On Thursday, Nov. 14, Bloomberg News correspondent Saleha Mohsin visited WJ to give a presentation on the career path of journalism and reporting. Mohsin has worked as Bloomberg’s Senior Washington correspondent for about ten years, covering the policies and politics of Washington, D.C.
Mohsin’s presentation gave students a glimpse into the life of a professional journalist and the day-to-day activities she is involved in.
“There’s a lot of flexibility, [but] when we know that we have a hot story it’s gonna be busy,” Mohsin said. “I knew election day, and the run-up to elections and right after, regardless of which candidate won, we’re going to be trying to figure out who will he or she be picking to be on their team and run government.”
WJ’s career coach, Mariah King, orchestrated the Meet-a-Pro presentation with Montgomery County’s Career Advising Program (CAP).
“The Meet-a-Pro presentation was a unique chance for students to get an inside look at journalism and learn from Saleha’s experiences as a seasoned professional,” King said.
Mohsin highlighted the collaborative elements of journalism, reporting with an exciting story from the day prior. She described waking up at around 6 a.m. on Nov. 13 to a source offering information about President-elect Donald Trump’s search for a treasury secretary in his cabinet. She quickly began writing an article with other co-workers, emphasizing how important writing skills are for a journalistic career.
Mohsin mentioned writer Truman Capote as an inspiration, who famously once said that “life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act.” Mohsin had some knowledge to share with the younger generation.
“I think that it was Jane Fonda, an actress who said that you have three acts in your life and if you are careful and conscientious and really think intentionally about your third act when you’re older, it can be less messy,” Mohsin said.
Students at WJ interested in attending more Meet-a-Pro presentations will also have opportunities in the future similar to this one.
“We’re excited to keep the momentum going with upcoming events featuring the United States Institute of Peace and careers in conservation, architecture, anesthesiology, psychology and lots more!” King said.
