adamnewing

[adamnewing]

Internship ePortfolio - Entry 8

It’s crazy to see where I’ve come from to where I am now. I started my degree in 2020 as someone with a passion for sports media but a lack of knowledge, skills, connections, and confidence. As I type this now in December of 2022, I am that same person with a passion for sports media, but I can say I have acquired a significant amount of knowledge, skills, connections, confidence, and some new friends. As a result I feel confident moving forward in my life as I hope to build a career in the sports media industry.

But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a challenging obstacle for not only my studies but personal life as well, which was undoubtedly the case for most people. It was difficult to maintain the motivation to learn and complete work through a computer screen at times but I’m glad that I managed to get through it. In fact, that style of learning made me much more appreciative of the social opportunities that are available when attending classes on Holmesglen campus.

While I enjoyed most of my studies I would be lying if I said all the assessments were a breeze. While I seemed to score well in the academic assessments I would often struggle with procrastination. According to Ferrari (2010, as cited in Hen and Goroshit, 2020) “Procrastination is typically defined as a voluntary delay of an individual’s intended action toward some task despite foreseeable negative consequences and a potentially overall worse outcome” (p. 556). Procrastination is something I had struggled with going back to high school and studying at Holmesglen was no different. I believe my time at Holmesglen has helped me get better with procrastination, but it can still be improved.

There were many more highs than lows, however, with the opportunity to work on some really engaging projects with classmates. These were especially present in some of Davin’s classes which involved a lot of digital media production. The creative and hands-on element of those assessments greatly appealed to me and have helped me develop crucial skills that I will need in the professional environment that I aim to work in. In particular I was very fond of the podcast/audio packages, the video journalism story, and the 30 minute sports program. Below is a 3 minute visual news story I made as part of an assessment in Davin’s Video Journalism class. 

(Adam Newing, 2022)

If I had the opportunity to complete that project with the skills I have now after my internship I believe that video could have been of much higher quality.

My internship was the perfect way to end my bachelor’s degree at Holmesglen. An opportunity to utilize all the skills and knowledge I have developed during my studies into real world applications. The internship is a great way of transitioning from studying to a professional career, giving me the opportunity to learn and assimilate into a professional environment with reduced expectations. As a result of my time at Holmesglen and Rainmaker I now feel ready to begin a career in the sports media industry.

Adam Newing. (2022, May 14). A2 ANewing [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zTv3-Pd6Z8

Hen, M., & Goroshit, M. (2018). The effects of decisional and academic procrastination on students’ feelings toward academic procrastination. Current Psychology, 39(2), 556-563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9777-3

[adamnewing]

Internship ePortfolio - Entry 7

I was very excited to receive the two evaluations completed by my internship supervisors. I wasn’t worried that they would be poor given the verbal feedback my supervisors had provided me throughout my internship and my own feelings about my performance, but I was mostly interested in the area’s they thought I could improve.

I really couldn’t be happier with the final evaluations from Nick, Robbie, and Darcy as they gave me full marks for my overall performance in both evaluations. They were highly complimentary of the quality of work and my personal attributes which has only given me more confidence in myself.

There were a couple of areas they thought that I could improve upon. The biggest one is confidence which I completely understand and agree with. For the most part I would say I’m a quiet and laid-back person – an introvert. A weakness with introversion is that you can sometimes be perceived as somebody who lacks confidence or belief (Farrell, 2017). My supervisors suggested that I work on becoming more vocal and expressive regarding my qualities, skills, and traits, in order to improve my chances of employment and assist me in the workplace. This is something I will definitely consider and seek to improve moving forward. I believe I can do this by continuing to place myself in situations that call for a more extroverted approach and begin vocalising my increased confidence.

Another area I could have scored higher on was assimilation into the organisation. I also feel this had a lot to do with a slight lack of confidence and some introverted tendencies. As noted by my supervisors, my confidence grew throughout the internship and towards the end I felt much more comfortable being expressive. Had I displayed this throughout the entirety of my internship I feel as though I would have scored higher in this area.

Finally, it was suggested to me that I continue to become more proficient with Adobe programs and continue to learn and understand the ins-and-outs of the sports media industry. These are areas I believe will be improved with experience but I could accelerate my development by continuing to seek and source information and knowledge on my own accord.

Below is a screenshot of some of the criteria that I was evaluated on.

Evaluation (Newing, Personal Communications, 2022)

Ultimately I feel as though this feedback is an indicator that I’m ready to tackle a career in the sports media industry. I will certainly be focusing on those areas of weakness – especially considering how important they are in a production environment. My future casual work with Rainmaker gives me the opportunity to work on those weaknesses and I’m confident I’ll be able to turn them into strengths.

