A representative from ESPN, the 24-hour sports network, spoke with Quinnipiac students on Nov. 3 to a standing-room only crowd. Joe Franco, production operations manager at ESPN, along with his colleagues and interns, informed students what it is like to work for the company.
“You have to have desire,” Franco said. “Passion is the main feeling you have to have in order to be part of ESPN.”
ESPN headquarters, located in Bristol, Conn., produces more than 50,000 live shows a year and also distributes sports content across 18 platforms.
Quinnipiac University alumnus Evan Collins started working for the company right out of college. Collins graduated from Quinnipiac in 2004. He is now in charge of production and produces live games.
“There are so many great opportunities here and this is a job to enjoy,” Collins said. “It takes a lot of hard work and passion.”
Franco noted the importance of standing out from the crowd.
“Looking for a job or internship with our sports network is about what you can bring to the table, what can you do for ESPN,” Franco said.
“A student, who was applying for the job with us, handed me his résumé attached with a pair of glasses,” Franco said. “I didn’t have a clue what the glasses were for. The student actually made his résumé in 3-D.”
Applicants sent ESPN 9,500 résumés to ESPN last summer. However, only 55 of those applicants were accepted.
Quinnipiac University student Kristen Swartz interned for ESPN in the department of International Communications. She updated stories on the Web site and kept people informed on current events. The people working at ESPN welcomed Swartz and made her feel like she was at home.
“It was a blast,” Swartz said. “I had lots of respect from ESPN workers for my editing and had the opportunity to meet a lot of nice people.
“They treated me as a professional and not as an intern, which was great.”
If a position at ESPN interests you, go to ESPNcareers.com and upload your résumé.
Franco said that an internship was a pivotal part of education.
“Be a sponge; acknowledge as much experience as you can,” he said.
