Interview with Mark Eggert

Date: 03/03/12

Name: Mark Eggert

Major, minor, and graduation year: Mass Communication Major, Theater Minor, 1995

Job Title: Show and Event Coordinator

Organization/ Place of work: Alpha Video and Audio, Minneapolis, MN

You're a Show and Event Coordinator, what does that entail? What are your duties or responsibilities?

- I coordinate Audio Visual Production rentals, act as technician for events, provide technical support to clients, and operate equipment.  I also recommend equipment, consult, and perform billing and paperwork processing.  I manage specific software programs too.

What are the highlights of your job that you enjoy most?

-Working with new and interesting people.  Nothing is ever the same twice.  Setting up equipment and operating it in the field is a major highlight.  Overseeing the final product and seeing everything come together is rewarding.

What are the challenges that you face with your job that are not enjoyable?

-Sometimes, things are technically more advanced and require more work to determine all needs because clients don't always know or understand their own needs.  Every day is different and poses it challenges.

How do you spend your work days? Do you spend a lot of time office/lab/meetings/outside/___?

-I spend about 20-25% of my time on site with clients and the balance in the office taking calls and determining client needs and processing paperwork.

How did this type of job/field interest you and how did you get started?

-This is a production based position and this fits with what I went to school for.  It is related to my bachelor's degree program and my technical college program.

What qualifications did you need to obtain this job?

-A background in audio, video or audio visual production is needed for this position.

What personal qualities or abilities do you believe contribute most to success in this job/field?

-The ability to be flexible with clients, technicians, and vendors.  A positive attitude works great.  Having a strong background in production, communication, and the ability to determine administrative and user needs helps contribute to success in this field.

What organizations were you involved in College that helped you towards your career?

-KUWS Radio and Studio 2 helped.

What degree/s is appropriate for this line of work?

-Mass Communication/Communication Arts

Where and/or what do you hope to be in 2-5 years? 5-10 years? What are the keys to this career advancement?

-Spending more time in the same field, but more active in the field with production.  I would like to perform more technical aspects and less consulting.

What was the best piece of advice you received and from who that helped you towards your career?

-"Do what you want and do what makes you happy.  Look for something you will enjoy long term.  You can always find another job, but find something you like."

Do you have any advice or "words from experience" for a college student interested in this job/field?

-Find something you like to do.  If you are looking at something that is technical, be sure you have tried it out.  I appreciate that UWS' Communicating Arts program is more than books and classroom.  The lab time/studio time helped out a lot as I graduated and was looking for work.  Get an internship.  This is an opportunity to start to hone your skills.

If you knew all this back in college, what would you say were the most important classes? Is there anything you would have paid more attention to? Any additional classes you would have taken?

-The only class in the Communicating Arts class department that I regret not taking is the Summer Production Studio where the students spend the summer working on specific video projects in the field.  All of the Fall and Spring semester classes were good.  I never changed majors, so I had planned out all my classes to graduate 2+ years in advance.

In college, people claim that a bachelor's degree isn't enough anymore and that you need a master's or doctorate degree to get your foot in the door.What's your opinion?

-Unless you are going to teach in this field, a Bachelors degree is fine.  A master's degree would be required for teaching.  Related experience is always a good background to have than more education.