Although Scott MacFarlane has his dream job, he wants Syracuse University students to know that getting there wasn’t easy.

“You will get rejected. It will happen several times in your career,” said MacFarlane, a correspondent for Cox Television. “If you haven’t failed enough times as a journalist, you haven’t tried enough.”

MacFarlane, a 1998 S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications graduate, will return to campus on Monday at 7 p.m. to speak in Newhouse II Room 102. He will answer what serve as pressing questions to many: how to get the story and get the job.

The same skill set that allows journalists to get a great story can also help them find a good job, MacFarlane said. Being resourceful and building strong connections through positive relationships can lead to a job.

MacFarlane said these skills have helped him throughout his career.

“When you break big stories you get noticed in other newsrooms. When I broke the story about Michael Vick, it was noteworthy, it got me noticed, it got me exposure,” MacFarlane said.

Frank Currier, a broadcast and digital journalism professor of practice who helped organize MacFarlane’s return to campus, said the speech will be very helpful to seniors and juniors preparing for a career.

For upperclassmen seriously considering their futures and careers, speaking with and listening to someone who has had success in the field is invaluable, Currier said. MacFarlane is a great success story, Currier said, and a hard worker who students can learn a lot from.

Enterprise journalism, Currier said, is not simply about the story for that day; it also takes into consideration the day-two story and the additional stories that will come from the original.

“You can’t go out and chop down a tree; you have to plant a tree that then ultimately bears fruit,” he said. “Not quickly, but consistently.”

John King, a freshman broadcast and digital journalism major, said it’s important to hear alumni speak and that he’s excited to attend the speech.

“They’ve all been in our shoes and it’s good to hear success stories, and at the end of the day, we want to be in their shoes,” King said.

Not only are students excited to see the Newhouse alumnus return, but MacFarlane shares their excitement.

Currier said MacFarlane offered to return as he understands the importance of having successful alumni return to campus.

When asked to sum up his time at SU in a few sentences, MacFarlane said the experience was life changing because he got a good education and also met his wife.

“The university taught me to pursue what I love: journalism,” MacFarlane said. “There is a future in journalism, even if the hours aren’t great.”

Published on October 1, 2012 at 12:14 am

Contact Leslie: laking04@syr.edu