Bumper Year for Alumni Jobs

Published by admin at 20 July 2011

JMSC alumni are being snapped up by prestigious media organisations throughout Hong Kong and China.

The recent graduates are proving how marketable they are.

Heidi Yeung (MJ 2011)

Heidi Yeung (MJ 2011) has been employed by CNN as Coordinator of Broadcast Services & Affiliate Relations.

She is from Hong Kong but grew up in Sydney.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of a global brand and the people I’ll meet,” she said.

“I think it’s going to be a big challenge to rise up to the task but I think I’m well equipped to tackle the challenge with the skills I’ve learnt at JMSC.”

“I also hear there’s free coffee,” she joked. “That’ll be quite nice!”

Yeung credited the JMSC for her success.

“I definitely think it was my role as Bureau Chief of our ABC News on Campus team that made me a strong candidate for this job,” she said.

“Being Bureau Chief pushed me to become more organised in order to keep an eye on multiple projects that were going on at the same time.”

“It gave me more responsibility because I was leading an enthusiastic team that trusted me. It taught me to be a more diplomatic communicator as I talked to my team, our supervisors (Jim Laurie and Rob McBride), our contact in New York and our contacts in Hong Kong. It made me a stronger leader.”

Yeung is hoping that this job will eventually lead her to a managerial and then executive role and allow her to expand her scope should she ever wish to move her career outside Hong Kong.

Natasha Khan (MJ 2011)

Natasha Khan (MJ 2011) has got a job as a Health and Science reporter at Bloomberg in Shanghai. She starts work in the Hong Kong bureau in August and then moves to Shanghai later in the year.

Khan, who is from Hong Kong, has been studying part-time at the JMSC since 2009.

“Rusty Todd’s Business and Financial Journalism courses really helped to cement my interest in the field and opened my eyes to the scope of writing that can be done,” she said.

Kirti Nandwani (BJ 2011) is also working at the Bloomberg studios here in Hong Kong, where she is training to be a floor manager for live programming.

Kirti Nandwani (BJ 2011)

“I support anything related to the studio from managing the floor, giving floor cues to cable bashing and checking mics,” said Nandwani. “I am also training to run the teleprompter.”

“Unlike my other experience as a reporter for TVB, where I had time to make changes even under a deadline, this live environment is new and challenging. I have to constantly be alert, proactive, focused and independent,” she continued. “In a nutshell, it’s an adrenaline rush and I’m ready for the ride.”

Nandwani is pleased to be working for a major international media company and hopes it will expand her knowledge of business journalism.

Eldes Tran (MJ 2011)

Eldes Tran (MJ 2011), who is from Los Angeles, will join the South China Morning Post (SCMP) as a sub-editor in August. She will help copy-edit stories in the news and feature sections.

“During the year, I interned at SCMP and I look forward to working in the newsroom again with some great journalists,” said Tran.

“Hong Kong news is exciting and entertaining and I can’t wait to be a part of it. I expect the job to stretch my skills as an editor and extend my interest in Asia.”

Tran believes that the JMSC prepared her well for the role: “I think learning how Hong Kong works is vital in informing how a story is written and edited,” she said.

“The JMSC’s classes — including financial reporting, health reporting, online journalism and media law — not only taught me about reporting in Hong Kong but also made me a better thinker and better journalist.”

Jennifer Jett (MJ 2011)

Jennifer Jett (MJ 2011) has been employed by the International Herald Tribune (IHT) in Hong Kong as a copy editor over the summer.

“I edit news and financial stories for style and grammar, in addition to fact-checking,” said Jett. “I also write headlines and captions and assist in proofreading pages before they go to print.”

“One of the best things about this job is the high quality and professionalism of the people I work with,” she continued. “I also get a little thrill when I find a name that’s misspelled.”

Jett, from Tucson, Arizona, credited JMSC Honorary Lecturer Jeff Timmermans‘ Business Journalism course with preparing her for the role and also said that her internship at The Jakarta Globe last December gave her valuable experience of editing copy and writing headlines.

“I hope this job will lead to long-term employment and continued opportunities to edit and report news from Asia,” she said.