379: What It’s Like to Be GWU’S Director of Media & Public Affairs w/ Frank Sesno, George Washington University [Main T4C episode]

Frank Sesno is an Emmy-winning journalist and currently serves as the Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. He is also the creator of Planet Forward, a multi-media initiative that showcases environmental reporting by college students. Frank is the former Bureau Chief of CNN’s Washington, DC bureau where he worked for 21 years. He has also narrated two feature-long documentaries, and in 2016 published Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change. Frank is a highly sought after moderator and public speaker. He earned his B.A. in American History from Middlebury College.  WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE: What the director of media & public affairs at GWU does (6:10) What is a typical day like for Frank (8:28) Why would the head of the media school be working with someone in the school of nursing (8:48) Why is a university a perfect platform for a media enterprise (12:41) What is Planet Forward (14:30) What makes a great interview (16:11) What can interviews best be compared to (16:45) What is the most important element of an interview(17:52) What are some of the best things you can do before a job interview (19:59) What questions should you ask your potential employer at a job interview (23:50) What should you always do when you’re interviewing someone (27:19) Why should you identify the “threads” of an interview (27:37) What should you do if you’re unsure what field you want to go into after college (32:42) How did Frank handle a significant scandal at CNN (34:43) What is a “lie down on the train tracks moment” (35:36) Why is it helpful to take things more slowly during your college years (41:30)