Farrell, M. (2017). Leadership reflections: Extrovert and introvert leaders. Journal of Library Administration, 57(4), 436-443. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2017.1300455

[adamnewing]

Internship ePortfolio - Entry 6

Before my internship I was interested in working within digital media production or graphic design, however, I had no prior experience working in these roles and the internship would be a good opportunity for me to find out if this was an area I would want to continue to build a career in. After the completion of my internship it only furthered my desire to work within digital media production/graphic design and ideally I would like to be working in that area in the immediate future. Thankfully I was offered casual employment with Rainmaker to continue doing that line of work and hopefully if I continue to work hard and provide value to Rainmaker I can land a more permanent role or use my experience to land a role elsewhere.

After meeting with Ella from the Holmesglen Employment Centre we discussed some of my career aspirations, my general preparedness for my post-studying career and my resume. As mentioned, my internship experience provided more clarity on the career or line of work I want to pursue in the immediate future, but our meeting also gave me the chance to think about what I might like to do in the long-term. I hadn’t given as much thought to want I want to achieve in the long-term but I was reminded that it is good to have some sort of idea in mind so I can develop a mental career-progression plan that will help me identify the steps I need to take to achieve those future goals. After some slight consideration I knew that working in a digital production environment was what I would want to continue doing, but working on live sports broadcasts in the US (particularly basketball) would be a long-term goal. Here is a video of the second-by-second production of an NCAA broadcast by ESPN - the exact type of environment I would love to be apart. 

(KCMC Sports, 2020)

Before my internship I would have said that I wasn’t entirely prepared for work post-study. But since the completion of my internship that has changed, and I feel ready and confident in making that transition. It certainly helps that I will be able to pick-up where I left off from my internship with the casual position offered to me by Rainmaker.

A review of my resume was done and while it was mostly fine, some changes were made to continue to make it concise and to-the-point. This is crucial as Burns et al. (2014) explain that many employers will receive a large amount of resumes and are unlikely to spend much of their time going through a resume in its entirety. With my internship now complete it was also a good chance to add that experience to my resume correctly as it will be relevant to future employers in the sports media industry.

 Burns, G. N., Christiansen, N. D., Morris, M. B., Periard, D. A., & Coaster, J. A. (2014). Effects of applicant personality on resume evaluations. Journal of Business and Psychology, 29(4), 573-591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-014-9349-6

KCMC Sports. (2020, January 13). Niles Media Group - ESPN Broadcast Behind the Scenes NCAA Men’s College Basketball [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wlz2W77KIM

[adamnewing]

Internship ePortfolio - Entry 5

The best thing about my internship is looking back at all my achievements and personal milestones. The first milestone for me was simply getting through the first day. Even going back to my first year of studies I had the internship on my mind, wondering where I would be, if I would be prepared, whether it would go well etc. I was quite nervous heading into a completely unfamiliar environment with people I have never met, and it was important to me that I made a good first impression, so I placed a lot of pressure on myself. Thankfully my first day went better than I imagined, and I immediately felt much more relaxed and confident. Stepping into a professional environment like that without any prior work experience in that field was daunting I’d I felt proud of the way I handled the entire process, including the internship interviews prior to the internship.

There were many technical milestones/accomplishments throughout the internship. The first time seeing my work appear on a program, working on my first production, operating a live stream, and creating a graphic from the ground up for a show are just a few of them. Creating different graphics were especially rewarding as graphic design has interested me. Graphics are important as they are typically more engaging than straight up text or speech, and as a result are able to effectively communicate messages (Murchie and Diomede, 2020). Below are just some of the graphics I was able to create during my internship.

Womens Footy Graphic (Newing, Personal Communications, 2022) 

Womens Footy Finals Bracket (Newing, Personal Communications, 2022)

With all these technical milestones I became much more confident and comfortable with my abilities. My supervisors clearly saw this by constantly giving me different and more challenging tasks moving forward.

While I have achieved a lot from a work/technical standpoint, I have worked on and strengthened plenty of personal qualities and skills. As a result of being in a communication intensive environment I furthered my ability to communicate effectively and efficiently which I can apply to all areas of my life in the future. Being trustworthy and reliable is quality I value highly and I felt like I achieved the complete trust of my supervisors (Connor and Nick) when they asked me to come into work on Saturday when neither would be available until later in the afternoon. They had faith in me to be able to get much of the crucial pre-production done without their supervision which made validated my ability and competency to complete the work.

However, the biggest personal achievement was being offered casual employment at the conclusion of my internship. To be asked to continue to work at Rainmaker has given me complete confidence in myself and I feel more than ever like I can be a valuable member of an organisation in the sports media field.

Murchie, K. J., & Diomede, D. (2020). Fundamentals of graphic design—essential tools for effective visual science communication. FACETS, 5(1), 409-422. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2018-0049

[adamnewing]

Internship ePortfolio - Entry 4

Throughout my internship there were inevitably some challenges that had to be overcome. Travel was one of the most significant challenges that I faced throughout the entirety of my internship. With SEN located in Southbank I would use trains to get to and from the city – about a 45 minute trip each way. The reliability of trains was not much of an issue, but I would be lying if I said I enjoyed standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers on a 40 minute train trip both to and from my internship. There was not really a solution to overcome this challenge, and I instead decided to change my perspective and attitude.

