry Room

2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
(Yellow to Drewry, Red to 205, Green to Studio)

3:25 to 4:30 p.m.
Tape Review by Professionals and closing remarks, Studio One