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Rejection was Step 1

Rejection. 

One of the toughest things for me to learn to overcome and one of the most unpredictable elements of the internship and job searching process.  It was tough, setting expectations of the perfect internship and not obtaining it. 

However, through rejection comes new opportunities and the ability to create new skills through the internship experience which was not the first choice.  Being able to put aside the negativity and focus on the positives of the opportunity at hand was something that with time was able to be achieved and being able to work on making the most of what I had in front of me.

Completing classes and then focusing on the internship was something that appealed to me as it separated assignment work and spaced it out to make it easier to complete.  Although there were some setbacks, with not having the study mindset and having distractions pop up but it was mainly a positive to be able to focus on classes then focus on the internship elements.

Moving onto the internship the focus shifted from the rejection to the opportunity that was in front of me.  With no time to dwell on what could have been and constantly think of what is to come, the internship was a little stop and go, with the period dictated by Melbourne Aces home games, the benefit of this was the knowledge of when I was needing to book off to concentrate solely on the tasks required and when I would be able to have a weekend to socialise or do my own thing.

Getting the runsheet set up for the upcoming game (Woods, 2024)

One thing I consistently noticed during the time at the ballpark was the sense of ownership, in the tasks that I undertook might have seemed small, but they were significant in the running of the games.  Little tasks such as wiping down seats, doing jobs that were part of the setting up process before a game allowed me to feel a part of the organisation and gave me a real sense of belonging.

Getting the grandstand ready for the night game (Woods, 2024)

So, here we are, from rejection to overcoming those feelings to getting a sense of the perfect opportunity for me.  Looking back, I see missed opportunities in the internships I missed out on, and it is hard to see it be any other way with the amount I have enjoyed the experiences.

Where to from here is something that has been asked several times since the start of third year and it is still unknown with the number of possibilities, but I am of the belief that the perfect opportunity for me will come in time, I have to be patient and be open to it.  It might not be the dream job first up, there will be more rejection to come but as the saying goes a career is a marathon, not a sprint and it might take a few jobs before landing the perfect one.

This is an end, yet a new beginning and there is a reminder of the rejection will occur, but it will help me grow further to getting where I am to be.

So yeah, rejection really was step one.

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Internship Part 8: Reflecting on Internship and Study

Wow. 

Three years of hard work and here we are. 

Journeying through being a mature aged student and dealing with knock backs with internships, it is hard not to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in my achievements.  Comparing how I approached post high school education and the lack of motivation to get work done in a timely manner, usually leaving it to the night before, this time was different.  I was passionate about the subjects and ensured I got started early to give myself the best possible outcomes.

Looking back on the internship process, from the application to the undertaking, it is clear to see growth in multiple areas and something that I can honestly say is the best thing to have occurred in my life, setting me on a career path I am excited to journey through.  As stated by Anjum (2020) “internship programs not only improve students’ personal skills but also polish their professional growth and experience”.  This statement speaks to how I viewed internships before, during and after and played an important role in my passion to get the most out of them.  By wanting to ensure the last three years were not going to be wasted and at the end I would be positioned with the greatest potential of landing a job in the sports media industry.

Taking pride in the organisation and the successes both on and off field has allowed me to get fully invested in the internship.  This is important when it comes to bigger leagues like the AFL where there is a chance, I may get a job at a different club to the one I support, yet I still should be invested in the performance of the organisation to integrate properly.

This would not have been possible without the support of those who have journeyed with me, whether that is the lecturers, family, fellow students, and friends not studying alongside me in the last three years.  It is something to remind myself in entering the next stage that it takes a village, it is better to be supported than not and to always ask for help when needed. 

Leaving the ballpark one last time on a Saturday night (Woods, 2024)

Looking back on how often it was said by the course director and lecturers, it really sinks in now how crucial networking really is and something that I feel I could have done better during the study years but something I will improve on moving forward.

Being able to look back and realise the strategies I placed and the approach I took to each class and assignment made ma a better student and the ability to have done this allowed me to grow each time I was faced with a challenge or a difficult situation in study (BethMooreSchool, 2018).

Anjum, S. (2020). Impact of internship programs on professional and personal development of business students: a case study from Pakistan. Future Business Journal, 6(1). springeropen. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-019-0007-3

BethMooreSchool. (2018, April 29). Student Self-Reflection: Looking Back and Moving Forward. TWO WRITING TEACHERS. https://twowritingteachers.org/2018/04/29/student-self-reflection-looking-back-and-moving-forward/

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Internship 7: Reflection on Feedback

When looking back on the last three years of undertaking the Bachelor of Sports Media, something I wish I did more of was engage with lecturers to properly understand feedback and learn ways to improve the way I was approaching study.

