Homecoming Symposium

Last Friday, I attended the Annual Homecoming Symposium Event held by the College of Human Movement and Leisure Studies, which included numerous BGSU Sport Management Alumni Speakers.  Although I am a Junior, this was the first year that I attended the Homecoming Symposium, which made me realize exactly what I had missed the previous two years.  It is a great way to connect with former alumni because they can explain how they found the path to success in their present careers.  It feels great to know that former BGSU Sport Management Students can obtain a successful job in the industry.  The four speakers that I listened to were Matt Wilson, Sarah Clapper/Brittany M.?, Nate Janoso, and Brian Freeswick.  I will briefly explain what information I thought was helpful and that I took out of each presentation.  

Matt Wilson (Manager of Corporate Sales for the Cleveland Browns)- He talked about the process that he had to go through in order to get his dream job.  He started volunteering for the Cleveland Browns at age 20 as a Junior and did numerous duties for the organization, however, he did not initially make the cut for his dream job after graduation.  Therefore, he had to go out on a limb and leave the organization to get experience with radio sales first.  After getting the required experience, he finally obtained his dream job at age 30 (10 years after starting with the organization)!  Some takeaways that I obtained from him are always challenge yourself and set new goals in order to move higher up the ranks.  Also, its "who you know" that gets you in the door, however its "what you know" that gets you to stay.  He also advised to not squander and waste the internship opportunity as an undergrad because it gives you face time with your ideal organization.  His story proves that you may believe that you have the qualifications to get a certain job, however, you may have to go out on a limb and take chances in order to get your dream job in the long run.  He made me realize that I you can never have enough experience because it seemed like he had tons of networks and connections with the Cleveland Browns, yet still didnt initially get his ideal job.

Sarah Clapper (Current BGSU Grad Student)- She gave insight as to her current experience as a grad student at BGSU.  She feels that grad school is a good way to make more connections with people, and that you get to know your faculty/advisors on a colleague to colleague basis.  It is a way to buy time and network more if you are not prepared for a job of your interest right out of your undergrad.

Nate Janoso (Charities Director at Cleveland Indians)- He talked about how you can "Capitalize on Opportunities in Sport."  He used an acronym for S.P.O.R.T.S. that I thought was very helpful that made me realize what to focus on when trying to move up the ranks in the highly competitive sporting industry.

Skills- Communication, Customer Service, Teamwork

Preparation-Volunteer, Network, Internship

Opportunities- Take initiative to find opportunities, expose yourself, get in "many doors"

Relentlessness-Separate from competitors, exceed expectations, make yourself known, continue to learn

Traits- Passion, Hard Work, Commitment

I also talked to him after the presentation regarding his internship as an undergrad with Baseball Information/Media Relations at the Cleveland Indians.  I am interested in this area and learned about some of his job duties.  He ended with a quote that I thought summed up his presentation well, "Advancement and opportunities are not going to knock on your door, you must knock the door down."

Brian Freeswick (Works directly with Mr. Trump at NY Golf Course)- I just thought it was cool to know that a BGSU SM grad works with someone as prestigious/successful as Mr. Trump.  Some tips that I took away were: Go through every interview with conviction and confidence (look interviewee in the eye), when you give your opinion be ready to back it up, and always be yourself at work because it is difficult to act like someone else every day.

Overall, if you have not attended a Homecoming Symposium, I would REALLY encourage you to do so because it was very assuring to hear all the success stories that came out of BGSU, as well as eye opening/stressful to hear how much hard work it takes to get to their position!