US-born TV starlet Zuri Hall owns the red carpet and TV screen, with her irresistible charm and undeniable talent. Working her magic in entertainment reporting on E! News, is what she dubs the “end goal” and “Holy Grail” of her career journey. However, landing an awesome presenting gig like this one isn’t always as simple as it seems.
If you want to make your mark in the entertainment biz, you’ve got to be a go-getting goal-chaser. This may sound daunting, but don’t feel intimidated, because Zuri revealed some golden advice when she shared her career experiences. If you take note of her five handy hints below and follow her lead, who knows, you might get your lucky break!
1. Passion for what you do is a non-negotiable.
The industry can be a harsh environment to work in, what with ungodly call times and overloaded schedules, but if you love your job like Zuri loves hers, you’ll have the power to face any challenge. She gushed about her work: “When I got the job at E! I was on cloud nine. I love the job, the people I work with, the fans and, of course, all of the amazing talent I get to interview.”
A post shared by Zuri Hall • E! News (@zurihall) on Oct 25, 2018 at 4:11pm PDT
2. The going will get tough, but never give up on your dreams.
You may have heard this one before, but that’s because it’s the truth. Learning to cope with rejection is essential in the world of showbiz, and that’s why Zuri stresses this point: “Tenacity is key in this industry. You get knocked down, you pick yourself up again. It’s not about how many times you fall, it’s about how many times you get up.”
A post shared by Zuri Hall • E! News (@zurihall) on Oct 12, 2018 at 11:21am PDT
3. Even if your career plan is well-thought-out, always keep an open mind.
As with many other areas of your life, things won’t always go according to plan in your career. However, that can actually be a blessing in disguise because it can open new doors for you, to get you where you want to be, as Zuri explains: “ My dream was always to be on stage or on screen, but I didn’t necessarily think that TV presenting would be the route that I would take. I didn’t think a lot of things, but I was open to those things happening, because as long as I got to my final destination, the path to getting there didn’t matter.”
A post shared by Zuri Hall • E! News (@zurihall) on Sep 11, 2018 at 4:38pm PDT
4. Make others feel valued through the way you treat them.
Being in front of the camera can be nerve-wrecking for your interviewee too. Given this, take your inspiration from the lady who Zuri says has been her favourite interviewee so far- Oprah Winfrey. Zuri told us more about her: “ Her energy and charisma are infectious, and she looks at you, touches you and treats you like you’re the only person in the room. She makes everyone feel seen and important, that’s a rare ability.”
A post shared by Zuri Hall • E! News (@zurihall) on Jul 23, 2018 at 1:00pm PDT
5. If in a sticky situation, you’ve sometimes just got to laugh things off.
When she’s dashing from one event to the next, and is in the midst of all the hustle and bustle on the red carpet, she can feel a bit overwhelmed and hit a blank. This is how she deals with it: “ I’ve found that just dragging that laugh out a bit allows me a second to recover and then I’m full speed ahead. Like when Beyoncé dances on stage, if she falls down that flight of stairs, she’ll hop right back up and pretend it’s a dance move.”
Catch Zuri on season two of How Do I Look? South Africa, Thursdays at 8pm, only on E!, DStv channel 124.