Feedback is important with anything in life and with an internship the ability to utilise a supervisor’s experience to create a better learning environment has been brought up when discussing successful placements (Bourland-Davis et al., 1997).  It is also important to be able to understand the significance of criticism and learning how to use the information to improve (Bjørndal, 2020).  With the expectations of entering an internship being more of a learning experience in the environment of a workplace, the ability to use feedback to position oneself to the alignment of their desired career path.

Looking at the supervisor evaluation, it reminds me that I do need to communicate better in any role that I do, I believe confidence plays a factor in improving this.  There is the positives as well that I feel can be used moving forward such as knowledge of the sport, taking pride in knowing the basics and working to get a greater understanding is something that has made this internship easier to undertake.  Having the approach to be willing to do any job was also noted and I feel that it was something I was unsure about whether my ability would be enough to complete tasks.

Unfortunately, by the time I received the first lot of feedback the season was already done, however, there were two games to go but they were the Australia vs Hanwa Eagles series, this is at the front of mind going into the two days.  This is also something that I intend to keep reminding myself of in any job, to ensure I keep focused on the role and not getting too caught up in the action on the field.

Getting the ballpark setup early (Woods, 2024)

Having previous knowledge of the sport, league and importantly the team was noted, I felt crucial to getting the most out of this internship.  Ensuring I make time to follow the team when they play away and riding the waves as not just a fan but as someone who has invested their time to intern for the club.  Making finals and watching knowing there is the potential of another day at the ballpark if they were to advance to the championship series, but unfortunately it was not to be. 

Bjørndal, C. R. P. (2020). Student teachers’ responses to critical mentor feedback: A study of face-saving strategies in teaching placements. Teaching and Teacher Education, 91, 103047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103047

Bourland-Davis, P. G., Graham, B. L., & Fulmer, H. W. (1997). Defining a Public Relations Internship through Feedback from the Field. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 52(1), 26–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769589705200103

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Internship 6: Career Aspirations

Looking at what I want to do post-study and the areas of interest, something in the content production realm of the sports media industry.  Having consistently been looking at job opportunities in the last few months of study, there are plenty of jobs across a multitude of sports and it is about timing to what comes available after my internship is complete.  Whether the perfect job comes up or a job that would be considered a stepping stone, it is reminding myself that it is a marathon and not a sprint, just like the last three years of study.

The hallways have stories and detail a journey (Woods, 2024).

A key part of a student’s journey into a career is a strong internship, by honing their skillset and strengthening their network before entering the professional landscape is a critical tool to utilise (Odio et al., 2014).  Looking forward to five years down the line, this period will be seen as a monumental component in where I will be in my path. 

One of the most enjoyable factors of the internship was learning that the future career success might rely on interactions I have and the relationships that are created throughout life (Kalsi, 2021). With the internship utilising skills not attributable to my desired job, it is important to remember that this process has broadened my skillset and will assist in the approaches I take in the future, while it opens the door for new opportunities that I might not have considered prior to undertaking the internship at the Melbourne Aces.

With the consistent search for a job and the willingness to broaden my scope to match what I have enjoyed over the last three years; it is starting to become a reality with the polish of skills through the internship.  Adding to this the development of discovering new areas of the industry, with more hands-on experiences that I initially would have dismissed have now become part of the job search.  Whether this is still in a game day production role or with production areas in the sports media landscape, this is a clear unknown but at least it broadens my view in the job search.

My biggest goal coming out of this course is to ensure I continue to grow and improve my skills to get myself in a job I am comfortable with in three years, while also keeping the network that has started from my time at Holmesglen and become the best version of myself that I can possibly be.

Kalsi, R. (2021, January 27). How I Turned My Internship Into a Full-Time Job. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/01/how-i-turned-my-internship-into-a-full-time-job

Odio, M., Sagas, M., & Kerwin, S. (2014). The Influence of the Internship on Students’ Career Decision Making. Sport Management Education Journal, 8(1), 46–57. https://doi.org/10.1123/smej.2013-0011

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Internship Entry 5: Achievements

Achievements in internships allow students to develop skills in a professional environment, creating easier pathways into career opportunities (Faizah & Indrawati, 2017).  Looking at the internship I undertook at the Melbourne Aces, it was one that might not necessarily look at achievements and milestones in the most obvious forms but were created by the opportunities that were given and the tasks that were part of each day, making it feel like I was contributing to each gameday, that is a milestone for me.

