With outgoing NIU students entering a job market where thousands are unemployed, the Northern Star is highlighting young NIU alumni who have managed to find work and continue working in this economy.

Marcus Leshock

Age: 27 (turns 28 Dec. 12)

Occupation: TV host

Employer: Chicagoland’s Television (CLTV)

Graduated: B.A. in 2003, M.A. 2005

Major: communications

After graduating from NIU in 2005 with his master’s degree in communications, Marcus Leshock jumped right into his first job and since then has been working for the same employer.

Leshock was a news reporter for CLTV news and worked for a year as a “one man band journalist” filming, writing, reporting and editing his own news stories to where he would create five news packages a week.

A year later, he was promoted to host his own show on the channel’s entertainment program, Metromix, where he still works covering movies, Chicago’s night scene, bars, clubs and restaurants.

“There’s nothing but good things in the future, I would hope, but so far so good,” Leshock said. “I’m fortunate enough to have a job in the market still because the media business is really tough these days.”

As tough as these days are, Leshock has found great success, interviewing the likes of Steven Spielberg, Will Ferrell, Danny Boyle and Daniel Craig. While crossing paths with the rich and famous, Leshock said he manages to keep himself grounded in reality.

“I try to stay grounded as much as possible in reality. Even when I’m reporting, I never talk down to an audience, try to remember where I came from and who’s watching the show. That’s who’s important.”

Leshock also does work for WGN radio and the Red Eye covering sports.

Having spent six years in DeKalb attending NIU, Leshock found his education to be very helpful in his work.

“I did a lot of film study with Dr. Chown and Dr. Laura Vazquez in the communications department, and that comes back to me all the time, so I’m always referencing things I learned in school,” Leshock said.

As a film critic, Leshock is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Leshock had also worked with NIU’s Northern Television Center and Northern Star Newspaper, which provided the material for him to send out with his resumes. As much work he put into NTC and the Star, he still had a hard time breaking into the market.

“The hard part [of] coming out of NIU was I was competing with students from Northwestern [University] and Columbia College, who have excellent media programs, I mean just top-notch, world-class programs, and not to take anything away from NIU, but they didn’t have the same name recognition in TV news.”

Still, Leshock managed to get his job with CLTV lined up before graduating with his master’s.

Today, he lives in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago with his wife of one year and is pleased with the outcome of his life so far.

“I’m unbelievably happy,” Leshock said. “I wake up some days and watch what I do, and I still can’t believe that somebody pays me to do what I do and hopefully some of that excitement comes through the program.”

As for NIU students having to enter the workforce after graduation, Leshock said for them to remain positive and persistent.

“The advice I could give is don’t get discouraged when looking for a job. Just apply to as many places as you can and remember to stay strong, stay at it and keep calling people because no one knows when this market’s going to get better.”