BA (Hons) Journalism students from London College of Communication were invited to tour Bloomberg’s award-winning headquarters in central London – gaining an insight into paving a successful career in journalism.
Maha Khan, BA (Hons) Journalism student, reports back from the trip...
Naomi Kerbel, Bloomberg’s Head of TV and Radio, invited students for a tour of the studios, talking to producers, reporters, TV anchors and the London Bureau Chief about their careers.
The College proudly is committed to industry-focused creative education to ensure that graduates are well-prepared for a career in the design, media and screen industries as soon as they graduate by offering field trips to present them with new role models and boost their awareness of opportunities after graduation.
The Industry Mentoring Scheme is one of the opportunities used to encourage and support postgraduate students. The voluntary scheme boosts confidence and a greater understanding of their future career paths by partnering students of all disciplines with industry professionals.
As an LCC graduate herself, Naomi wanted to give back and support the next generation of creatives by mentoring post graduate students in their transition from education to industry.
The students were warmly greeted by Naomi Kerbel and Melissa Pozsgay, Senior Editor and Bloomberg terminal trainer, in the pantry of the building, a stunning space for meetings and snacks galore.
Gallery
Naomi and Melissa took the students on a fascinating tour of the Norman Foster-designed headquarters which featured several great artworks, such as Christin Iglesias’ ‘Forgotten Streams’, which pays homage to London’s “lost” river Walbrook, and Olafur Eliasson's ‘No future is possible without a past’.
London Bureau Chief Neil Callanan gave the students an introductory talk about Bloomberg and a Q&A session in one of the building’s state of the art training rooms. His advice to the students was to “work hard and think smart” and he encouraged being nosy, cynical, and sceptical – key traits for a successful journalist to possess.
Assistant producer Sarah Rappaport and Bloomberg News reporter Charlotte Ryan hosted a panel discussion on how to get into journalism. They explained their typical day in the office and gave valuable advice on how to break into the industry, drawing on their own experiences having taken non-finance routes and extolled the importance of keeping their minds open to opportunities that came their way.
The tour continued into the TV Studio and the control room, where students were given the chance to see the behind-the-scenes operations. Back in the main TV studio, students watched TV anchor Sebastian Salek cover a segment on European markets and UK politics. Salek gave the students a rundown of his career and journey towards becoming a reporter and producer for Bloomberg Television and Radio and offered guidance on finding and telling great stories by “following the money”.
The field trip took place towards the end of the student’s academic year, giving them a real taste of a possible future path and the opportunity to start making industry connections.
Students were all impressed by the tour of Bloomberg and found it “really interesting and inspiring to meet real journalists and learn how they got to where they are now,” said Laila, first year student. First-year student, Shaan, also commented that the trip had been “very informative and experiential!”
Words by Maha Khan, BA (Hons) Journalism graduate.
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