I spent the summer of 2019 working as a veteran intern at SHOWTIME, a part of the CBS Veterans Internship Program, where I worked on the subscription marketing team to find ways to drive subscriptions for Showtime’s premium content. I was able to use my background in user experience design and user research to assess the functionality of their digital products, among others.
It was always my dream to be a part of the CBS family. However, there was some inspiration behind this. In 2017, my professional association, Veterans in Media and Entertainment (VME) -NYC Chapter, was invited by the CBS Veterans Networkfor a screening at the Intrepid for the CBS drama series, SEAL Team. After the screening, I was introduced to Josh Brackett, VP of Finance and Director of Veterans’ Initiatives, and Richard Jones, EVP General Tax Counsel and ChiefVeteran Officer for CBS who are Army veterans. Mr. Jones gave me a CBS Veterans Network challenge coin. From that moment, I felt they were the perfect example of two Army veterans working as executives in Corporate America. I asked Josh about the CBS Veterans Internship Program and we kept in touch until an internship opportunity became available.
During that year, I was also part of the American Corporate Partners (ACP)program as a veteran protégé. ACP is a program that pairs transitioning military vets with a mentor in an industry of their interest for a year. CBS happens to be a proud partner of ACP. I made a list of entertainment companies I was interested in working with and CBS was on top of that list. I came true. I was paired with a mentor from Showtime Networks and eventually, I became a Veteran intern at SHOWTIME.
I quickly saw that diversity and inclusion were taken very seriously by CBS. Especially in terms of military initiatives. From that point, I knew I wanted to work at a company that fostered a military culture. I felt the company understood me and my background. I was born on a small beautiful island called Barbados in the Caribbean, so diversity and inclusion are very important to me.
While at SHOWTIME for my internship, I was able to get involved with the CBS Veterans Network. There was one event, in particular, that I will always remember. The Veteran Career Panel where Richard Jones, EVP General Tax Counsel and Chief Veteran Officer, Chanel Lamb, Veteran and HR Director and Mickey Carter, Veteran and SVP, Television Networks Distribution spoke about their journey from the military to where they are today. The panel was moderated by Senior National Correspondent, Jim Axelrod from CBS News. It was an inspiring and emotional panel. It reminded me how we, as veterans, really benefit from the camaraderie. We have a mutual bond. It is almost therapeutic. We make outstanding employees and work in teams, not as individuals. This is something the military taught us from day one at Bootcamp.
Many thanks for Richard Jones for founding the CBS Veterans Network.I am honored to have met those at CBS making an impact in our community.
References:
Veterans in Media and Entertainment (VME)
American Corporate Partners (ACP)
CBS Veterans Network
CBS Veterans Network Internship
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