The duration of my hours were not an issue for me, but in the middle of my internship I was asked to work on the Women’s Footy show, which included 8 hours of work on a Saturday and 4 hours of work on Sunday (8am start). Working on a weekend is not always ideal, and it often meant I missed out on social opportunities with friends – but I recognised that sometimes sacrifices have to be made to achieve professional success. Building healthy working/professional habits was something I wanted to achieve during my internship and by regularly making myself available to help the Rainmaker team on a weekend I feel as though I am on my way to completing that. According to Wood and Neal (2009, as cited in Fiorella, 2020) the way habits are formed is repetition, stating “with continued repetition, the mental association between the context and the response strengthens, gradually shifting the behaviour from being consciously guided by goals and intentions to being directly cued by the environment” (p. 605). Previously I would always find reasons to reject offers or opportunities, but simply saying “yes” more often than “no” will ultimately create more opportunities for me. I found an interesting video online that explains biological processes behind habits and how to remove bad habits as well as create new ones and I wish to utilise this advice in my own life moving forward.

(TEDx Talks, 2018)

A lack of technical skill/knowledge or technical difficulties were also challenges present throughout my internship. There were some occasions where programs would crash and I would lose some of my progress or I would make mistakes simply because I was not familiar enough with the equipment I was using. This was incredibly frustrating at times but with the support of my colleagues I was able to take measures to overcome these challenges and make my work easier.

At times I suffered from a lack of confidence, particularly when it came to using equipment I was not too familiar with during production. I place a lot of pressure on myself to do my job correctly as I did not want to let the team down with mistakes that would impact the final product or show. To overcome this I had to lean of my co-workers for support and learn to trust my abilities. This became less of a problem as my internship went on as I started to believe in my abilities after successfully completing tasks.

Fiorella, L. (2020). The science of habit and its implications for student learning and well-being. Educational Psychology Review, 32(3), 603-625. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09525-1

TEDx Talks. (2018, January 9). The Science of Habits | Marco Badwal | TEDxFS [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSZyzhi8C9o

[adamnewing]

Internship ePortfolio - Entry 3

Before I began my internship one of my biggest points of emphasis was to become an effective contributor and team member at Rainmaker. I obviously did not want to underperform or come across as someone who was incompetent, but I was also conscious of not overstepping my bounds or trying to do too much. The team at Rainmaker have been very understanding that a lot of the work I am performing is somewhat unfamiliar and that it will take time for me adjust and learn. They have emphasised repeatedly that they expect me to make mistakes here and there and that there is no pressure to deliver high quality work quickly. This has made me feel much more comfortable and confident, and as a result, I feel as though I am learning and adapting quickly.

According to Almazrouei et al. (2020) providing feedback is critical as it can impact the performance and well-being of employees. The Rainmaker team have been doing a great job of providing me with honest feedback without demoralizing me if it needed to be changed or improved. Along the way they have been giving me plenty of advice and tips to make my work better or more efficient, particularly with studio equipment and software. I feel as though I have done a solid job at accepting and understanding the feedback, then making the necessary adjustments to be applied in my next tasks. An example of this is when I was editing some footage in Premiere Pro and Robbie taught me some shortcuts that could be used on the keyboard to make certain functions/processes faster. This allowed me to finish the work I was doing much quicker and will help me complete similar work in the future much more efficiently.

While I have tried to learn and absorb as much as I can from my supervisors and the rest of the team at Rainmaker, I have also tried source information or help on my own – both at Rainmaker and at home. My supervisors encouraged me to used sites and YouTube videos to further my learning or find solutions to problems if they were not currently available. I watched a few informational videos and tutorials on YouTube about some of the Adobe programs that have helped greatly in expanding my knowledge and skills in that area. Below is one of the many videos I have watched to try and build my proficiency with Adobe programs.

(Adobe In A Minute, 2020)

Adobe In A Minute. (2020, February 29). How to use adjustment layers tutorial | Premiere Pro [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q83AWabvFmM

Almazrouei, M. A., Dror, I. E., & Morgan, R. M. (2020). Organizational and human factors affecting forensic decision‐making: Workplace stress and feedback. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 65(6), 1968-1977. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.14542

[adamnewing]

Internship ePortfolio - Entry 2

The first days of my internship were not overly difficult as I spent the majority of my time completing fairly simple tasks and familiarising myself with the type of work that is regularly done by the Rainmaker team. This was a good opportunity for me to slowly integrate myself into the team and build confidence. Had I been given a demanding or difficult workload early on I feel as though I may have become overwhelmed and stressed – reducing the quality of my internship experience. This was also a good opportunity for my supervisors to get an idea of my strengths and weaknesses and my proficiency level with software programs. My initial tasks included changing the text on pre-set graphics for shows like ‘Off The Bench’ – a country footy show, basic video editing/clipping to send to clients for social media use, and some basic sets design mock-ups. Although my work on Off The Bench was quite basic, I got my first taste of seeing some the work I completed on a finished show which was exciting and rewarding.

