What a Partnerships Specialist at Pro Football Retired Players wishes they had known before entering the Sports industry
Breanna, a Specialist in Member and Donor Relations, emphasizes the critical importance of networking and building relationships, stating that "relationships are super important," a lesson learned across roles at Pro Football Retired Players Association and Pro Beach Volleyball. The experience also highlighted the unexpected career opportunities that align with personal passions, as Breanna discovered a fulfilling role that leveraged their volleyball background.
Networking, Relationship Building, Career Exploration, Openness to Diverse Roles, Importance of Networking Early
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Breanna Barksdale
Specialist, Member and Donor Relations - Corporate Partnerships
Pro Football Retired Players
Auburn University (2017)
UCLA FEMBA
Marketing
Sports & Fitness
Sales and Client Management
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Networking is crucial for career advancement and should be prioritized early on, even during undergraduate studies.
2. The job market offers diverse and unexpected opportunities; maintaining an open mind is key to discovering fulfilling career paths.
3. Combining personal passions and professional pursuits can create highly enjoyable and rewarding work experiences.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered this industry?
For the Pro Football Retired Players Association, I would say something that I wish someone had told me: relationships are super important, as are the people you network with. Through undergrad and my time in real estate, I didn't really spend the time to network.
Whether you're in a job, or you're a student, I think networking is super important because you don't know who you'll run into in the future. You don't know who you could leverage or build your business with. So, I think just leveraging relationships is key.
For VP Pro Beach Volleyball, I didn't know there could be a job that would be so much fun and something that I completely relate to. I played volleyball, and being back in volleyball, I didn't know that would be possible. So, just keeping your mind open is also super important.