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What does it take to be on the marketing team on ESPN?

I am a college student interested in pursuing a career in marketing and I love sports! ESPN seems like it would be a great fit for me. Can somebody give some insights? I would love to hear from someone who works there! #college #sports #television #sports-marketing #espn #sport-network

sports marketing television sports-marketing espn sport-network
Thank you comment icon Hi there Ben, I love that you have such a clear vision of what you are interested in and even have a company in mind. I wanted to add one small piece of advice in addition to what the others have said. While it's great to have a specific company in mind, don't let that limit you, there are thousands of other companies out there where you can do the type of work you enjoy. I understand that you like sports, so do I, and so does half of America, so think about adjacencies, sports teams, sport stores, food products, etc. Also Marketing is such a broad term with many teams and different roles, so also think about what in Marketing you want your focus to be. By expanding your search you will be more likely to land a great new job. If you make it to ESPN, great but don't get down if not, know that here are better things out there. Matt Faraclas
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Anna’s Answer

A friend of mine works in Marketing at ESPN and this is what she had to say:
"Exposing yourself to all different parts of athletics and business in general are what really impresses ESPN. When or if you get an interview or even an informational phone call with someone who works at the company, make sure you know what is going on in the industry (some basic things you could look into are customers and competitors for example. What segments of customers is ESPN going after? Who are their competitors? Have they acquired any businesses lately? You don't have to have a specific answer for these, but at least have some basic information and theories on where the industry is going). Just loving sports and knowing sports facts is not going to cut it."

My friend's prior work experiences were:
- an unpaid internship writing stories for a high school athletics department
- a paid job in the Athletics Department at our university helping the athletic trainers

These prior experiences, while not directly applicable to her current position, showed that she was really interested in sports and helped put her on the right track. Whatever work experience you can get, have an angle for what you want to get out of it and how the skills you will gain will help you get your foot in the door at your next job.
Thank you comment icon Anna...what a great answer! Nails it! Tom Behan
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Anthony’s Answer

Hey Ben, I am happy to help answer your question. I have not/do not currently work for ESPN, but I do know some people who have and I went through the interview process for them a few years ago. Similar to any other part of the sport industry, ESPN wants to see that you have relevant experience. Make sure you are taking the time to get involved while you are in school. Go to your school's athletics department and see if there are opportunities for you to help out. While you may not get paid, college athletic marketing departments are always looking for help, whether it be in-office work or promotional tasks during an event. Getting this experience will help you to start building a network, and will allow you to become more familiar with the ins and outs of marketing. While you are in this role, don't be afraid to share your career aspirations with the people you are working with. Since ESPN works or has a relationship with the vast majority of schools, it is very possible that someone in the department will have a connection there. I'm sure they would be willing to put you in touch with their connections so that you can learn more about roles with ESPN. If you are able to connect with someone at ESPN, ask about internship or volunteer opportunities with them specifically. Having their name on your resume, or having direct connections in the office, will help set you apart from other students when it comes to applying for jobs.
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