From the Classroom to his Dream Job: How NBC’s Marquise Hansford made the jump

(Scroll to bottom for full interview video)

The beginning of something huge

Marquise Hansford’s journey began during his high school career, where he had the fortunate opportunity to take TV production classes at Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne, New Jersey.

He knew this passion needed to go beyond his high school experience, so he studied TV production when he opened his next chapter at Montclair State University.

“And that got me to where I am today,” Marquise said.

Making his way to the TOP

During Marquise’s time at Montclair State, NBC pitched “TOP (Technical Operation Program),” which was a two-year training program.

The program required Montclair State, William Paterson and St. John’s to recommend their top three TV program students.

After all nine students went on an interview with managers from NBC, the group of students was cut down to three.

The three students were taken on another round of interviews, where two final students were chosen for the program- Marquise and a student from William Paterson.

“So I’ve been there ever since,” Marquise said.

What life is currently looking like

Currently, Marquise is a Steadicam Operator for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

His experience thus far has made him realize that his favorite thing about the job is people.

“To be doing something that I love with the people that I love, there’s no better job,” Marquise said.

From doing college productions with thousands of viewers to having millions of viewers at NBC, Marquise explained that it’s all just a matter of the scale changing.

“When you get there it’s like millions,” Marquise said. “You’re doing the same thing but it’s a big deal.”

As he paved his way to his dream job, Marquise was backed by the love and support of his family that believed in his every move.

Marquise made a lot of sacrifices during his college years, so now he’s able to spend time with his friends and family.

His role in the studio at MSNBC has given him a great lifestyle that allows him to do the job he loves while doing the things he loves outside of work.

The full-circle moment

The journalism and communications industry comes with so many full circle moments. You may go to college with someone and all of a sudden see them working at a fellow news station.

“Some people are in news or sports,” Marquise said. “I have friends at ESPN that I had class with.”

Some of Marquise’s good friends went from anchoring the Montclair State University NewsLab to carving their path as producers and reporters.

“It’s actually beautiful to see,” Marquise said. “Everybody worked for it.”

Not only does this industry come with the full circle of finding your college classmates in their dream jobs, but Marquise is able to look back and remember his child self watching NBC news with family.

Now, he’s one of the biggest moving parts that makes NBC news happen.

“My neighbor loves MSNBC and I can see her TV from her window on the outside,” Marquise said. “So when I pull up in the driveway like an hour later I’m like ‘oh, I was just in that studio,’ so it’s pretty cool to see.”

Advice to the new generation

“Do as much work on your own as possible,” Marquise said. “Anything you do in college or outside of an assignment can be used as real experience.”

He explained that it’s very important to have some knowledge to put on your resume when applying to jobs. In order to get this experience, students might need to go the extra mile and create projects for themselves to do.

Doing so comes with a lot of sacrifice and this is where Marquise found his biggest challenge- his mental.

“It wasn’t mental in the aspect of I didn’t think I could do it,” Marquise said. “It was mental in that I was overworking myself.”

He explains that TV production assignments are not like regular work assignments since you have to do a majority of the work outside of class time. Something as short as a five-minute mini documentary could require you to edit down hours of footage.

“You have to be careful with where you’re putting your time.” Marquise said. “There’s no time for partying and you’re going to have to miss some birthdays.”

Doing the work doesn’t just require you to keep your head down in a computer, but it also requires you to interact with new people.

As Marquise opened up about the importance of networking, he shared that it’s not as difficult as it’s made out to be- a simple introduction can lead to a whole new world of opportunity.

“That’s another thing that will get you where you need to be and help you stand out from others, quite frankly,” Marquise said.

Another way to set yourself apart is to do the extra step in putting your best foot forward. Don’t just do what’s required.

“You have to make sure you’re on time, you show up early, you show up with a positive attitude, you say ‘hi’ to everyone and do the task right,” Marquise said. “That will solidify your work ethic.”

Aside from solidifying your work ethic, Marquise advises the upcoming generation to always be kind and surround yourself with go-getters.

“Find somebody that wants it as bad as you,” Marquise said. “My coworker Rashaun will push me and I’ll push him.”

What does the future hold?

“My second year at MSNBC, one of my managers asked me about my dream job,” Marquise said. “I was like ‘hello, I just got here.’”

Ever since Marquise was asked about his next steps, he started thinking a lot. He got into his dream job so what is he supposed to work toward now?

“I’m currently in news, so my next goal is to get into sports and entertainment,” Marquise said.

His position in the building surrounds him with opportunities in all three of these TV branches.

“This year, I’m actually hoping to go to the headquarters of NBC sports in Connecticut and do a little bit of work there,” Marquise shared.

Author’s note: Wishing you the absolute best in everything you do, Marquise. You are one amazing individual and there are no doubts for the incredible future that lies ahead in your career.