Creative Contraband to present panel on nontraditional careers in entertainment, media industries

When Don Kang attended UCLA, he was an engineering student with no intentions of becoming an engineer.

After graduating last June, Kang took a jab as a social media manager for a brand development company called Creative Contraband.

Today, the company will host its first college panel with Campus Events Commission to expose young people to nontraditional careers in entertainment and media.

Speakers on the panel possess years of experience in fields ranging from design to marketing, and students will be able to ask questions about the panelists’ experiences, learn how to find internships and even get a chance to network.

The panel will feature commercial and music video director Anthony Mandler, who has worked with Jay-Z and Kanye West; designer Melody Ehsani, whose pieces have been worn by Alicia Keys and Rihanna; Jamaal Layne, senior entertainment relations strategist at Converse; publicist and manager Tracy Nguyen, who has worked with Kelis and Pinkberry; and Jive Records’ A&R manager Ant Rich. ESPN TV host Sal Masekela will moderate.

According to Daniel Soto, CEC speakers director and third-year geography and environmental studies student, the event will be dynamic and interactive.

He said students at CEC events are often curious about breaking into different entertainment and media industries, so CEC recognized this as an issue that would likely grab students’ attention.

“I have friends who are interested in public relations, comedy, entertainment, so they’re always trying to get their foot in the door,” Soto said. “But it can be difficult because often in these fields, it’s a lot about who you know and networking.”

Like many students, Kang was unsure about his future when he applied to college. Once at UCLA, he picked a materials science and engineering major partly because he was good at math and science, but also because his brother was going to medical school and he felt pressure from his parents.

After struggling to network on his own through internships, an email exchange with a colleague finally landed him his job at Creative Contraband.

Kang attended career fairs but was disappointed that the same companies always came out, which provided little help for people like him, who were seeking a more nontraditional route.

Kang said that because there is no set way to transition into these nontraditional jobs, students like him end up navigating a confusing maze of contacts alone, in hopes of talking to the right person.

Many of Kang’s friends who sought work outside of their major fields landed their current jobs, as he said, by luck ““ they happened to meet someone who in turn happened to know an interested employer.

Kang’s boss at Creative Contraband, founder Kenny Mac, has a resume that may reflect the successes of such networking: Among a host of other jobs, he has worked as a fashion and lifestyle editor at Rolling Stone magazine, marketing director for Sean “Diddy” Combs and marketing manager at Vibe magazine.

“Through the last 15 to 20 years of grinding and hustling, he met a lot of people and created his network,” Kang said, adding that students will have access to that vast network at the panel and should come ready with plenty of questions.

The open forum will allow students to benefit from listening to each other ask questions and hearing the responses.

Jason Smith, the newly elected general representative who proposed a nontraditional career fair in one of his platforms, said the panel is a great step in directing students away from more typical research-oriented jobs.

“It’s important for students to have access to those resources, to strengthen their talents and not to hinder their creative ability,” Smith said. “If you’re good at something, you’re good at something. Money is great, but happiness is so much better.”

Now, according to Kang, his parents are just happy that he is happy.

“The transition to this point was rough, but by the time I graduated, I at least didn’t have to worry about being an engineer,” Kang said. “I’m still trying to figure it all out.”