I also spent a lot of time in the studio watching how the media control room is used during the filming. I spent about 3-4 hours watching the Rainmaker team in the studio as they filmed a product launch for Giant bicycles. This was a little more straight forward as much of the content used on the product launch was created by Giant meaning most of the responsibilities for rainmaker came down to executing the production. Whereas a lot of other shows created by the Rainmaker team require lots of pre-production as they make graphics, overlay/vision, rundowns etc.

These first 40 hours went very smoothly and with each day I have become more and more comfortable at my internship and confident in my abilities. According to Geunpil and Moon (2019) “Self-determination theory (SDT) presumes that individuals have three basic psychological needs – autonomy, belongingness and competence – and they experience high levels of self motivation and well-being when those needs are satisfied” (p. 483). I believe my internship experience has been positive so far because those three fundamental needs are all being met.

I feel as though I have learnt a lot in such a short amount of time and have already started developing current skills and acquiring new ones. Although I’m mostly comfortable with where I am currently at, I know there are still skills I will need to improve to ensure I can complete work of a higher quality and at a more efficient rate. I’ve recently come across the ‘70/20/30’ model that essentially illustrates the most effective sources of learning (Instructional Design, 2022). According to the model work-related experiences are the most effective sources for learning which may be why I feel as though I have already developed so much of my knowledge and skills. Based off how my initial experience has been so far, I am excited to see what lies ahead in my internship as I undertake new tasks and a more challenging workload. I am also interested in seeing how my skills and qualities continue to develop overtime.

(Instructional Design, 2022)

Ryu, G., & Moon, S. (2019). The effect of actual workplace learning on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Journal of Workplace Learning, 31(8), 481-497. https://doi.org/10.1108/jwl-05-2019-0061

The 70:20:10 learning model. (2022, August 30). Instructional Design Australia. https://instructionaldesign.com.au/the-702010-learning-model/

[adamnewing]

Previewing the 76ers key games for the 2022-23 NBA season

The new NBA season is finally upon us! After an off-season that felt like an eternity, our 76ers look ready to begin their 2022-23 campaign and figures to be a serious contender to win the NBA championship. They won’t be without competition, however, as teams from across the league made various additions and changes to bolster their squads. So, what better way to get hyped over the new NBA season and preview some of the other contenders than a breakdown of the key games in the 76ers schedule! From division rivalries to player rivalries, these are the games that must be circled on your calendar.

Opening Night, Boston Celtics

The 76ers will get the honour of opening up the new season in a bout against long time rivals, the Boston Celtics. The 76ers and Celtics are familiar foes, going to battle in high stakes games numerous times over their existence. More recently the Celtics have gotten the better of Philly in the playoffs, knocking them out in 2018, and then again in 2020. This Celtic’s team is fresh off an NBA finals appearance and will be looking for redemption after falling to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors in 6 games. This will also be the opportunity to see some new Sixers debut, with PJ Tucker expected to play a starting role and the combination of De’Anthony Melton, Montrezl Harrell and Danuel House rounding out the second unit.

October 27th, Toronto Raptors

The 76ers will go head to head with the Toronto Raptors, who they eliminated in the playoffs in 6 games last season. From Joel Embiid’s buzzer-beating game winning 3 to the various injuries that fans believed to be intentionally inflicted, the series only furthered the growing rivalry and distaste between the two teams. The Raptors will certainly be eager to get some get-back and the Sixers will be looking to demonstrate their superiority.

November 23, Brooklyn Nets

Last season the 76ers acquired James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets for Ben Simmons. The teams only matched up once since that trade and Simmons was ruled out with a back injury. However, this will be the first time these teams match up this season and, barring injury, the first time Ben Simmons will play in the Wells Fargo Centre since the trade. With emotions set to run high and both teams, who are division rivals, eager to earn bragging rights, this matchup seems destined to be a thriller.

December 17, Golden State Warriors

This is probably the case for every team, but getting a crack at the defending champions warrants a big red circle on the calendar. As a team looking to win a championship it’s always a good opportunity to see how you stack up against a reigning champion. With a superstar in Steph Curry and emerging star in Jordan Poole, the 76ers will certainly have their hands full in this matchup.

December 25, New York Knicks

Is there a better place to be playing Christmas Day basketball than at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City? (Not including home at the Wells Fargo Centre of course). After missing out on a Christmas Day game last season the 76ers will be looking be looking to get into the Christmas spirit by gifting their fans a W heading into the New Year. If last years performance in New York was any indication, we could be in for some big time games from the trio of Embiid, Harden and Maxey.

