For recent Northwestern graduate David Gernon (Medill ’18), there was little time to reflect on his years as a Northwestern student before jumping into his new role as a news associate for CNBC.

Since September, the 22-year-old has been in the thick of the Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based network’s fast-paced environment and is currently working in the television department, focusing primarily on reporting finance news. Gernon said he gets a “fun rush of adrenaline” working at CNBC.

At CNBC, Gernon works on segments such as “Power Lunch,” which provides viewers with a brief overview on the financial market, real estate, media and technology. The segment gives Gernon a “chance to be creative,” he said.

Gernon said he followed in the footsteps of other Medill graduates who worked at CNBC.

“I interned there after my junior year as a (National Association of Hispanic Journalists) fellow, which was the same thing the NAHJ president AJ Vielma at the time had done his junior summer,” Gernon said, “And then they offered me the news associate position at the end of the summer for the following year.”

Gernon is currently on the network’s rotational program, which allows each associate to experience all departments, such as breaking news and online coverage.

Medill classes, Gernon’s role as editor-in-chief at Northwestern’s “Politics & Policy” online publication and involvement with WNUR and Inside NU impacted his decision to stay in journalism after graduation. He also minored in economics, which he said helped him stay interested in the finance aspect of his position at CNBC.

Gernon’s quick landing at CNBC just months after graduating offers hope for students who are on currently on the job search, and the young alum said he encourages students to “listen to their gut instinct.”

“I really like where I am,” Gernon remarked. “I could see myself here for a while.”

A previous version of this article misstated the headquarters location of CNBC. The news outlet’s global headquarters is in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. The Daily regrets the error.

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