In the movie business, persistence pays off.
Arnav Jain, a junior production major, had attended LMU Pathways in Entertainment events, hoping to make a connection. Last year his efforts paid off with an internship with White Horse Pictures.
The LMU Pathways in Entertainment on Feb. 7, 2019, was a huge success with a gathering of every type of entertainment professional possible, all of who are graduates of the LMU School of Film and Television. About 100 students made the trip to Roski Dining Hall to meet with them and learn about careers in the film industry.
“My thanks to the alums who are here and a huge welcome to everyone, especially our current students,” said Peggy Rajski, dean of the LMU School of Film and Television. “Faculty and staff have organized this evening, so that you can have a sense of the success that lies ahead. I just met one of our SFTV students who has come to this event since he was a freshman. He’s now a junior – he secured an internship at this event last year, so, well done! I find nothing more inspiring than these stories of success.”
That student, Arnav Jain, kickstarted his internship at Pathways in Entertainment. “I was a sophomore, from India with no working experience in the U.S., when I came to this event. I connected with White Horse Pictures, and followed up by applying for a position through Handshake.” A day later, Jain had an interview and the company offered him the internship.
This year’s Pathways evening was abuzz with new connections made during the breakout sessions. Whether the student is about to embark on their first internship, or they are a senior contemplating their career direction, there was someone in the room who could help with advice and next steps to take. For SFTV students, it was also a chance to learn more about the support LMU offers them in graduating from student life to working in the industry.
“We’re here to help you connect the dots between what you are learning in the classroom and turning that into a job with skills that are really necessary for the industry,” said Branden Grimmett, associate provost and head of LMU’s Office of Career and Professional Development.
“The entertainment industry is one which can lead you down a lot of different roads,” said Elena Muslar, assistant director for entertainment and fine arts professions with CPD. “It’s a very broad, very vast industry … [this event] is really about helping you decipher all the different unique pathways that you can all take as professionals.”
Grimmett revealed that of the LMU SFTV class of 2018, the most-recent graduating class, 97 percent were employed or in grad-school within six months of graduation.
“There are 5,000 appointments made through our office every year and we have 7,000 jobs on ‘Handshake’,” added Grimmett. The Office of Career and Professional Development has 14 full-time staff and 25 student workers. It hosts employers on campus and also takes students to employers’ businesses. A recent Career Expo on campus brought Dreamworks to meet with students and staff members are taking students to Nickelodeon studios in the near future.
By the end of the night, Arnav Jain has 40 new LinkedIn connections and an informational interview set up at Paramount Studios. “I’d like a paid internship this year. I’m thinking long-term about what I can do in my career. My dream job is to create content in Hollywood,” said Jain.
