Jasmine Cannon (MSJ16)

Television and Film Professional and Director and Creator at the Black Southern Woman Project

In the four years since her graduation, Jasmine Cannon (MSJ16) has established herself in New York City, having worked as a video producer at TIME for Kids, working on a Netflix series and working as a production assistant on a movie for Judd Apatow. Cannon says that she’s grateful for the journey that her career has taken her on. 

What do you do now and what are your main responsibilities?

I work in television and film. There are a lot of different jobs within the industry and I've had the opportunity to do many of them in a very short time span. Right now, I'm an assistant editor on a series for PBS/American Masters. The job is mostly technical but there have been multiple occasions where I've been able to use my creativity and also my leadership skills. My main responsibilities include supervising a junior employee, conforming and preparing files to send off for color correction and sound mixing, generating cue sheets and meeting social media deliverable standards.

How did your Medill degree help advance your career?

Having a Medill degree has spiked people's interest in hiring or working with me and also wanting to know more about me. Obtaining my Medill degree was a step in the right direction for me because it has assisted me on my professional journey.
 
What skills did you gain at Medill or what experiences did you have that were particularly beneficial?

In addition to the degree, one of the greatest things I appreciated about my Medill experience was the environment. When I worked at TIME for Kids, I quickly realized the environment was almost exactly like Northwestern, which made the transition seamless for me. I think Medill also nurtured a mentality of being exceptional and taking initiative, which has been particularly beneficial professionally as well.
 
How have the Medill faculty helped you?

I was grateful to have the support of Medill faculty to help me decide on my job and negotiate my offer. I participated in some of the Medill Fridays events that revolved around putting my website together and creating an eye-catching resume. The professor who led those was great and my website and resume have been wonderful assets ever since I first created them. I continue to find the Medill network supportive and helpful from job alerts to housing options to just having someone reach out and say hello.