Her Story
About Erica
Erica Volat serves as the Coordinating Producer for Good Day LA at Fox television stations in Los Angeles, California. She began her career with the organization in April 1999 and has advanced through multiple roles over 27 years in the media and broadcast news industry, including Producer of Weather and Traffic, newsroom associate handling directing, coordinating, producing, and writing duties, as well as technical positions such as Chiron operator. Earlier in her tenure, she worked as Community Affairs Coordinator, overseeing the station's philanthropic ventures and community engagement efforts. Volat earned her undergraduate degree from American University with an emphasis in constitutional law. She attributes her success to consistently performing at a high level and striving to do her best work authentically. Volat advises professionals to explore all aspects of an organization, learn how others perform their roles, and remain open to new opportunities and learning.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Erica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think that I've just been able to perform at everything that's been thrown at me, and that sounds braggadocious, but I just think you just always have to strive and do your best work, and when you do that authentically, I think that people can see that, and that's why I've been given such opportunity here throughout the years.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice that I tell many of my interns is that they may think that they know what they want to do, but once they get the opportunity within a company, that they should really be talking to everybody, exploring everything, knowing how everyone else does their job. Whether they decide to take a different path than they initially started, I think it's always helpful even to be the best employee, to know what other people are doing. You don't have to be an expert in all those things, but you do need to know how the sausage is made.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice for women would be exactly the same advice that I would give to young men, which is just follow your heart and always be open to learning new things. You never know what doors will open. The male dominance is starting to even out quite a bit.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
It's an ever-evolving business. A lot of people now pick up streamers and sit down in front of their television to watch local news. There's just moving with the times and making adjustments. We're still journalists at heart, so we're not relying on sources or any kind of information that hasn't been vetted and authenticated already.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
As far as work, I prefer a direct correspondence and truth. I think I cherish those a lot more, especially as I get older, and time becomes tighter. Let's get it done. Let's be direct, let's be honest, and no one's feelings are gonna get hurt, and we're gonna move on, because we all have the same goal.
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