SPORTS CAREERS: Dann's Journal - Week #10

This is crunch time for summer internships.

If you’re one of the many college students currently looking for a summer sports internship, time is running out. Employers will soon be rapping up their summer hirings, so you could be left unemployed if you don’t act quickly.

In my department with the Reds, Erin (our communications coordinator) will be completing our final interviews for summer internships next week. Mid-March is usually the time that other teams and companies try to wrap up the process as well.

So you’ve sent out your resume, and you still haven’t heard anything back? You still don’t have an internship? Well, it could be time to consider your alternatives. Most people obviously aren’t going to get an internship with their first choices, but if you secure something similar now, you’ll probably better your chances with your first choice for next year.

You might want to consider hitting the minor leagues for potential internships. You might think that the sports atmosphere might be lacking in the minor leagues, but if you hit some of the popular farm systems, you’ll be surprised at the fan base. The Louisville RiverBats, for example, are the Class-AAA affiliate of the Reds, and their Louisville Slugger Field is one of the greatest ballparks I’ve ever seen. And their fans are great!

If you’ve missed out with a big-league internship, you might want to also consider checking out local colleges and universities. They usually hire students during the year and are strapped for extra help during the summer. Working in a sports information or sports marketing department on the collegiate level will provide you fantastic experience. Athletic departments are very similar to big-league front offices, so the big-league employers will know that you’re experienced next year.

You can also use this summer to pad your resume by dabbing in sports journalism. Having writing experience shows your interest in sports, and employers will notice it. Places like e-sports.com and themestream.com offer aspiring writers the perfect place to get your creative juices flowing.

Also be sure to check your area for upcoming golf tournaments, collegiate championships, summer sports camps and traveling tournament promotion companies (such as three-on-three basketball tournaments). These venues are always looking for volunteers, and this will look great on a resume.

I’ve used a combination of all of these possibilities, and it really worked to my advantage. Even before I graduated college, I had a ton of experience, which landed me my current job.