High demand for DEMAN

Students searching for summer and post-graduate opportunities share a universal fear that the positions they seek may be ill-suited to their tastes. The hoops through which aspiring employees must jump during recruitment are often unreflective of the true nature of these jobs. It is thus refreshing to observe the structure of the Duke Entertainment, Media and the Arts Network (DEMAN) program, which stands in sharp contrast to the more impersonal recruitment and networking events characteristic of other industries.

This past weekend, alumni in the media, entertainment and arts industries convened with like-minded students to network, share advice and discuss what careers in these fields are like. We note first the need to hold such an event for students interested in the arts. Whereas big-budget investment banks and consulting firms may be well positioned with a hefty monetary cushion to fund expensive recruitment efforts, smaller firms that make up the media and entertainment industry lack the financial means to follow suit. There is a less formalized recruitment structure in these industries. Informal solutions like DEMAN, which do not rely on firms dishing out recruitment dollars, can fill this gap.

We also would like to commend DEMAN for exposing students to less typical careers. College students have only basic conceptions of the true nature of their dream jobs. As a result, students tend to bend with the recruitment wind, focusing on highly visible financial and consulting firms. To truly understand what different careers entail, students must engage with older individuals who know the field. DEMAN facilitates this engagement nicely by matching students up with industry professionals who share the same niche passions. Indeed, career events catering to other industries would do well to emulate the DEMAN model.

Of course, much of the DEMAN success can be attributed to its rising turnout. The program, which was founded in 2009, has seen a steady increase in its attendance every year, but the coupling of the Duke Arts Festival to networking sessions likely led to the increased presence of DEMAN at Duke this weekend. Arts-inclined students who previously were ambivalent toward anything resembling a recruitment event might have been tempted by the plethora of music performances and art showcases to attend. This clever pairing—part-entertainment, part-recruitment effort—effectively mobilized a sizable group of students to take part in DEMAN.

The Duke Career Center should take note of the success of DEMAN. When William Wright-Swadel, Fannie Mitchell executive director of career services, came to the University in 2008, he spoke extensively of a concerted effort to cultivate informal events to assist students seeking work outside of consulting and finance.

Yet, over the past few years, there have been markedly few such niche offerings. On the contrary, we have witnessed a climb in the number of firms represented at traditional Career Center events such as the Career Fair and TechConnect. We do acknowledge the Career Center’s involvement in DEMAN by virtue of its co-sponsor status and its hosting of networking preparation sessions, but we believe it is high time for the Career Center to spearhead similar initiatives.

Students in the arts rightfully gripe about the availability of post-graduate counseling. DEMAN has helped address this demand.

The editorial board did not reach quorum for this editorial.