“Five Questions With…” is a series of profiles of recent CJC graduates and the career paths they chose.

Emily Netburn, B.S. Telecommunication 2019

1. Tell us about your current job.

Currently, I’m Manager, Platform Editorial at NBCU’s streaming app, Peacock. Alongside a pretty incredible team, it’s my job to curate everything you see on the app – from the titles of collections, to the order in which you see content, to specialized artwork and stunt events (like Peacocktober!). The job requires both my left and right brain, as I use both the data from our viewership and my own creativity to keep the app looking fresh and fun.

My average day usually involves a good cup of coffee, a few meetings where we plan ahead for events and launches to come, a few meetings where we plan for what’s happening on the app this week, and plenty of time in between to analyze the data and make decisions and moves to connect our viewers to content they’ll love. No two days are exactly the same, but that’s the joy of working in streaming!

2. Why did you choose to come to CJC?

I came to UF as an English major and ended up completing a good majority of my coursework by the end of my sophomore year (thanks, AP credits). I found myself at a crossroads. Knowing I wanted to stay for four years of college, I set out to find another major that might help me on my quest to start a career in entertainment. When I learned that CJC offered a Telecommunications major with an emphasis on Production, I was sold. It was the perfect way to add practical experience to my literary knowledge – both of which have helped me through my career! [Editor’s Note: The Telecommunications major is now Media Production, Management, and Technology, starting with fall 2021 freshmen and transfer students.]

3. Was there a defining moment, personally or professionally, at CJC that set you on your current path?

I took some incredible classes through the Telecommunications Production track, but the one that truly propelled me into my first job was Narrative Collaborative Filmmaking, taught by [Media Production, Management, and Technology Lecturer] Iman Zawahry, in my final semester. It was essentially a crash course in how movies and television shows are made.

I saw firsthand how an idea becomes a script that becomes a guide to shooting that becomes footage that an editor spins into a beautiful final product. By the time I graduated, I’d produced and written for two short films, and my wealth of experience provided me with plenty of answers for interview questions. It turns out, what you learn on set is just as valuable in a corporate setting!

4. What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing a career in entertainment?

When I started trying to make my way in the entertainment industry, I was constantly told it was all about who you knew. At first, that phrase felt frustrating – I grew up in a South Florida suburb, not Manhattan or LA – who did I know? But as it turns out, you don’t actually have to start out knowing anyone. You can create a network in a million different ways. You can reach out to fellow Gators on LinkedIn, apply for internships or part time jobs, even ask your parents’ friends’ friends’ kids who “work in LA” for an informational interview. You can even cold message someone you don’t know who has a job you’re interested in! It may seem a little scary to put yourself out there like that, but the more you do it, the better you get at it – and the more people you know.

5. Where do you hope to be in your career in five years?

The thing that is both wildly exciting and terrifying about the entertainment industry right now is that we’re in the midst of the Streaming Wars. Two years ago, the company I work at now didn’t even exist yet. Neither did some of its competitors: Disney+ and HBO Max all launched right around the same time, too. I’m not even sure the type of job I have existed two years ago! All of this is to say, I’m not sure what the industry landscape will look like in one year, let alone five. What I do know is that, regardless of what you watch it on, TV is more popular than ever, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. So in five years, I hope I’m still a part of a team that puts the shows you love onto your screens.

Posted: October 28, 2021
Category: Careers, Five Questions With...
Tagged as: Emily Netburn, Peacock