The careers site WayUp recently met with Matt Finn for a Q&A. Finn is currently a national correspondent for Fox News, but he started out as a participant in Fox News Ailes Junior Reporter Program before attaining a full-time role at the network.
The Junior Reporter program is set up to help recent college grads earn experience as multimedia journalists. Participants have the opportunity to research, report and produce news stories for the network live and on-location. Some go on to earn full-time jobs at the network, similar to Finn.
In this Q&A, the Temple grad spoke about his experience as a “Junior Reporter” and provided readers with tips on how one can improve his or her chances of earning a spot in the program.
Finn talked about the initial interviewing process, an experience recent grads and job-seekers are always interested in hearing about. He mentioned the importance of being enthusiastic about broadcasting during the interview, saying “enthusiasm will go a long way toward showing executives that you’re a good fit for the position.” He also mentioned how important it is to show your personality and “not be too newsy or uptight” during an interview. “Your personality is one of the things that will make you a great broadcast journalist, so being yourself is key to doing well in the interview.”
When asked about the best part of his job at Fox News, Finn mentioned the opportunity, exposure and recognition. “When you’re a Junior Reporter, you are treated like a full-time Fox News correspondent or field producer because Fox relies on you to cover so many huge stories,” he said. “Because you’re thrown right in, you will learn fast and learn on the job.”
Finn is pleased with his current situation at FNC, saying “there is little room for negativity and a lot of room for development, hard work, and success.”