Austin Price HeadshotName: Austin Price

Degree: MBA with a marketing emphasis

Position/Industry: Public Relations Intern, Orange County Breakers (Sports Industry)

Graduation Date: May, 2021

What excites you about this internships?

I am very grateful for this opportunity to continue working in sports. I believe the PR role that I will operate within will allow me to develop my skills as a writer and better understand how a sports team engages their fanbase through traditional and social media outlets. I have played tennis since high school and have coached the last five years. I believe my prior experience on court and as a fan provides me a unique perspective that I will utilize when producing content. My goal upon graduation is to work for the USTA which is the governing body for tennis at the grassroots and professional levels in the United States. Providing value and learning the inner workings behind the business side of tennis will be crucial to a future role in Marketing.

How did you strategize landing this internship?

This process began with LinkedIn research as I was searching for someone currently operating within professional tennis in Orange County. I zeroed in on the General Manager of the Orange County Breakers, who I reached out to via a LinkedIn message in January requesting an informational interview. I came prepared with several subsets of questions, including some relating to his background, current responsibilities as GM, and other questions about the team. I had attended matches in the past and discussed some of the aspects I noticed and appreciated as a fan, which changed the conversation from merely a Q&A to a free and casual exchange of stories. I entered the meeting simply seeking advice on how to differentiate myself as an applicant and ended up receiving an offer to intern with them over the summer. Due to unforeseen circumstances from Covid-19, the internship will be remote, but I view this as an opportunity to show how I can still provide value and utilize my experience as a player, coach, and fan to help engage a fanbase.

What career advice do you have for other students, or anyone, looking for an internship or job in this market?

While it is certainly frustrating as many of our internships have been canceled, postponed, or become remote due to Covid-19, I encourage all of my fellow students to explore at least one of the following suggestions. While I was informed at the end of May that my internship offer would still be honored, I had been operating under the assumption since March as if I would not have an internship. This forced me to get creative in terms of my internship search both in scope and industry, as well as continuing my career development through various means. While we all have different industry preferences, I am confident that no matter what job you are pursuing there are ways you can build a skillset from home. I attended several online conferences, workshops, and information sessions to broaden my view of the sports industry that I hope to work in. I was careful to prioritize my class assignments and commitment to group projects while still feeling that I was making progress incrementally towards my career goals. During this time I have also been active on LinkedIn and prioritized following up with speakers from the online conferences, as well as reaching out requesting additional resources that they believe could help me. I encourage you to take a long term view of the steps you are taking during this time and do your best to set specific goals you can reach (each day, week, and month). I wish you all good luck in your search, current internship, or alternative career development path. I look forward to seeing you happy, healthy, and back on campus this Fall!