Sharon Yep

2007 graduate

News-Editorial option

Employed as

Copy Editor at

The Arizona Republic

Q. Thinking back to your early days in the journalism program (e.g., “Writing for Mass Media”), is journalism what you expected it to be?

A. Chico State’s journalism program gave a very realistic view of how I work in the industry now. However, one thing I deal with every night is strict deadlines, which I think some instructors would be a bit lax about.

Q. How are you applying the skills you learned in the journalism program at Chico State?

A. The classes I took in the journalism department prepared me well for the work I do. Obviously, the copy-editing course is the key player for me, and I wish there would have been more instruction in that aspect and in page design, which copy editors at many smaller newspapers are expected to do in addition to editing.

Q. How many jobs have you held since graduation?

A. I graduated in December and had about a month until I started at the Republic. This is my first job after graduating. I actually was offered and accepted the position in September.

Q. Are you happy with your job (and life) post-graduation?

A. Like any post-graduation lifestyle change, it has taken some time to stop comparing everything to how things used be and to just enjoy what I’ve been given. It has been tough moving away from California (there’s really no place that can compare), but the Republic newsroom is surprisingly young and Phoenix is a great metropolitan area, so making friends and exploring the area has made all the difference with the transition — though I still haven’t experienced the months-long stint of triple-digit heat.

Q. Please briefly describe what you do in an average day.

A. Well, my average night starts around 2:30 p.m. and goes until our first deadline of 11. I edit stories for the A-section, the B-section (local news) and for our Business section. The work involves line-editing for Associated Press and house style, writing headlines and cutlines, and proofing pages as other copy editors finish stories.

Q. Do you think the journalism program prepared you well for your job?

A. I think the best job preparation I’ve had came from summer internships with the (Sonora, Calif.) Union Democrat and San Jose Mercury News. Real-life industry experience taught me how to best apply the skills I got from class and how to interact in a newsroom environment. And I would not have gotten those internships had it not been from my performance in journalism classes and guidance and assistance from the journalism department staff. My five semesters on The Orion also helped in learning how to work in a newsroom. A big Chico State link also came when I received my internship with the Mercury News through the school’s partnership with MediaNews Group, the parent company of the Silicon Valley’s major newspaper.

Q. Do you think the skills you gained in the program gave you a competitive edge in the job market? Why or why not?

A. I agree that my education at Chico State gave me an advantage in the job hunt. Not just in the academic sense, but one of the most valuable things the journalism department helped me learn was how to market myself and best display my skills through networking opportunities. Having online and multimedia skills on my resume also impressed people, and I hope that plays a bigger role in the program as the industry moves more in that direction.

Q. What do you wish you’d learned or done differently while a journalism student at Chico State?

A. I wish I would have taken the photojournalism class so I could have another skill to offer a newsroom. I also took “Public Relations Publications” with Debra Johnson and really enjoyed the design and public-relations aspects of that class, so I would have wanted to explore more of the PR classes in the major.

Q. Do you have any advice for graduating seniors?

A. Start early in the job hunt and make personal connections with people. Keep in touch with them during your internships, and be proactive about marketing yourself. Most importantly, don’t wait until you get the “graduating senior” label to start the whole process.

Q. What are your perceptions of the future of journalism?

A. I see journalism moving toward digital distribution, which I am excited about because I am ready and willing to do even more training with multimedia and to produce projects, which I have already accomplished with the Chips Quinn Scholars Program, a great opportunity for minority journalists. Having an open attitude to learn skills is what will be important in this time of uncertainty, and aspiring journalists should decide if they’re ready for that. But in terms of my job, I think copy editing will always be around, though perhaps on a different platform. Accuracy is the foundation of journalism, and that better not be changing.

Information compiled by Sarah Worrell

Cat Bytes is a student-produced publication of the Department of Journalism / California State University, Chico