After TMU — Sarah Jenkins

Why did you choose to study at Ryerson University? 

I had always wanted to work in media, growing up I loved going to Much Music and seeing my favourite bands and artists, so when I would ask the people that worked there where they went to school, they all said RTA School of Media at TMU, so I had my heart set on it. 

What skills and experiences from your time at TMU have helped you in your career thus far?

Working on the Rams Live broadcasts definitely helped me become a Producer. Whether it was working with talent, or learning a new area of a control room, it gave me the experience of LIVE TV, and that helped me shape my career today. I would also say being involved with the RTA Course Union, and FCAD helped me become more organized, and learn how to network across different industries. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in sports media? Have you had to overcome any barriers or challenges? 

I actually never intended to be in Sports specially, but when applying for schools I saw it was the first year of the RTA Sport Media program so I applied and decided to give it a shot.I had always played sports, and when that chapter of my life was finished it felt fitting to combine two things I loved for my career. 

In your opinion, what attributes are required for someone to be successful in your field of work? 

I think being a flexible person is very important, especially in the digital space, there’s new platforms emerging everyday, and you need to know how to roll with the punches and change your concept or pivot at any given time. I also think being someone who is a good listener is key, mostly because you need to be soaking in so many different forms of media, and seeing what others are doing, and learning from them, is the only way to get better in this field. 

You're now leading CBC's digital studio, The Hub. What does that entail and are there projects/events you're excited to produce content for? 

I’ve been in this position since we launched The Hub in the middle of the pandemic, which was interesting to say the least. In this role I produce shows, breaking news, streams, and really any form of digital video content we can make out of the space. I oversee all operations out of the studio, manage a team of APs, editors, and talent, and the biggest project we’ve been working towards is the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It’ll be the first time CBC has a digital studio during the games, and I’m really excited to see what we can make. 

What does a typical day in your work life look like? 

The best part about my job is that no two days look the same. Some days I’m packed with back to back shoots of shows such as Bring It In, or North Courts, then I have meetings to talk about bigger projects. After that I usually connect with talent and Associate Producers to see what their ideas are, and then if any big news breaks during the day we pivot to focus on that.

What advice would you give to TMU students or recent graduates entering the sport media field? 

Be nice to everyone you meet. It may be cheesy, but this industry is very small, and truly everyone knows everyone. The nicer you are, and harder working you are, the more people will vouch for you for new positions, and work. At the end of the day everyone just wants to work with nice, good people. 

If you could start all over again, would you change your career path in any way? Why? 

I wouldn’t! I had a big learning experience pretty early on into my career when I was unexpectedly affected by mass company layoffs at my first full time job. Going through that taught me so much about building a network, vouching for yourself and your work, and how at the end of the day, you don’t always know where your path is going to lead you so you just need to go with the flow. I’m proud of how my career has played out to this point, and I’m just focused on continuing to grow,and become a better person/producer. 

What are the best parts of your work; what are the necessary evils?

I think the best parts are when a project you’ve been pouring yourself into for weeks or months is finally finished and you get to share it with the world, truly nothing better than that rush and feeling of accomplishment. A necessary evil has always been sports often happen on nights and weekends, and knowing that in this industry it's never truly just going to be a “9 – 5” job.