Believe And You Can Achieve
Written by Maia Furer and Eli Matola
“The most successful people are those who are good at plan B.” ― James Yorke.
Sometimes people have to resort to their plan B, however, sometime a plan B turns into the plan-Best. Kara Nelson, an Outreach Associate at Nā Leo TV, was at the end of her rope until she got her job. She said that before she got her job there, she was unsure if she would be able to live in Hilo after graduation. Now, after getting the job, she says she helps welcome incoming clients, boosting social media presence, writing storyboards for promo and show ideas, writing and sometimes delivering TV spots, helping create PSAs, collecting B-roll, and filming.
The perpetuation and training Ms. Nelson needed for this job she learned at UH Hilo. She says, “using the writing skills that I honed as an English major both in editing internal documents for proper grammar usage and in writing scripts. For formulating show ideas and promo spots, I’ve applied the creativity I picked up partially through my creative writing classes and partially through my literature classes.” Ms. Nelson has also been able to avoid plagiarism thanks to her Media Writing class which she took her final semester. Lastly, the knowledge she gained as a Communications major have helped her with “relating to clients, being filmed, extemporaneous speaking, and seeking to maintain workplace harmony.”
Kara Nelson, an Outreach associate at Nā Leo TV and an alumni of UH Hilo, filming for Nā Leo TV. Photo courtesy of Kara Nelson.
Working with Nā Leo TV, Ms. Nelson talks about new experiences and the knowledge she gained. While working for the company she has been able to write, film, edit, and create a music video for Hilo Medical Center. She says “I always felt I’d get a writing job, but didn’t dream I could get a job that would let me learn my writing skills as well as challenge myself to learn new things—and be a good fit!” She states that she never would have seen herself “operating a video camera or editing footage using Final Cut Pro X” and yet she is collecting and editing footage for TV. “I had an old boss who joked I’d be on TV, which I said was unlikely, yet here I am occasionally filming TV spots and looking at the possibility of hosting one or two shows. My whole job is constantly about learning new things and honing skills, both old and new, so almost every day is an experience for me.” she says.
For those about to graduate and are following in Ms.Nelson's footsteps, she suggests knowing a few things first. She says that employers value hands on experience and it is often difficult to get a job with just a degree. “There are so many nuances in every job that are not covered in textbooks,” she says. She strongly suggests participating in work-study programs, applied-learning experiences, and internships, hopefully in one’s intended career field. She suggests looking into programs and experiences that will apply directly to workplace knowledge.
Ms. Nelson says her favorite part of working at Nā Leo TV is almost everything. Although she especially likes filming and editing, she says, “I’m lucky I took a chance and pursued a job with Nā Leo TV since it’s taught me so many things I never knew about public access television and TV production. I had started losing hope I could get a full-time job with benefits and with my own office. But luckily I took a chance, and now I have a great job that has allowed me to gain more self-confidence and prove that success is possible with passion, a good support group, hard work, and dedication.”
