You guys, I’m so excited to launch a new series on the blog – A Peek Into! If you’re wondering how to be a journalist, this interview is for you.

I’m a huge believer that the best teachers are the people who are doing what you want to do, and have recently broken through. They offer relevant, fresh insights and an invaluable industry perspective. I launched my career through the help and advice of generous peers – people at my level or just above me who were willing to take time out of their busy schedules and point me in the right direction. I owe my career to these people – I’m eternally grateful for their support.

With A PEEK INTO, I’m really excited to provide you guys a snapshot of various industries through the eyes of fresh, exciting talent. I’m thrilled to launch the series with TODAY Show Digital Journalist and Editor, Samantha Kubota.

If you’ve ever dreamed of a career in journalism, Sam is here give you a peek into the industry! Keep reading to learn how a young woman from the suburbs of Chicago went on to write for one of the biggest international news platforms around.

Tell us about your journey to landing your job as a reporter for The Today Show! What was your path like?

Things have changed even since I went into this industry, but I started out at the University of Missouri – Columbia, which has a giant journalism program. They own the local NBC station and one of the town newspapers, among other outlets, that I worked at throughout college. I learned to write for digital and television newscasts in school and eventually, I got another job as a television producer at WBIR in Knoxville. I switched to mostly digital media a few years later because I wanted to write more and tell more of my own stories, and I’ve been doing that ever since! I became a digital director – which is when you essentially run a website for a TV station – at KREM in Spokane, Wash. For a few years and then left to join an investigative unit at WUSA in Washington D.C.  That unit didn’t work out and after a brief stint on their national digital content team, I was essentially re-assigned to be a digital content producer for the station. I eventually landed the job at TODAY when I decided to leave my previous position in Washington D.C.  and a friend of mine working at TODAY.com mentioned I should apply for their open gig.

Truthfully though, working at TODAY was always a pipe dream of mine. I was born on almost the same day as Katie Couric’s firstborn daughter, Ellie. This random fun fact should have – in theory – not have impacted my life in the slightest. In fact, to even write that sentence, I had to look up her daughter’s name. 

That being said, the fact Katie Couric was pregnant at the same time as my own mother created two lifelong Today Show fans. From then on, my mom was a die-hard, bleed peacock rainbows, Today Show fan and consequently, I can very truthfully say TODAY is the only TV show I have spent my entire life watching. 

Truthfully though, working at TODAY was always a pipe dream of mine.

My mother’s love for the show – and the lead-in, NBC Chicago’s morning local news – impacted me so absolutely and profoundly that I dedicated my entire career to it. 

Tell us about your process of sourcing, pitching, and writing stories. 

Sure! So typically, I start my day at work taking a look around the internet to see if there’s anything interesting popping up. I check Reddit, other outlets, my own social media feeds, and so on to see if there’s anything trending that I might want to cover. Because we’re NBC, I also check the local NBC stations for stories that might do well for our national audience. Once I’ve found something interesting, I might reach out to the people involved and ask to interview them/for their pictures/etc and use Slack to chat with my coworkers about it. If they respond and whoever the on-duty editor is approves my pitch, I get to work! I’ll conduct the interviews, get written permissions for any photos I need from the people involved, and write up a story. 

Sometimes it’s a little easier because I’ll be the only on-duty editor and writer, so I don’t have to pitch anything, just start interviewing/writing!

What is the most important thing you’ve learned in your career so far?

It took me a long time to realize that everyday isn’t going to be the best day ever. I think the phrase “if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life” really sets everyone up for failure.

You can love what you do, but it’s still work! It keeps you grounded to remember that sometimes things aren’t great, sometimes things are HARD but it’s all worth it in the end if you believe in what you’re doing. 

When you start working on a new project, what is the first thing you do?

Make a list! I love lists, I swear by them. I sketch out my plans with them and keep myself on track. Even in my day-to-day life, I have a little notebook with a list of things I need to do. As someone with ADHD, I’ve had a lifetime of trying to keep myself from getting distracted. 

What do you think makes a new article stand out? What is the best way to get your writing noticed?

The headline. If you’re freelancing, and you have a pitch, the best advice I can give you is to come up with something punchy and interesting you know will convince people to click on it. 

I can’t tell you how many terrible pitches I get from PR people that I would never cover. 

What is your biggest challenge as a journalist, and how do you overcome it?

Fatigue. It’s a tough industry that really wears you down. From covering really sad events to just working crazy hours, it’s definitely a hard gig. So many of my friends that went into the industry with me have already left for comfortable PR and marketing jobs. I’d advise anyone in the field to find a job that actually allows you to have a good work-life balance and values their employees. I’ve worked in some shops that just absolutely burn you out, and that’s definitely not where you want to stay for a long time.

What advice would you give an aspiring journalist?

This is a crazy industry, and it’s really going to change over our lifetimes. Make sure you’re keeping up with all those changes and have a diverse skillset that will help you always find work.

I’d also suggest you befriend both people in the industry and outside of it everywhere you go and every city you live in. It’s wonderful to have friends that understand your frustrations and hours, but it helps you become more well-rounded (cough keeps you sane cough) if you talk about things besides the news. 

This is a crazy industry, and it’s really going to change over our lifetimes. Make sure you’re keeping up with all those changes and have a diverse skillset that will help you always find work.

What inspires you?

I love it when people ask me if I read a story, and I get to reply that I wrote it. I love being a part of everyone’s lives by telling them what’s happening in the world, and it’s so fun to do what I do.

Dream interview?

I have so many, but one of my top dream interviews would be Mindy Kaling. Is there anything she can’t do!? I just love her.

via GIPHY

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Live near work.

I’m only partially kidding; the traffic in LA will kill you.

Also, I once had an anchor tell me “nothing changes if nothing changes.” I’m sure she didn’t coin it, but the phrase stuck with me. Whenever you feel stuck, look around, take stock of how things are, what you want to change…and then make those changes yourself. You can choose how your life turns out, you just have to work hard and have enough faith in yourself to take those big leaps.

Thanks for the insights, Sam! For more from Sam, follow her on Twitter!