January 29, Denver Nuggets

No, the Nuggets are not a division rival. They aren’t even a conference rival. The interest in this matchup stems from the battle between back-to-back MVP, Nikola Jokic, and back-to-back MVP runner up, Joel Embiid. It’s not just about missing out on the MVP award. Very rarely does the MVP runner up not make 1st team All-NBA, yet it’s happened consecutively for Embiid. Look for Joel in particular to assert dominance over Jokic to prove to the NBA world that he is indeed the best Center on the planet.

February 28, Miami Heat

Since suffering elimination at the hands of the Miami Heat in last season’s playoffs, the Sixers have undoubtedly been patiently waiting to get revenge. Not only that, PJ Tucker will face the team he was pried away from last season for the first time. Will Tucker really be the difference maker that nets Philly a win?

[adamnewing]

Internship ePortfolio - Entry 1

Since beginning this degree in 2020 the internship has always been at the back of my mind and would mark the transition from tertiary education to the beginning of what is hopefully a long career in the sports media industry. Completing a 228-hour internship initially seemed daunting when I started two and a half years ago, but in that time, I have developed a wealth of knowledge and an array of skills during my studies that have helped me to feel comfortable and prepared.

Rainmaker, the organization I am completing my internship with, is the TV production arm of SEN (Sports Entertainment Network). In my role I am required to create graphics and digital sets, edit programs and footage, complete research and pre-production prep, and operate equipment during production. A lot of the skills and knowledge required to do these tasks effectively I either lacked or did not possess prior to this degree. Throughout the degree I have been afforded the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge that will help me to complete these tasks successfully and be a valuable member of the organization.

Much of the skills and knowledge I needed I have developed in subjects lectured by Davin Sgargetta. This has included becoming proficient in Photoshop and Premiere Pro – the two programs I will be using the most, learning about the importance of pre-production prep and research, and understanding how to set up cameras and microphones.

Becoming integrated into Rainmaker’s culture was easier than I thought it would be. Gorzelany et al. (2021) define organizational culture as “the environment where people and organisations act and the foundation for governance, valuation, and communication” (p. 2). Almost all the people I work with share an interest in passion in sport and/or media, and for this reason, everyone appears to get on well with each other – both professionally and socially. On my first day I sat down with my internship supervisor, Darcy, as he went through the purpose of Rainmaker and how it works with the rest of SEN’s subdivisions to contribute to the main organization. This helped me to gain an understanding of the objectives and goals at Rainmaker which in turn helped me to understand why the organization does what it does. It became clear to me that Rainmaker/SEN has a very clearly defined direction and purpose and as a result, the people that work here perform their roles well.

There is a small team of about 10-12 people at Rainmaker. It is apparent that while everybody has their own role, it is very much a team environment that depends on everybody contributing to be as effective as possible. Tasks and responsibilities are often swapped and interchanged depending on the work meaning that everybody is versatile and adaptable. The clearly defined objectives and purpose as well as the adaptability of everyone within the team has created a really healthy work culture that is easy to fit into and be apart of. I found this video below explaining the importance of a good work culture within a workplace that is relevant to what I’ve experienced so far.

(Clayton, 2021).

 References

Clayton, M. (2021, July 15). Introduction to Organisational Culture. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_jEJBjE_J4

Gorzelany, J., Gorzelany–Dziadkowiec, M., Luty, L., Firlej, K., Gaisch, M., Dudziak, O., & Scott, C. (2021). Finding links between organisation’s culture and innovation. The impact of organisational culture on university innovativeness. PLOS ONE, 16(10), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257962

[adamnewing]

TPP: Entry 7

Having completed the ‘Transition to Professional Practice’ subject it is interesting to see how far I have come in terms of the knowledge I have gained, skills I have added and developed, and confidence I have raised.

Due to my current experience working at an automotive business for the last 5 years I felt as though I already had a solid understanding of professional skills and qualities that were essential for the workplace. However, there were certainly new things I learnt about how to contribute to building a healthy workplace culture.

While I had a LinkedIn profile prior to this subject it was completely bare – no profile picture or header photo, no description, no work experience or skills, and no connections. After the workshop with Vincent Ramos, I was able to create a through and comprehensive LinkedIn profile that will assist my career by; improving the potential to land interviews and jobs, establish connections and relationships with other professionals,  become aware of professional/career opportunities that arise, and stay up to date with current news and affairs within the sports media industry. This is especially important as according to Zide et al. (2014) some recruiters believe that LinkedIn will be the preferred method of reviewing candidates to interview and replacing interviews.

Before this course my resume and cover letter skills were admittedly poor. I lacked certain information and components that are essential in creating a high quality resume and I lacked knowledge in developing an appropriate cover letter. Since this course I have been able to completely overhaul my resume so that it is structured correctly, includes and addresses all the required aspects and incorporates concise information. This will undoubtedly assist me by enhancing my odds of being asked to complete an interview.

