All Spotlights » Alumnus reflects on time at GVSU, offers students advice
Dr. Jeff Brand was selected as the Outstanding Alumnus, 2012, by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Communications. Brand graduated in 1986 with his BA in Journalism with a Broadcasting emphasis. He later received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He now lives in Australia, and is recognized as an international expert.
Dr. Brand returned to GVSU in October, 2012 to participate in the CLAS Distinguished Alumni-in-Residence Program. He offered this advice to students about to graduate with a communications degree:
“There will be jobs. There will be a lot of jobs. They may not come in the first week after graduation. They may not come in the first three weeks, or even three months. But they will come. The most important thing for students is to keep doing whatever it is they learned. If you learned to write articles, keep writing articles, even if you don’t get paid. Give them away. Eventually, you’ll get traction. You’ll find work in the newest form of the news media, or public relations or advertising, or broadcasting. It may be narrow-casting, but it will still be a big audience, because that’s now possible with digital media. Don’t give up. Stay the course. You will succeed.”
More of Dr. Brand's insight about GVSU and beyond is on the School of Communications blog.
