Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Sports Professionals at ESPN Disney
Heather, a Vice President at ESPN and Disney, suggests entry-level aspirants explore "production assistant programs" or "summer internships," highlighting Disney's broader college program as another avenue. Alternatively, she proposes a less conventional path: partnering with an emerging talent in "a bartering system," building a strong, trusting relationship that could lead to faster career growth, though this approach carries more risk.
Entry-Level Positions, Networking, Career Development, Internships, Mentorship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Heather Anderson
Vice President, Original Content and Business Affairs
ESPN and The Walt Disney Company
UC Berkeley
UCLA School of Law - JD
Ethnic & Related Studies, Political Science, American Studies
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Law
Business Strategy
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Production assistant programs are available for entry-level applicants right out of college.
2. Summer internships, particularly those at the junior or senior year level, are offered by many companies in the field.
3. Building relationships and collaborating with others who are starting their careers simultaneously, potentially creating a mutually beneficial partnership that fosters growth and trust, can lead to career advancement.
4.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
If you want to work in sports, our company has entry-level programs for production assistants, right out of graduation. Many college students apply for these in their senior year as they are graduating. So, if you are interested in working in production in sports, you should definitely look into those programs.
Summer internships are also a good option. Many companies offer them for students in their junior or senior year, or for recent graduates. Our broader parent company has a college program, which you can find on our website.
This program is primarily for our theme parks, but many of our executives have come out of it. They started there right out of college and are now running divisions years later. It really serves as an entry point into the business.
Another way to enter the industry is to grow with someone else who is just starting out. For example, if you want to be an agent for an athlete or a manager for a singer, find that person when they are also early in their career. It's almost like a bartering system.
You have a skillset they need for their career, and you join forces early on to grow together and influence. A trust is built when you support someone from the very beginning, before they have achieved anything. You believe in what they are trying to accomplish.
They also learn to trust you. So, when they become popular and everyone is vying for their attention, your relationship with them is already established. This is another way to enter at an entry level and grow your career.
One approach is tried and true, while the other is more like a startup. The latter can be riskier but might offer bigger returns in the end and allow you to fast-forward your career. Tried and true paths often have built-in steps that can take longer.
If you partner with someone who takes off, you tend to rise with them faster, for better or worse. You both might not be ready for such rapid movement, but it tends to happen.
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