Many students envision careers in entertainment, such as directors, actors or producers. During Tuesday’s Matador Insights panel on Zoom, four alumni from Disney, Hallmark and IGN made clear that the industry relies just as heavily on casting coordinators, compliance officers, business managers and sales professionals as it does on creative talent.
Matador Insights is an alumni-led panel series that connects CSUN students with professionals across a range of industries. This installment focused on communication, media and entertainment, offering firsthand insight into career pathways beyond traditional creative roles. Hosted virtually, the panel emphasized how alums navigated the field and built sustainable careers behind the scenes.
Across companies and roles, one theme surfaced repeatedly: networking is paramount.
Justin Washington, a casting administrator at Walt Disney Television, told students that every major opportunity in his career stemmed from relationships he built along the way.
“Every job I’ve gotten has been relationship-based,” Washington said.
Panelists encouraged students to leverage alumni networks, reach out through LinkedIn and build connections early, even if those conversations feel uncomfortable.
“An underrated skill is being able to walk up to a stranger and introduce yourself,” Chris Garlington, director of enterprise compliance programs at The Walt Disney Company, said. “If you go to professional gatherings, be comfortable making those connections. That hustle? That’s your entire career.”
If relationships open doors, internships help students step through them. Several panelists described internships as entry points into professional culture, where students learn how teams function under deadlines. Internships, according to the panel, often expose students to the unglamorous but essential work that keeps media companies running.
Peter Genovese, manager of business applications at Hallmark Media, said internships give students a competitive edge.
“I highly advise internships,” Genovese said. “They have such a step ahead.”
Panelists agreed that internships provide exposure to workplace culture, deadlines and expectations – lessons that cannot be fully replicated in a classroom setting.
Washington said the transition from college to corporate life can be jarring for graduates accustomed to more flexibility.
“It’s not good enough to just be good at your job,” Washington said. “You need to be great at your job. … There can’t be a thought process of ‘somebody is going to come tell me what to do and how to do it.’”
Still, panelists reassured students that careers rarely follow a straight line. Washington noted that even his current role is not necessarily his final destination, reminding students that professional evolution is constant.
“Life is already happening,” Washington said, encouraging students not to wait for the “perfect” opportunity before taking initiative.
Rather than glamorizing the industry, the panel reframed it as a field sustained by preparation and persistence. For students in attendance, the takeaway was not just inspiration, but instruction: start building now.
