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Ross Wade: Helping Students Find Careers in the Arts

Assistant Director of Career Services Ross Wade uses his experiences in the job market to help students find themselves as they search for their careers.

Joining the center in July, Wade predominantly advises students interested in careers in art, media and entertainment.

“I like working with the students a lot,” he said. “It’s really been interesting, I feel like students are coming out of the closet as far as openly wanting to do arts and media.”

Although the Career Center has always offered advising relating to the arts, few students used their resources. Wade credited Amy Unell, who works in arts entrepreneurship in the office of the Vice Provost for the Arts Scott Lindroth, with jump-starting awareness about his position. 

“We work as a team as resources for these "artstigators" interested in these areas,” Unell wrote in an email. “We each have our professional backgrounds in media that we bring to our roles.”

Wade’s varied experiences with careers in the arts and media, as well as years of career counseling, will help students in the field secure a job that matches their interests and needs. 

To help the students explore themselves and their career options, Wade says he tries to learn how the student finds work, writes a resume and tell a story to employers.

“There are some students that come in and just want the steps,” he said. “It’s transactional in a way. My favorite sessions are with students that are still exploring and trying to piece together who they are and what that could look like professionally. It’s putting those puzzle pieces together and seeing that there is a bigger picture there that can connect with them.” 

Ross Wade
Ross Wade

He said many students don't have a passion for a specific career track. Students, he said, should instead focus on what kind of life they want to have after graduation and how they can build everything, including their careers, around that. 

One of Wade’s goals is to create more events focused on careers in media, arts and entertainment. Duke currently hosts the DEMAN (Duke Entertainment, Media & Arts Network) each fall, in which alumni return to Duke and offer career advice and workshops to current students. This year, DEMAN weekend starts today.

Wade is involved in organizing a similar event in the spring. His aim is to build connections with alumni to help match more students with alumni who have similar interests and experiences.

“Ross is invaluable to the Career Center team and campus wide in helping the growing number of students who are interested in navigating careers in entertainment, media and arts,” Unell said.