Robert Scott, Specialist Communication Professor at the University, spoke to a collection of first-year graduate and undergraduate students about his career in the communication field on Tuesday Oct. 22. Scott’s speech was a part with the Colloquium Speaker Series.
Dr. Sheila McAllister, assistant communication professor, explained that the speaker series purpose was to introduce students to professionals, and the capabilities of a communication degree
“We like to have a diverse group of speakers to show the breadth and depth of the field,” said McAllister.
McAllister continued, “[Scott’s] presentation, not to minimize anyone else’s contribution to the field, is very unique because he embodies all the potentials a student can have with a communication degree.”
McAllister said that Scott has worked for Disney in television, he writes for magazines and blogs, and he’s current and up-to-date with the technology in his field.
“He didn’t have it all figured out right from the beginning. He knew he had all this creativity, and he decided to pursue that. All the careers that a student could have, Professor Scott embodies them,” said McAllister.
Scott asked the audience what a student can do with a communication degree. He told students there’s not a company or industry out there that doesn’t have a social media presence or is in the process of planning one. “It’s an important time to be in the communication field,” said Scott.
Scott said he has always been interested in media. When he was a kid he said he used to take out an eight-millimeter camera and shoot videos of his friends throwing a ball back and forth.
Scott went to high school at Christian Brother’s Academy, where he learned to love performing arts. He began with stage crew and tried out for a show when a friend commented on his larger-than-life personality.
Although these passions were never seen as career paths for Scott, just hobbies. After high school Scott joined the Coast Guard, but left when he realized that the opportunities were not for him.
He applied to the University, where he was accepted and studied history and political science. While at the University he was a part of WMCX. He also took a few business courses, although found himself drawn to media.
It was not until his father died that Scott began to see the arts as a possible career path. He sat down with a career advisor, who said to him, “Forget everything. What do you like? What are you best at?”
Scott began applying to film school in Miami, where he studied screenwriting and film production. He worked on his writing skills, but also helped out with production crew positions. He learned that there is no such thing as a small job and that every opportunity matters.
He took a trip during graduate school to Los Angeles and decided that after graduation, he was going to move there for more opportunities.
Scott received jobs through a temp agency after making the move to California. The temp agency allowed him to receive a job at Disney for three days. Scott said, “I just kept showing up and kept getting paid. Eventually someone offered me a job in the new media department. I didn’t take it at first because I had no interest and felt guilty. But, I finally took the job when I realized that they needed someone who could write. That job led to other jobs and to me getting noticed.”
While explained Scott’s experiences, Scott advised students to get as much experience as possible.
“I took away several things from Professor Scott’s presentation. He was very engaging and knows how to captivate an audience,” said graduate student, Stephanie Eichmeyer.
“It was interesting because he’s had so many different jobs, all with a communication degree,” said Tara Muldoon, graduate student. “Other students should definitely check out the speaker series, especially if they are interested in film or TV. The speakers have a good perspective of what the industry is really like.”
“We hope that students walk away with the knowledge that they don’t have to box themselves in,” McAllister said. “It’s ok to explore and not know what you want to do after graduation. You explore classes, and learn about yourself. You learn about the path that you want to take and find out what you’re interested in.”
