New Grad Spotlight: Sissi De Flaviis (BJ/20)

Sissi De Flaviis is an Ottawa-based multimedia storyteller, communications specialist, and content creator. During her time in Carleton’s journalism program, Sissi held leadership positions with the Journalism Society, Carleton Residence, the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA), and the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA). We caught up with Sissi to chat about her post-grad life, her career journey so far, and the insights she’s gained along the way.

Hi Sissi! What have you been up to since graduating from Carleton’s Bachelor of Journalism program in 2020?

My original plan after I graduated was to pursue a journalism internship in Ethiopia, but when COVID-19 canceled all travel, I had to rearrange my plans.

Luckily, I was able to begin working the summer that I graduated on the University Communications team at Carleton and as a breaking news reporter for Capital Current – the flagship online publication of Carleton’s journalism program. I had started promoting my work on LinkedIn at this time and a hiring manager with CBC reached out offering me a Communications Assistant position at CBC Ottawa for the fall, which I saw as my window into the journalism world.

After working at CBC Ottawa for less than a year, CBC Yukon contacted me to let me know that they’d seen my stories online and to ask if I was interested in a reporting position. I was 24 when I moved to the Yukon to work as a reporter up north. I covered amazing stories like the Governor General’s visit to the province and not-so-amazing things like floods and fires. I also got to discover a whole new part of Canada and learn about the history of the Yukon and the Indigenous communities there.

At the end of 2022, I moved back to Ottawa to figure out my next steps. CTV News saw that I had applied for a position at a different news organization and reached out about an opportunity to work on their digital reporting team covering national news. For six months, I got to tell stories that touched all parts of the country, which was very rewarding.

This year, I decided to branch into communications and marketing and take on a position at Yukon University. I currently work as a Digital Content Specialist where I get to tell incredible stories and ensure northern voices are represented in different mediums – digital, video, print, social media, and more.

How did your time at Carleton shape your early career?

I knew I wanted to be a journalist when I was 15. I had just moved from Venezuela and realized that a lot of people in Ottawa didn’t know where that was. I was like “How can I educate the most amount of people?”. I shadowed a friend in Carleton’s journalism program and never looked back. The program challenged me to be a better digital, visual, and radio storyteller.

Speaking of local businesses, you’re also an accomplished content creator on your @PlacesToGoOttawa social media channels, where you showcase local restaurants, businesses, and events to your 19.5K followers. What inspired you to start this journey?

I always wanted to be a travel writer or foreign correspondent. Somebody recommended that I start by pretending to be traveling in Ottawa, which encouraged me to start my Instagram account. It’s a space for me to use my creative storytelling skills to promote and encourage people to explore Ottawa, a city that’s given me so much.

What advice would you give to other recent alumni who are still exploring their ideal career path?

Stop attaching your worth to a title. You should try many different things until you find what you want. I’ve jumped jobs a lot these past few years and still don’t feel like I have it all figured out!