GVSU Athletics Internship
Kenleigh
Experience Information
Employer: GVSU Athletics
Job Title: GVSU Athletics Corporate Partnerships Assistant
Major: Sport Management
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
This semester I interned for the GVSU Athletic Department. There, I am the Corporate Partnerships Assistant. I assist the Director of Corporate Partnerships, Zoe Spencer. Additionally, I will often assist in other areas of the Athletic Department, such as Marketing, Administration, or Tickets. Grand Valley State University competes in NCAA Division 2 and fields 22 varsity teams. The Lakers participate in the GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
In this role, my main responsibilities include organizing contracts and inventory, assisting in fulfillment of contracts, and documentation of contracts fulfillment. Organizing contracts is taking the agreed upon terms and inputting them into the database. We later access this information to identify fulfillment tasks to be completed. Fulfilling the contracts includes everything at an athletic event with a partner logo on it. This may include signage, T-shirts, promotions, video board, roster cards, etc. New fulfillment is not needed every year for some things, such as signage that can be reused every year. Things like T-shirts for a specific giveaway or marketing campaigns for a sponsored event are made for that specific occasion. Lastly, documentation of contracts is provided to sponsors as a proof of performance. This process is important in communicating our team's effort of fulfilling the contract to the sponsor. Documentation efforts are also essential to ensuring a positive experience and relationship with sponsors, leading to a better opportunity for renewal. Although these are the big three responsibilities, I like to always be willing to assist in any other areas. For example, this fall I learned how to operate broadcasts for athletic events. This included setting up and feeding the livestream to Flosports while managing the cameras and score board during the game. Along with broadcasting, I will frequently assist in tasks in the marketing department, administration, or merchandising.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
During my time thus far I have learned a variety of valuable skills. A significant portion of responsibilities include utilizing the adobe creative suite. Adobe creative suite includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, etc. Learning how to use Adobe Creative suite is a particularly advantageous skill set compared to the number of people with proficiency. Another skill I am pleased to have developed is professional email writing. Given that a substantial amount of communication in the workplace is through emails, I find it important to have a clear approach when conducting such communication. I have also been learning more about licensing and merchandising and its importance with maintaining our brand. Additionally, I have applied organizational skills, time management, professional communication, and much more. I look forward to seeing how these skills may grow in the future.
Favorite Part of the Experience
To say that I genuinely look forward to going to work every day, says that I have a lot of favorite parts of the internship. To begin, a prominent factor contributing to contentment in the workplace are co-workers. My favorite part of the internship is the people. I enjoy talking to and seeing every person in the office. To be able to walk in a room and be happy to see the next person is truly gratifying. Another notable part of the internship is the entrustment of responsibilities. I value the opportunity to think independently and utilize creativity. The best learning comes from learning from experience and failure, made possible by completing tasks individually.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
Following the completion of my undergraduate degree, I will be continuing my position as a graduate assistant while pursuing a masterýs degree. My future career goal is to continue working in a position in corporate partnerships, marketing, or development in a collegiate athletic department or professional sport organization. This continued experience is essential in furthering my skills in correspondence with future career goals. Through this experience, I have learned that I am passionate about corporate partnerships and all that it entails. I have also learned that I really enjoy the collegiate level rather than professional. I prefer the atmosphere and product that collegiate sports has to offer.
Internship Format
In Person