Work It: A UVic career exploration podcast

Carving out a creative career: an interview with Mark Leiren-Young

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Don’t want to commit to just one career path? Being flexible can lead you on some amazing adventures.

 

On today’s episode, Katy and Emma speak with Mark Leiren-Young who was UVic's second ever double major, in Theatre and Creative Writing and who currently works as a UVic professor in the Writing department, among many other roles.

 

We chat with Mark about:

  • Working in creative fields as diverse as writing award-winning movies The Green Chain and the Hundred-Year-Old Whale
  • Hosting the Skaana podcast, where he covers ocean-related environmental issues
  • Touring Canada as half of the comedy duo, Local Anxiety
  • Teaching classes on the Marvel and DC universes

…and much more!

 

Resources from this episode

  • Skaana podcast
  • UVic Writing Program
  • The UVic Co-op Program
  • Accessing career support 

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  • Follow UVic Co-op and Career on social media
  • (00:00) - Music intro
  • (00:32) - Welcome and host intros
  • (02:18) - All about Mark Leiren-Young
  • (03:20) - Stumbling into a journalism job after graduating in the late 80's
  • (05:42) - Why it's important to study something you love
  • (06:56) - A cornucopia of all the jobs that Mark has done in the arts
  • (09:17) - What's the common thread in careers by creative people?
  • (11:02) - How Mark started writing tv scripts in the 90's, starting with an episode of The X Files
  • (12:22) - How Mark landed the writing gig for the Orca Exhibit at the Royal BC Museum and became "the whale guy"
  • (16:05) - How Mark became a podcaster focused on stories about Orcas
  • (20:15) - How Mark helps students from all disciplines tap into their creative side in FA 101 "Creative Being"
  • (23:43) - Mark's advice on how to translate your passion for the arts into a career you love
  • (26:02) - Rapid fire: what's something on campus that's stayed the same since the 80s
  • (26:51) - Rapid fire: best place to grab food on campus
    • ...more
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    Work It: A UVic career exploration podcastBy University of Victoria Co-op and Career Services