No outs or shortcuts in business journalism

CNBC reporter Kayla Tausche spoke with Daily Tar Heel staffer Karen Gil about her career and hoe she got started.

Here is an excerpt:

DTH: What were your journalism experiences prior to entering the workforce?

KT: I took every internship I could, at every juncture, and that really helped me figure out what exact niche of the journalism world.

I can honestly say I’ve worked in nearly every facet of news gathering and producing there is … I didn’t have to spend time eliminating opportunities because I had been able to figure out what I didn’t want to do.

DTH: What advice do you have for journalism students?

KT: No job is too small, and humility goes a long way. My first job out of college was at a tiny, investor-focused newswire hidden in a downtown loft under the Financial Times umbrella. Most of what I wrote was never read, to be honest. But then one day I came across a big story and broke it wide open — and then I was asked to go on television to talk about it.

DTH: What is the hardest part of your job?

KT: Managing one’s expectations. As someone with a print background, I have a natural itch to make every story a 10-page, Vanity Fair-esque expose, when in reality, it must be boiled into a 120-second video package.

Know what your best work looks like and how to get there. And then put the pen down.

Read more here.