Farley ’15 works at NBC

Journalism major Erin Farley ’15 said she was thrilled when she was accepted as a member of NBC Universal’s Page Program earlier this semester.

Farley said she “was so excited” and can recall crying tears of joy while riding the T in Boston.

The prestigious yearlong program, which accepts just 2 percent of 16,000 annual applicants, provides learning opportunities and invaluable networking experiences.

Approximately 75 percent of Pages go on to work for NBC Universal.

Farley, originally from Woodbridge, New Jersey, has an interest in producing and looks forward to the opportunities that will be made available through the program.  

Farley said she has wanted to work in journalism since the age of 10, and she credits Emerson with having prepared her for the Page Program.

Describe the process of applying to the program.

It is really intense, but it is also a great interviewing experience. You go through about three steps. It was definitely intimidating, but it was amazing to be able to go through that and be able to handle it all. I feel like I’ve become such a better interviewer because of that experience.

Erin Farley '15 attends the News and Documentary Emmy Awards for WEBN. (Courtesy Photo)

What are your career goals?

I always wanted to be a reporter, but after I spent a whole summer as an intern at Dateline NBC, I realized that I absolutely love producing; I think that’s where I am supposed to be. So, ultimately, I want to be a producer on a network level. I am definitely starting to look into that. I love creating the story.

How do you feel Emerson prepared you?

Prior to doing this interview for the program, I had had eight internships. I had a lot of experience with interviewing, but it was really [Emerson’s Office of] Career Services that helped pave the way and showed me what you need to do with your resume, and made sure to tell me about the [College] Internship Fair. One of my first internships was because of the Internship Fair. And because of that internship, I grew into the next one. The teachers at Emerson are great. I used them for recommendations.

What suggestions do you have for other students aspiring to go into journalism and the Page Program?

Get involved as soon as possible. Make your mistakes your freshman year.  Emerson has so much to offer—you’ll get it in the classroom but you need that experience outside of the classroom as well. In this field, you have to be proactive; you have to be a go-getter. That’s what I really learned and I thank the Emerson activities especially. From the activities, I got internships, and from the internships I received my job. So I’m just so grateful to be a part of the Page Program. It still feels so surreal to me.

What are some of the activities you were involved in on campus?  

I worked a lot for Emerson Independent Video, the news program. I did everything from being a weather correspondent to a reporter and an executive producer. With EIV, I won best college newscast when I was executive producer and best weather presentation for my reporting during Hurricane Sandy.  I was president of WEBN. I won the Associated Press award with them as well. I also worked with the Emerson Channel and the Berkeley Beacon.

Who were some of your biggest influencers?

I went through the mentorship program [at Emerson], which was absolutely amazing. You apply your sophomore year and if you’re selected you get paired with someone who’s really successful in the field. My mentor, Adam Harding ’08, who worked for Channel 7, really pushed me and got me to see what this industry is like and what I want to do. He helped me get an internship in Boston and because of that internship, I fell into the next place.