By: Adam White, @FOSAdam
Front Office Sports is proud to have sat down with Tyler Jones as part of our intern report series! He is a current social media intern for firstjobinsports.com. He is an alumnus of the University of New Haven where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. He was gracious enough to offer up his insight on how previous internships can be stepping stones, what changes he would like to see in social media and how sports
What were your previous positions if any prior to your current position? How did they help you get to where you are today?
I was an intern for Nassau Coliseum where I was in charge of maintaining and updating the Coliseum’s webpage and social media sites including Facebook and LinkedIn for Coliseum events including sports, concerts and other entertainment events. Being an intern there let me sharpen my social media skills, network and to get my feet wet in the social media aspect of sports.
What is the average day like for a person in your position?
I’m constantly staying up to date on what is going on in the sports industry, I always am reading about what is going on with the industry and jobs that are available. I always try to drive people to our site by retweeting and tweeting about new jobs that have become available in the industry.
What drew you to being a part of the social media in sports?
It all started back when I interned with Nassau Coliseum and I found out I truly liked being a part of the social media area and that it interested me. I was able to do it well and when I realized that it was something that I was good at I knew wanted to pursue more opportunities with it.
How do you see social media’s impact in sports in the next few years? What changes do you see coming if any and what changes would you like to see?
I think it is going to evolve drastically as more companies and teams will continue to learn new and improved ways to get their messages across to clients and fans. I want to see student athletes become more educated on the harmful nature of social media so that they do not incriminate themselves or get suspended for a tweet that if taught right should never be sent out.
What is the biggest day to day challenge you face?
The biggest day to day challenge I face is trying to drive new people to our site and to keep current members up to date on what is going on so that they will return to the site on a regular basis. It can be hard sometime, but I enjoy being able to create excitement and knowledge for firstjobinsports.com
What is the best career advice you have been given so far?
A friend of mine who works for Octagon Sports once told me to “Start real small and from their build.” You have to gain experience and when you start small you are able to build up the experience needed to land a higher level job. He also pushed me to obtain sales experience because it is vital for entry level positions.
What is your ultimate career goal?
My ultimate career goal is to be a part of college athletics in basketball operations. Basketball is my sports passion and I’d love to be able to make my passion my job.
What is your favorite part of working in the sports industry?
I love to cover and be a part of sports. There are so many interesting aspects of it that many people do not really realize or even understand and that’s what makes working in the industry so great.
