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Yvette King's love for the small screen started when she saw an anchor-woman on the nightly news as a child. Since then, she has gone on to host for E! Asia, jet set across the world, and interview some of the biggest names in entertainment history.

In 2003, she began her studies at the University of Sydney, excelling in a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) degree and earning a coveted spot on the Dean鈥檚 List of Excellence in Academic Performance. It was here she also met her now husband while taking the same film studies class.

Since then, successes remained endless, from receiving Highly Commended for Best Entertainment Presenter/Host at the Asian Television Awards to writing her own columns in Buro 24/7, Vogue Singapore, and Elle Singapore.

In our 'Ask Me Anything' alumni series, Yvette shared her wisdom with the Sydney Alumni Community on launching a career in a competitive industry, discovering a unique voice, and overcoming the impossible.

Take your time and find your own way forward

Entertainment industry jobs are notoriously competitive, and from the outside, it鈥檚 hard to know where to begin. An alum asked Yvette how she got started.

Yvette was careful to emphasise that her career didn鈥檛 start overnight. It took a lot of patience, networking, and hard work before she could get started. She ended up working in advertising for several years before she was able to 鈥渃rack the industry鈥�.

It was only after receiving some advice from a friend that she could find her footing.

鈥淪he said I should start introducing myself as a TV host. Because then people would begin to perceive me that way, and I would identify with it and start making decisions that aligned with that declaration,鈥� she said. She noticed a change almost instantaneously. 鈥淚nterestingly, instead of people judging me, they started connecting me with people they knew in the industry. And that鈥檚 how I began to moonlight as a video journalist for the Daily Telegraph, whilst I did my advertising job in the day.

鈥淥nce I had built up enough experience as a journalist, I jumped ship completely!鈥�

Find your own voice

For aspiring writers, practice makes perfect. This is something that Yvette swears by when it comes to finding your feet, and just as importantly, your style. An alum asked for advice on developing their own storytelling style, saying 鈥淒o you think style is innate or learned?鈥�

For Yvette, it's a process of continuous refinement.

鈥淚 think your style is innate, but is refined over time. In terms of advice as to finding your voice, it sounds really clich茅 to say, but practice does really matter,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e really found that experience counts. I also think context is relevant. I wrote all my scripts for E! and this is a very particular approach鈥攊t鈥檚 very peppy, conversational and very colloquial.

鈥淲hereas Vogue has a very different house style鈥攖he tone is more serious, factual, refined and elevated. Even though I have used my voice in both circumstances, I ensure that it鈥檚 appropriate for the platform I鈥檓 on as well.鈥�

Always come prepared when working with others

Yvette knows a thing or two about being well-prepared鈥� a skill that comes in handy when she鈥檚 working the red carpet.

In response to a question from an alum about how she honed her interview skills, Yvette said, 鈥淚 find myself to be much more confident if I know my subject in and out. And as a result, the ensuing chat then becomes much more flowing.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e done a few live red carpets and for people watching at home, you probably don鈥檛 realise but people don鈥檛 come in any particular order and so you really are flying by the seat of your pants and trying your best!鈥�

Her key is to take notice of the people you are working with. Watch their mannerisms, their vibe, and try to treat them just as you would like to be treated. 鈥淚 try to 鈥渞ead the room鈥� and gauge what type of personality they have or what mood they鈥檙e in,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 try to be friendly in my approach and always remember that they鈥檙e just another person, regardless of their stature or social standing.鈥�

Don鈥檛 be afraid of change 鈥� and how long it takes to get used to it

Yvette鈥檚 heart has always been with traditional media. But like most industries, journalism is not safe from the changing times. Her advice to the Sydney Alumni Community is to be malleable and ready to face a new challenge.

鈥淏efore you could just be a host, learn your lines or read a teleprompter, but now you have to have a presence on social media, produce your own content, write your own scripts and probably move even faster than you did before, because everything is so instantaneous nowadays,鈥� she said.

While taking on jobs you haven鈥檛 tried before may seem daunting at first, Yvette believes it鈥檚 better in the long run. 鈥淚 think it is a good thing in the end to be challenged and grow your skill sets," she said.

鈥淧lus a lot of expertise acquired is still transferable from traditional to digital. For example, writing or voice work, or even hosting鈥攊t鈥檚 just a different platform.鈥�

Don鈥檛 just build networks, build your toolkit

While many industries emphasise the importance of who you know, it's equally vital to build the 鈥渨hat鈥� as well. Yvette told the Sydney Alumni Community that it takes a combination of tenacity, resilience, luck, and determination is essential to thrive in a challenging field like media.

鈥淭here is a common saying in media: 鈥業t鈥檚 not what you know, it鈥檚 who you know.鈥� I believe this to be a half-truth,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat you know is really important, and my degree at USYD confirmed for me that this was what I wanted to pursue.鈥�

Building skills is crucial, but meeting new people shouldn't be overlooked. 鈥淏uilding connections will open doors for you, but what you know will allow you to walk through them,鈥� Yvette said.

The 鈥楢sk Me Anything鈥� alumni series is designed to unlock the Sydney Alumni Community, bringing together esteemed alumni and industry leaders to share their expertise and insights via the Sydney Alumni Community Network on LinkedIn. Join today.