Tag Archives: Sports

Play ball!

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It’s spring: the flowers are blooming, the birds are signing, and most importantly… it’s baseball season!  Over spring break, I ventured out to Phoenix, Arizona for a spring training game in Camelback Ranch.  While the Dodgers are by far NOT my favorite baseball team (Go Marlins!), I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the baseball atmosphere.  Being back in the festivities of the game was refreshing and, of course, it became another reason why I NEED to be in the sports industry.

Last month, I mentioned I would be creating a video essay for an internship application, so here is the update I promised.  Ideally, I would like to become an athlete representative (sports agent) after I get my sports law degree.  Interning at a sports agency would allow me to see first-hand how the industry functions and how agents interact with their clients.

Thanks to the wonderful spring weather, I was able to shoot my video outside in the amazing 73 degree weather of Claremont.  Oh, how I love spring.  Well, here’s my video essay.  Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2Z4puF_1F8&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]

I am going to be pretty persistent on getting an internship at this particular agency.  The agency just seems to be the ideal place for me to learn and get a head start on my career. Continue reading →

Lights, Camera, Action!

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Introducing Carol Toro in “Why I Want This Internship”
In theaters (and by theaters, I actually mean YouTube) on 4/1/2010.

I am making a film.  No, I am not a filmmaker nor have I ever made a film.  Well, I take that back.  I did make a film once, but that was in 8th grade and a re-shoot of a Power Puff Girls’ episode doesn’t really count towards a filmmaking career.

I have less than three weeks to make a film that will knock the socks off a sports agency in Hollywood, Florida.   Aside from the standard, delicately crafted cover letter and resume, I have to submit a Video Essay starring Me, Myself, and I.  Before I even start to make this video, I need to ask myself three essential questions:

  1. Can I afford to this? Yes.  All I need is a video camera, editing software, time, and creativity.  I can borrow a video camera from the Scripps A/V department and use the Final Cut Pro editing software available on all of Scripps’ Mac computers.  Time?  This just means I need to have a fairly productive and fun Spring Break.
  2. Do I realistically have the time for this? Yes, as long as I make it a priority during my free time.  However, I am a bit hesitant.  I take pride in my work and I really do not want to turn in something that looks like it took five minutes to film.  I really will need to commit to this project and manage my time more effectively during the next few weeks.
  3. Can I live without this? No!  Okay, that is an exaggeration, but I would love to get this experience as an undergraduate.  Being an Athlete Representative is all about networking and getting your foot in the door.  Women face immense barriers to entry in this industry, and having this internship under my belt will really help me down the road.

The guidelines on the application state that they would like the video to reflect my innovative side as well as a glimpse of what they cannot get from a resume and cover letter.  After creating the video, I will need to upload it to YouTube and include the link URL in my cover letter.  Is this personal branding at the next level or what?  Here I thought my LinkedIn profile could take care of that, but apparently, they want more than words on a screen.

My video will definitely not be as awesome as Scripps Alumna Erin Martin’s save-the-date video invitation, but I will definitely try my best to live up to those standards.  I have basic knowledge of video editing using Mac’s Final Cut Pro, which I am hoping will be enough to help me create a video that truly reflects who I am.

What is next?  Video resumes.  Maybe, I need to start looking into this and get ahead of my competition for my other applications.

I have a couple of ideas and now it is just a matter of putting them into play.  As they say in Hollywood, CA, “Lights, Camera, Action!”

Not another cover letter.

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Perhaps I’m a little too ambitious or maybe I just really want the summer internship of my dreams.  This semester, I will be applying to as many sports internships available within a 50-mile radius of my reasonable summer locations, i.e. Miami, Florida or Seattle, Washington.  With so many applications, I am bound to get in somewhere, despite not fitting the ideal candidate profile for most of these internships.  Without a doubt, my least favorite question in the applications is, Are you pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing or administration?  In which case, I must answer, “No, unfortunately, I am not pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Marketing nor in Sports Administration; however, I have acquired comparable skills with my education and work experience.”

This is where my cover letter comes in and hits a home run.  I have to dispel their misconceptions of non-marketing/administration majors – I need to show the recruiters that I possess the same if not better skills than their preferred degree-seeking candidates.  Last week, I met with Valinda Lee at CP&R and went over cover letter techniques and suggestions.  After submitting my first cover letter and resume, I was utterly exhausted.  A week later, the thought of writing at least seven more cover letters and changing my resume to fit different descriptions literally darkened the skies as I ran to the library, trying to avoid the looming rain.

Consequently, I embarked on a mission to find an easier and more efficient way to write a cover letter without wasting time, mulling over examples time after time.  Eureka!  On Thursday, I attended a CP&R workshop – “Making the Best of your On Campus Job” and Valinda enlightened the attendees with what CP&R refers to as an idea bank for interview questions.  While I am not at that stage yet, I can adapt the basic idea bank concept for cover letter/resume purposes.  I have set up a two-column table: Column 1 lists desirable skills employers seek and Column 2 lists brief examples where I have demonstrated to have those skills.  Note: I am listing the examples by previous jobs so that it helps me construct the accompanying resume quicker.

Desirable Skills Examples of skills
detail oriented – TF650: running accounting audits; running delinquency reports; reconciling accounts;

– FITS: marketing items;

– HOM: reviewing grant proposals;

– 5CA: coding & designing website
listening and organization skills – TF650: addressing resident complaints; maintaining lease/re-sale files;

– FITS: faculty websites; phone/in-office support;

– R&S: fundraisers;

– HOM: processing applications;

– RT: creating curriculum; managing weekly tutoring sessions;

A few words should do the trick, making it easier to write compelling examples – all I have to do is look at my list and pull out examples. The painstaking application process has suddenly transformed into something less tedious and a lot more manageable.

Wrong major? I don’t think so.

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When people ask me what my major is and then find out my career aspirations, they tend to have a confused look on their face. “You are a liberal arts major and you want to be a sports lawyer? Are you sure about that?” And of course, I respond with a yes and huge smile on my face.

For as far as I can remember, I have wanted to be a lawyer; but, it was not until I turned 10 years old that I knew exactly what kind of lawyer I wanted to be.  It was Sunday, October 26, 1997, when my family and I were celebrating my 10th birthday.  It was not a typical birthday celebration, it also happened to be the final game of the 1997 World Series.

Glued to the television, we watched as Edgar Renteria hit an RBI (run batted in) single in the 11th inning to win the World Series Championship!  The crowd on TV went wild and the excitement in the house was incredible. All of Miami awoke to the glory of the Florida Marlins: the people on the streets raised their Marlins flags while others drove around honking to celebrate the win.  It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to be a part of that excitement and passion.  However, I did not want to merely be a spectator – I wanted to be on the inside, representing my favorite baseball team, the Florida Marlins.

Now, that insight brings me to these two questions:

  1. Can I still pursue the goal I made 12 years ago with my liberal arts education?
  2. How can I use my dual major in Latin American Studies and Hispanic Studies to pursue that goal?

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