My Dream Summer
I was prepared for a casual summer of relaxation and catching up on my ever-growing pile of books, but what I networked my way into was even better than anything I could have read about in a book. Maybe I’m overselling it a little, but it really was the best summer of my life.
This summer, I was the marketing intern for the Atlanta Dream, the WNBA team in Atlanta. Not only did I get real-world experience in my chosen profession, I also made connections and utilized a lot of the skills I’ve gained in graduate school.
I got the internship through one of my professors who happens to be friends with the President of the Dream. My professor got me in touch with the President who gave my resume to the Director of Digital Media and Marketing. My professor even wrote me a recommendation for the internship. I did a phone interview with the Director of Digital Media and Marketing and the President before I officially got the internship.
Since the WNBA season primarily takes place in the summer, it was the perfect time to be an intern and really get a taste for a career in sports. My main responsibilities in the office were to get photos from our photographers after games and distribute them to the office and post them in a gallery on the team’s website, to analyze our social media engagement numbers, write previews for games and proof graphics before they were finalized.
On game days, I helped set up the media room and sometimes the merchandise table and took photos and videos of fans, players and other entertainment and posted them to the Dream’s Instagram stories. I also completely ran the Instagram account for the Dream’s mascot, Star. After the game, I had to interview the head coach and two players who had a big night then transcribe their quotes for the post-game press release.
As the summer progressed and they started trusting me more and more, I went to practices and player appearances to get content for all of our social media accounts. I also got to create graphics instead of just proofing them. I started helping with game notes for each game and with the playoff media guide.
Aside from all of the work I did in the office, I also made connections I can use when I graduate because I was willing to help anyone with anything I could. I also got to interact with some really cool celebrities. A few NBA players, past and current, came to games, along with stars of Atlanta’s reality TV shows.
Although I gained experience in my chosen field, I also learned a lot about myself this summer. I had to embrace humility this summer and be willing to admit when I didn’t know how to do something. Luckily, my bosses wanted me to learn and were willing to teach me. After this summer, I’m even more certain than before that I want to be the Social Media Coordinator for a sports team and now I have the experience and skills to excel at my dream job.
Story by Hannah Fields