While my interview skills are still an area that could do with a fair bit of improvement, I do believe I am much improved compared to where I was at the start of the subject. Being able to respond to “tell me about yourself” was important to me as can often be the first thing that is asked by interviewers, and therefore an interviewers first impression of your confidence and speaking competency. By working on this question, I was able to become familiar with my professional identity. I had developed an understanding of some of my key skills and qualities, I became aware of my career objectives and desires and learnt how to aptly talk about my interests. Becoming confident speaking as a whole while making eye contact and reducing filler words are still areas I plan to work on but I am confident that I will be able to address these issues as my work in this subject has demonstrated that interviewing is a skill that can be improved through practice.

   Zide, J., Elman, B., & Shahani-Denning, C. (2014). LinkedIn and recruitment: how profiles differ across occupations. Employee Relations, 36(5), 583–604. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-07-2013-0086

[adamnewing]

TPP: Entry 6

Coming into this subject I believed that my interview skills would be my weakest area and something that I would need to greatly improve upon. Previously, I would often suffer under the pressure of an interview, coming across as somebody who lacks confidence. Being able to be successful in an interview is important as employers use the interview as an opportunity to gain an understanding of a candidate’s communication capabilities, affability and credibility (Hudak et al., 2019).  

During some practice interviews with some of my peers I performed ok, however I was cautious that it could be a result of the fact that I didn’t feel as much pressure being interviewed by peers I was familiar with while being aware of the fact that the interviews were just practice. Answering “Tell me about yourself” had previously been difficult for me. It had always seemed like just a general and broad question and for that reason I had no idea how to answer it. However, due to the constant performing of elevator pitches in class I was able to gain an understanding of what I should say by addressing my skills, qualities, interests, and career objectives. During practice interviews this question became a strength of mine and I believe I came across as confident and well spoken when it was asked. This newfound confidence was reflected in the feedback from my peers Zac, Jake and Noah, who said that out of all the questions that one was where I was most impressive. More importantly, this indicated to me the practicing answers for common questions is absolutely useful in becoming confident during interviews.

The practice interviews did reveal some things I could work on. Giving more thorough answers and making eye contact more consistently were points brought up by my peers as areas that I could improve upon. Being able to provide more comprehensive answers makes me sounds more articulate and confident, which are skills/qualities that employers look for in many candidates. Maintaining eye contact is also important for me to improve as it once again helps me to come across as confident but also makes me more engaging.

During my assessment interview I was unfortunately a little disappointed with my performance. As I had previously seen, once I started feeling pressure, I would often make interviewing mistakes – using “umm” and “ahh” to often, not being comprehensive enough in answers, and drawing mental blanks. However, I would say that the strongest part of my interview was my answer when I was asked by the interviewer to tell them about myself. This once again assured me that by constantly practising I can eventually become confident and capable during interviews.

   Hudak, K., Kile, A., Grodziak, E., & Keptner, E. (2019). Advancing Student Interview Skills: Incorporating Virtual Interview Technology into the Basic Communication Course. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2019.130103

[adamnewing]

TPP: Entry 5

Workplace culture is a term I was partially familiar with but upon research it is said that “the notions of workplace culture, organizational culture and corporate culture are often used interchangeably to characterize “a company’s prevailing values, attitudes, beliefs, artifacts and behaviors that contribute to its sense of order, continuity and commitment” (Cole, 2014, as cited in Haworth, 2006, p. 789). An outstanding workplace culture is something that can take time to build, but once it has developed an organisation and its employees will see significant returns in business performance and team morale. However, poor negative organisational culture can greatly harm the business and/or its employees. Because of the importance of organisational culture I will take the internship very seriously. I want to be able to be a contributing factor in helping an organisation to maintain a healthy workplace culture or even enhance it. To build a workplace culture it often takes the organisations entire personnel. However, the attitudes and actions of a single person can inspire others to follow or mimic these positive behaviours, either consciously or subconsciously. For this reason, it is important that individual members of a workplace are ensuring that they are performing up to standard with regards to their standard of work and attitude.

To make certain that I will contribute to building and maintaining a healthy workplace culture  I have developed some mental points of emphasis. First of all, during my internship I want to be perceived by my colleagues as someone that is approachable and friendly. Introducing myself, engaging in conversation and ensuring I always have a smile on my face are some of the ways that I believe I can accomplish this. Second of all, I want to be known as a hard worker – somebody that is willing to go above and beyond to produce work that enhances the performance and reputation of the organisation as well as assist in making the jobs of my colleagues easier. I’d also like to be known as someone that takes pride in their work and won’t settle for anything less than their best.

If I can follow through on all these points of emphasis, I believe I will have made a positive impact in building/maintain an outstanding workplace culture. Ideally I would have helped to of inspired and motivated my colleagues to perform at a high standard just as hopeful that they, too, inspired me to be the best version of myself.

