We are kicking off our fall career fair season with a week of awesome events at CareerFest 2022!
To help you prepare, our intrepid grad assistant Delyash Tsartsaeva interviewed CareerFest presenter James Scholz, a YouTuber who creates content on study habits. Read on to learn James’s advice on how and why to build your own YouTube channel. Then, come learn from him at 11:00AM, Friday 9/23, Union Ballroom East! Register here!
Delyash Tsartsaeva: Hi James, can you tell us a little about yourself?
James Scholz: Hi, I’m James Scholz. I’m studying computer science at the U. And I’m a Youtuber with approximately 800k subscribers spanning three channels. My channel is about study habits. I’ve been doing this for around 3 years, so maybe these tips will help you develop your channel. None of these are concrete—unfortunately, this is not a science and can be frustrating at times. There are many factors to consider.
DT: Can you give our readers some advice for developing their own YouTube channels?
JS:
First, provide value to the audience.
Why should someone watch your channel? How are you benefiting them? What kind of content do people need and search for? What is your advantage and / or expertise? Are you entertaining, smart, creative, versed in a particular subject, or good-looking? What will make you stand out? People’s attention spans are short, keep that in mind.
Second, be patient.
It will take time to grow. You will probably have to work very hard. My first channel took thousands of hours of work before it hit 1000 subscribers. Not all channels require this level of effort—but chances are you’ll have to want it to get it.
Third, innovate.
Use your creativity to develop something new. What hasn’t been done before? What can be done differently? Despite YouTube being fairly saturated, you’d be surprised at what hasn’t been done before. Find your niche, understand your audience and provide something cool. Your first videos don’t have to be perfect.
DT: What are the best reasons to create a YouTube channel?
JS: You can develop your creativity and you have freedom of expression. You can also build an audience (community) and find like-minded people or people with similar values / interests. You can genuinely help people online by providing valuable content for them. Finally, you can make money. There are opportunities for monetization, like different types of passive income (YouTube ads, sponsorships, online courses like on Skillshare, merchandise and other products). It can potentially become your career or a side hustle.
DT: What else should readers consider before starting their own YouTube channel?
JS: You have to deal with hate comments. When you are a YouTuber, you’re presenting a version of yourself on the Internet. People online don’t think of you as a human. You will have to take care of your mental health. Overall, YouTube is a platform where you can creatively express yourself, develop different skills, build a community, make a difference and earn money. Keep in mind that it’s not an easy journey, but if you really want to pursue it, give it a try. As in any career path, there are pros and cons to consider.