Internships – don’t leave college without them.

The importance of internships and experience was the common theme of last night’s panel discussion, “Careers in Entertainment, Sports and Recreation,” hosted by the Career Center.

All the panelists gave brief job descriptions and what it took to get there.

“It’s not what you know or who you know, it’s who knows you,” said Neil Neukam, the assistant general manager of corporate sponsorship for the Toledo Mud Hens. He stressed the importance of students getting their names and faces “out there” through co-ops, internships and volunteering. He added that college students should start getting experience their freshman year.

“If you think you are going to walk out of college and get a job right away, you have another thing coming,” Neukam said. The assistant general manager of corporate sponsorship for the Toledo Mud Hens.

He added that finding a job in the sports management field is a challenge, but having experience will set you apart.

In addition to internships, another important ingredient in the job search is persistence, said Tom Cole from the Buckeye Cable Systems Sports Network.

“If you look at some of the most successful people in history, at some point they all failed, but they didn’t quit or give up,” Cole said.

To illustrate his point, Cole talked about how Abraham Lincoln ran for office five times before getting elected, how Michael Jordan was cut from his j.v. basketball team and how the members of the Beach Boys failed their music class.

He suggested contacting the prospective employee after an interview.

“Follow up the interview with a phone call,” Cole said. “If Carrot Top can figure out how to use a phone, so can you.”

The panelists also discussed being open to many different job opportunities.

“Don’t limit yourself to one little area. If you branch out, you might find something different that you still like,” said Nancy Rakowski, director of the fitness and wellness program at St. James Athletic Club.

Janna Blais, associate athletic director at the University, added that in the athletic department there are multiple areas to get involved. Some of those areas include the communications department, the development department, event management and facilities management.

While it doesn’t always get as much emphasis as internships, persistence and versatility, the panelists agreed that having a good personality and positive attitude are equally important.

“Somewhere along the line it has become uncool to be friendly,” Neukam said. “I would hire the person with a good attitude who is outgoing before someone with a ton of experience who isn’t friendly.”

He added that a good attitude is essential because you gain experience, but you can’t teach a good personality.

JoAnn Kroll, director of the Career Center, said it was important to bring the panelists to the University to help give students an inside look at certain job fields and what it takes to get those jobs.

“We have many, many sport management majors [at the University],” Kroll said. “The Career Center likes to focus on areas where students have to take the extra effort to get their foot in the door, like sports management.”

Kristen Koebel is a psychology major interested in the field of sport psychology. She said she enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the discussion and the interactive discussion between the panelists and the students.

“The panelists offered a wide range of information that was helpful on many different levels, both in sports and in the interview process,” Koebel said.

For more information on internships, resumes and interviews, visit the Career Center in 360 Saddlemire Building or at: www.bgsu.edu/offices/sa/career/