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George Wang: From Medical Sciences to Journalism and Communications
By Suzanne Saghier
George's job title: Communications Coordinator
Organization: 1-800-Got-Junk
From a degree in medical sciences to a degree in media, George Wang is proof that versatile skills can apply to a career in communications.
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From writing in Canadian Press (CP) style to taking great photos, George Wang has the Master of Media in Journalism & Communication program to thank for teaching him many of the skills he uses today.
Near the end of his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and cell biology at Western University, George weighed the options he had for his post-grad life and the future beyond that. While he considered routes like taking on lab work in research or working towards a doctorate and becoming a professor, he realized those journeys were not what he was looking for. Then the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication (MMJC) program caught his eye.
George liked that the MMJC program offered hands-on learning and promised practical experiences. He also saw that the program could open many doors for different career options and the professional internship requirement of the program sealed the deal. George knew MMJC was for him. He hoped it would live up to his expectations.
“I could say now that I definitely think it was a really good decision. I really enjoyed my time in the program,” he said, thinking back.
George believes that there are some fundamental writing skills and strategies that come with all communications jobs that he was able to learn in the MMJC program. He now uses them in his current job as a Communications Coordinator with 1-800-Got-Junk. He learned many skills that he uses in his professional role: preparing key messages and talking points, using digital marketing strategies and writing according to industry standards.
George recalled that the practical work done in the program came in handy during the job search too, “because my current role asked for writing samples as a component of the application process. One of the writing samples I provided was a communications plan that was a shortened and edited version of one we did in MMJC,” he said.
Fun Fact
George has a black belt in Taekwondo and lived in countries like China and Australia as a kid.
Not only did the MMJC program teach George professionalism, like how to remain organized and say on top of things, but it also provided him with fond memories. While in the program, George and some of his classmates organized extracurricular activities like intramural basketball games and they had a recurring tradition of going out to eat at hot pot restaurants. He found there was a strong sense of camaraderie among the cohort.
George knew when he enrolled in the program that he was leaning more toward the communications aspect of the degree rather than journalism. He enjoyed creative communications assignments like when he and a group of his classmates created a zine-inspired book about the different thrift shops in London. However, he found that writing and getting involved in the community through stories made the journalism classes fun for him, too.
George even developed a love for photography from the program, which he still enjoys doing in his spare time. “Because I was taking so many photos during my time at MMJC, the habit of capturing moments helped the hobby stay alive,” he said.
With friendships that still exist today, and a practical experience that has given him real life skills, George has taken a lot from his time at MMJC. His advice for current and future MMJC students is to “trust the process, keep putting in the work and there are opportunities out there—you just have to keep applying to them.”
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Profiles in the MMJC Career Success blog are written by students in the Master of Media in Journalism & Communication program, who are enrolled in MMJC 9604 - Professional Writing.