 Cole, R.J., Oliver, A., & Blaviesciunaite, A. (2014). The changing nature of workplace culture. Facilities (Bradford, West Yorkshire, England), 32(13/14), 786–800. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-02-2013-0018

[adamnewing]

TPP: Entry 4

Developing an internship application was a new process for me. I had no experience in completing an application that was this comprehensive and thorough. Previously I had only had experience in completing a basic resume and cover letter (that I now know were pretty awful based on what I have learnt in this course).

I believe my cover letters were good for the most part, but I still had plenty of room for improvement. As stated by Ogden (2016) “the letter should concisely explain how your competencies fit the criteria specific to the job, convey your excitement about the position and reveal some of your personality” (p. 129). Based off of this I feel as though I met most of what is required for an outstanding cover letter.

As part of my learning, I discovered the importance of sounding formal and professional by carefully selecting appropriate language. This was an area I placed a lot of my focus on, and I believe I did a good job of setting a professional tone. Another area in which I narrowed my focus was on addressing key criteria that you find in job descriptions. On my resume and cover letters prior to this subject I admittedly did a terrible job of addressing key criteria as I was unaware of their significance.  But I made a real effort on my internship applications to address how I meet the key criteria based off of my skills, qualities, and experiences. An area I think I could improve on is expanding a little more on how my skills meet the criteria as opposed to simply explaining that I possess those skills.  Moving forward it is certainly going to be an area of emphasis for me.

I was quite happy with how my resume turned out, especially considering the quality of my initial resume I had completed before this course. My structure is the area of my resume I was most happy with. I had clearly separated each element of the resume and ensured that it flowed well. My career objective was an area I was also pleased with. I felt as though I did a good job of clearly illustrating of the type of career I was pursuing and where I wanted to end up. I do believe I could have done a better job of my explaining my previous experience by expanding on the tasks I was responsible for undertaking and the skills that were required.

   Ogden, L. E. (2016). Job applications: Under the covers. Nature (London), 538(7623), 129–130. https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7623-129a

[adamnewing]

TPP: Entry 3

For most people working is an essential aspect of life. As a result, you more often than not have many people applying for a single position. Combine that with the fact that business performance is greatly impacted by the quality of the employees who work at the business, the labour market is almost always an extremely competitive environment. For this reason, personal marketing and branding as well as a refined unique value proposition (UVP) is essential in providing you with the best chance at receiving an interview or the job.

Personal branding and marketing relates to the efforts you make to change and influence the perception of you. From a professional standpoint, being able to shape an employer’s view of you so that you are perceived as somebody who possesses and displays the necessary and relevant skills and qualities for a position is an essential factor in determining whether you are successful in moving on to the next phase of the hiring process. As previously mentioned, the labour market is competitive, which means you not only need to be perceived as someone that possesses the necessary skills and qualities, but you also have to be able to illustrate a point of difference that separates and places you above the other candidates. Being able to align your own personal branding with the branding of the company will also greatly influence the likelihood of being offered a job. According to Doubell and Potgieter (2020) it is “important that employers ensure that the personal brand of the employee resonates with that of the organisation through employer branding to avoid disgruntled employees who are likely to influence the corporate brand and reputation negatively” (p. 109). Having a clear understanding of your own professional identity and the requirements of the position will ultimately allow you to effectively market yourself and suitability for the role effectively.

If I was to describe my brand, I would say that I am a young, enthusiastic sports fanatic with an interest in sports media. As part of my brand, I believe I possess many skills that would make me a valuable asset for an organisation within the sports media industry. This includes great attention to detail, reliable and trustworthy. I am proactive, always trying to figure out how to be more efficient and effective, as well as a willing learner. I have leadership experience and I can work exceptionally in a group and autonomously.

One of the areas I believe I need to improve is in becoming more confident. Confidence is an attractive quality for employers and enhances the potential of being hired. It also improves your relationships with colleagues and clients as well as your quality of work. I’d also like to become better at managing my time so that I am able to consistently meet deadlines.

 Doubell, M., & Potgieter, A. (2020). The influence of employer branding and employees’ personal branding on corporate branding and corporate reputation. African Journal of Business and Economic Research, 15(2), 107–133. https://doi.org/10.31920/1750-4562/2020/v15n2a6

[adamnewing]

TPP: Entry 2

Coming into this subject I believe I already possessed some skills and knowledge that I would need to successfully complete an internship with an organisation in the sports media industry. However, there were certain skills and qualities that would be required that I didn’t possess or was lacking.

As I have currently been working in a professional environment for the past 5 years I have obtained and developed some skills and qualities that I believe will assist me during my internship. I understand the importance of communication in the workplace, whether it be with my managers, co-workers, and clients/customers. This is a skill that is critical in almost every kind of work environment to ensure the work is completed correctly, to a high quality and by the deadlines. I have developed great attention to detail in my current work as ensuring that orders and products are assembled/packed correctly is of particular importance.

