Week 1 Topic: Steps to get started in the sports industry, resume development, LinkedIn and the interview process.
Panelists:
Louisa Bannister - Employee Relations Advisor at ExxonMobil
Sean Daly - Associate Professor of Sport, Entertainment, Event Management Johnson & Wales University
Jeff Koch - Professor at MSU Denver, School of Hospitality
Meet OUR HOST Ryann Guy.
Ryann Guy was born and raised outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey where she grew up playing travel softball, soccer and nationally competing in Tae Kwon Do. She moved to Alabama when she was 18 and obtained a bachelors degree focusing in Sports Broadcast Journalism and Spanish. Her accomplishments in college include working as a sports reporter for The University of South Alabama. She was the in-game promotions host from men and women’s basketball and also the softball sideline reporter for JagNationTv. Ryann moved to Colorado at the end of 2019 and is currently an elementary school teacher as well as a huge asset to the DWSC and building some exciting news coming for members!
Meet Panelist Louisa Bannister.
Louisa Bannister is a native Houstonian that grew up with a love of basketball & live-music. She attended Texas A&M University where she obtained her B.A. in Sport Management. After an internship with the Houston Rockets, she went on to work in the Sports & Entertainment industry for five years, four of which were spent as a Guest Services Coordinator for the Houston Toyota Center. While there, she had the opportunity to manage 250 of the event staff members that worked as ushers & ticket takers for the variety of arena events. She would later return to Texas A&M to earn her Masters in Human Resource Management & has worked for ExxonMobil in various roles since then. Louisa enjoys celebrating many cultures through music, sports & food with her family, husband Nick & two-year old daughter Olivia.
Additional Resources:
Resume Action Verbs
Summary of Qualifications Examples
Meet Panelist Sean daly.
Sean Daly is a 21-year veteran of teaching and coaching. During his tenure at schools like the University of Rhode Island, West Virginia University, and most currently, at Johnson & Wales University Dr. Daly has logged more than 10,000 of interpersonal and professional coaching and has conducted more than 7,000 hours of in-class and on-the-job training for students and professionals in the sport industry. As the steward of the Sport, Entertainment, and Event Management program at JWU Sean has developed relationships with local, regional, national, and international sport organizations providing his students with the insight and connections they need to be successful in their careers; most notably is Sean's work, locally, with the Denver Bronco's and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
Books to Check Out:
Good to Great - Jim Collins
Influence: psychology of persuasion - Robert Cialdini
Meet Panelist JEFF KOCH.
Chef Jeff Koch is a professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, School of Hospitality. While assisting students in the art of culinary, Jeff also teaches classes on leadership, networking, career advancement and job interview best practices. He leads the schools Mentorship Program, connecting students to professionals in their selected degree. He has been in the culinary and event field for over 28 years, lecturer at MSU Denver for 8 years, and 4 years at Johnson and Wales. He has a PhD in Administrative Leadership, a Masters in Organizational Leadership and a Bachelors in Hospitality Management.
Meet Panelist Kelley Walton.
Unfortunately Kelley will no longer be in attendance this afternoon, but you can find her book and additional tips from Kelley below her biography.
Kelley Walton is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Sports Administration at Ohio University. She also serves as the Director of the Professional Master of Sports Administration program and Director of the Master of Athletic Administration program. She teaches a variety of courses in the Department of Sports Administration including: Human Resources in Sport Organizations, Sport Law, Sport Governance, Leadership and Capstone.
She is also an attorney and consultant specializing in Human Resources and Career Counseling in the Sport Industry. She is the author of "Prepare for Opportunity: A Practical Guide for Applying for a Job in Sports" that is used in sport management classes to help students prepare for applying for a job in a highly competitive industry.
Book Link: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/prepare-opportunity-practical-guide-applying-job-sports
Advice from Kelley for people looking to get into sports:
1 - Know your value and what you are good at. Don't just chase a team or a logo. Sport organizations are a business and are looking for people who are good at: sales, marketing, business administration, finance, law, etc. It isn't about what you want to do or where you want to work, but about what you bring to the team/organization. Don't say things like - "I don't care what I do, I just want to work in sports." That will get you to the bottom of the applicant pile very quickly. Know yourself. Know what you bring to the company. Know what you want to do. While working in sports is fun, it is still a business. You wouldn't go up to US Bank and say - "I'll do anything you want, I just want to work in banking." You have to have a knowledge and skillset to prepare you for that career. It is no different in sports, other than it is likely more competitive at the entry level positions in sports.
2 - There are tons of opportunities in sports, but you often have to start entry-level, even if you bring experience to the table.
3 - I have heard so many times over the years - "well I really want to be in marketing, but if I have to start in ticket sales, I will." That's insulting to the sales staff/managers and makes you sound like you are better than sales. Sales is the lifeblood of many of the professional sports. If you don't want to do that, find another way - like internships or volunteering. It's no problem that you don't want to be in sales, but don't assume that is a path to elsewhere.
4 - All sport organizations offer good experience. Don't expect to start at the top with the major league teams. You can learn a lot and get great experience in the minor leagues and small colleges. And... you might find you like it there! Look beyond just the major sports for where you want to go and be open to a variety of opportunities.
5 - Make sure your resume & LinkedIn profile is up to date and accurate. Proper grammar, proper tense throughout. Don't assume they understand what you studied or what you have done in jobs. Be clear in your explanations and don't make assumptions about what a prospective employer wants to see or what they already know about your experience.