EAST LANSING, Mich. – The process of finding a job after college can be a difficult transition for some recent graduates. Graduates during the COVID pandemic had a challenging job search. Journalism majors have limited options with hours that fluctuate and can span up to 18 hours a day. The pay is typically low and can start at below $15 an hour in some cases.
Julian Mitchell finished up his degree in the spring of 2020 and was sent home at a time when he was just getting ready to cover MSU men’s basketball's March Madness journey for Impact. Some graduates set an ultimatum on when they need to start their first career in journalism. This wasn’t the case for Mitchell, who was determined to continue pursuing his dream, and the wait finally paid off after eight months when he landed his first TV job with KTTC.
Ian Gilmore grew up with a love for soccer and was an MSU journalism graduate in the spring of 2022. It was his 2021 summer internship with Indy Eleven, a soccer team based out of Indiana in the United Soccer League, that led to him landing his first job with them after he finished school a year later.
Matt Sheehan was a journalism graduate in 2014 from MSU. After two years, he realized working late nights and weekends as a sports reporter for the Times Herald wasn’t for him. Instead, Matt decided to use his degree in a way that he had never expected.
WKAR Current Sports explored the stories of graduates Julian Mitchell, Ian Gilmour, and Matt Sheehan from the MSU Journalism program.