CV’s and cover letters will often be a potential employers first impression of you and for this reason, it is essential to get right. Detailing your professional characteristics and experience in a formal manner is essentially the purpose of CV’s and cover letters (Schrager, 2021). It is important to be concise, which is why it is important to tailor a CV and cover letter to the specific position and job description, only including relevant information.

Prior to this subject my resume was extremely outdated and lacked some of the important elements that good resumes typically possess. It didn’t contain a career objective summary which is an important component for recruiters and employers. By including a career objective summary, you provide potential employers with a glimpse as to the kind of professional you are and want to be, which can greatly assist in making a good first impression. From a structure standpoint I needed correct my order of experiences and education so that it was in reverse chronological order as your most recent experiences and education are likely to be more relevant to an employer.

Ensuring that your cover letter is of high quality is critical as it is more than likely going to be an employers first impression of you. It gives you a chance to introduce yourself and inform a potential employer of your interest in the position, skills and qualities that you can bring to the organisation/position, and relevant experience that indicates your familiarity with the industry/role. Developing my skills in writing an effective cover letter was an area I believe needed the most improvement and thanks to this subject I can confidently say that I can craft a high quality cover letter that will give me the best chance to receive an interview.

 Schrager. (2021). Tips for Writing Effective CVs and Cover Letters. Family Practice Management, 28(5), 4–5.

[adamnewing]

TPP: Entry 1

My name is Adam Newing, and I am an extremely passionate sports fanatic with an interest in media. I have been consuming sports my entire life, both as a player and a support. I played footy growing up with East Ringwood before discovering the sport I am most passionate about – basketball. I made the switch to player basketball competitively when I was 11, playing for Maroondah Magic for 6 years. Since then I have been playing socially with friends in the Men’s domestic division at Kilsyth and Mountain District Basketball Association. As a supporter I follow the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA and the Essendon Bombers in the AFL. I also have an interest in all categories of motor racing and have a developing interest in the NFL.

I also have an interest in media which has sparked my desire to pursue a career in the sports media industry. To achieve this, I enrolled in a ‘Sports Media’ degree at Holmesglen, of which I am currently in the final year of. After the completion of my degree, I would most like to work in digital media production where I’d like to design graphics, shoot and edit film as well as develop social media strategies and campaigns. I have also considered working as a sports journalist as I believe I have strong writing abilities.

As part of my degree I have had the opportunity to work with Melbourne University Women’s Football Club and Croydon and District Table Tennis Association to devise strategies and campaigns as well as produce multiple pieces of media content.  This experience has been incredibly rewarding and allowed me to develop many professional skills that will assist me in my career in the future.

Over the course of my degree I believe my standard of work has improved. I attribute this to the feedback that has been presented to me by lecturers and the experience that I have gained by working with industry partners. However, I still believe there are many areas that can be improved. Meeting deadlines, my interviewing skills, and familiarity with professional practices are some of the areas I would like to improve the mots coming into this subject.

I am both excited and nervous in completing an internship during the year. I am looking forward to the opportunity to apply my newly obtained skills and knowledge into real world practice, however, I feel as though I have placed a significant amount of pressure on myself to complete the internship at a high level. I have no doubts that the internship will be a point of substantial personal and professional growth for me and I cannot wait to see what opportunities may lie at the end of it.

[adamnewing]

Sport Sponsorship (Entry 6)

Over the course of this semester I’m absolutely positive that I have developed new insights and knowledge into the world of sponsorship, and more specifically, sport sponsorship that will assist me greatly in future if I was to complete work in the field of sponsorship. From a theoretical standpoint I feel as though the topics on congruency and the sponsorship process provided with me an understanding that is particularly important within sponsorship.  Hutabarat and Gayatri (2014) note that congruency between the sponsor and the sponsee impacts the ability for positive image transfer, recall and overall profitability. This was something I had not previously been aware of. In fact, it is something I have found myself to be frequently considering when I witness real life sponsorship activations on social media and on TV broadcasts.

I feel as though the practical elements of this subject including the development of a sponsorship asset inventory and the creation of a sponsorship proposal were the most important learning experiences that have contributed to my growth in understanding of sponsorship. Though understanding the principles and elements of successful sponsorship is important, the ability to effectively utilise that knowledge in real world applications can be much more difficult. After the completion of A4 especially it was clear that the planning of a sponsorship proposal takes a great deal of time, research and consideration to ensure that a sponsor can be secured. Although I feel my proposal document and presentation weren’t bad, some immediate feedback provided to me indicated the importance of specificity in a proposal that I have taken on board for the future.

Communication with my fellow team members and the club remained important in being able to effectively create the asset inventory and sponsorship proposal document. By understanding what the club required and some of the assets they had on offer it became easier to develop a more refined and complete asset inventory and proposal.

 Hutabarat, & Gayatri, G. (2014). The Influence of Sponsor-Event Congruence in Sponsorship of Music Festivals. The South East Asian Journal of Management, 8(1), 47–64. https://doi.org/10.21002/seam.v8i1.3101