One of my greatest milestones in undertaking this internship was self-confidence, being open to doing whatever is asked and having the opportunity to achieve anything.  With the role of audio engineer for seven games, the training was a few innings while being instructed on how to use the program and then it was being shown the flow of what is expected.  In the first game ‘on my own’ it was daunting, I felt nervous to press the wrong sound, which I did a couple of times, but it was not the end of the world, I moved on quickly and it was not a major issue in the grand scheme of things.

Taking over the audio (Woods, 2024)

With my general tasks, creating a script for each day, informing the audience of the upcoming game, the standing of each participating team and summarising the result of the previous day or round.  Also creating the production run sheet each day, making changes according to what was required for a given day, for two days there was state team cap presentation before the game and there were adjustments that were needed before the game. 

One of the cap presentations that required to change times for the production (Woods, 2024)

My favourite task over the internship was creating graphics and coming up with trivia questions for each game and making sure they were fresh and relevant.  Seeing the graphics I created on a scoreboard in a national competition was something I constantly reminded myself of the fact that is something that not everyone has the opportunity to say they have.  Although it was not displayed, adapting a social media graphic to be utilised on a scoreboard with a short turn around was something I was proud of and look at as a great achievement, even though the graphic was not used.

Seeing my graphic on the big screen (Woods, 2023)

Faizah, D. N., & Indrawati, A. (2017). EFFECT OF LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT OF THE EYE OF PRODUCTIVE TRAINING, PRAKERIN EXPERIENCE, AND INTERESTS IN STUDENT READINESS ENTERING THE WORLD OF WORK. Jurnal Pendidikan Bisnis Dan Manajemen, 3(3), 179–191. https://doi.org/10.17977/um003v3i32017p179

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Internship Entry 4: Challenges

Since internships are becoming more widely used as learning tools for students to help fill the gap between classroom learning and the practice of business, it is important to understand what aspects of these experiences make them the most worthwhile.

The challenges for any internship would vary depending on what is required and as the experience is different to what can be taught in a classroom, it is important to understand and learn how to overcome the challenges in an (Tan et al., 2023).  The challenges for the internship I undertook varied from travel, communication, the hours and learning new roles quickly while having to perform tasks while a game is going on.  The communication challenges from the internship were mainly related to the two-way radio, having to answer questions from team members or pass on questions to my supervisor and having miscommunication moments where I could have rephrased better to make clear what I was saying.  Another challenge related to communication was having the responsibility of articulating calls made by my supervisor and taking the heat for them in the moment. 

The most consistent challenge faced during the internship was the travel, as I live in Blackburn South and the internship was in Altona North, having to plan ahead to take into consideration traffic and any roadworks to ensure that I arrive on time each day.  With this challenge there was also the fact of the games were over Thursday to Sunday period and having to be there from 1pm to around 11pm from the Thursday to Saturday and 10am to around 5-6pm Sundays.  This was ok, however with the travel time being around one hour each way, it then left little time for anything else.

One of the challenges was undertaking an unknown role with little knowledge of what to do but with the confidence of my supervisor, which made it easier to overcome any doubts I had in my own ability to do a good job, while also completing tasks that I had been undertaking on a weekly basis. It is how one faces the unknown that shapes the experience of the situation, positive or negative approaches will influence the outcome (Epstein, 2022). I found myself looking forward to learning new skills and getting the most out of new tasks.

Another challenge was to remain focused on the role and not get caught up in the game, which I did often.  I need to be aware of the situation but also communicating what is coming up to those around me and ensuring as soon as an innings ends that everyone is ready to go with what is next.

Needing to remember the role and not get caught up in the game (Woods, 2024)

Epstein, D. (2022, September 22). Into The Great Unknown - Physician’s Weekly. Physicians Weekly. https://www.physiciansweekly.com/into-the-great-unknown/

Tan, N., Shien, C., Ong, C., & Billett, S. (2023). Promoting student readiness for work-life through internships: Challenges and support. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 63(3), 343–367. https://login.ezproxy.holmesglen.edu.au/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/promoting-student-readiness-work-life-through/docview/2903934986/se-2

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Internship Entry 3: Effective Team Members

According to Sanyal and Hisam (2018) “The work performance of the team is higher than individual performance when the work requires a broader scope of knowledge, judgement and opinion”.  With an organisation such as the Melbourne Aces, there is a requirement for a wide range of skills to be utilised to ensure delivery of games is at a high level.

Working on the strengths that have been developed through the last few years assisted in becoming an effective part of the organisation and used my skillset to create graphics for scoreboard display.  Being able to own projects and work both in a group setting but also individually creates the best environment for a good internship experience (Aicher et al., 2017).  Having the responsibility of receiving communication throughout the day and working on ensuring games start on time was a crucial part of this internship, knowing what to say and when and communicating with the supervisor to ensure all parties understood what is happening. 

Being confident in myself to make calls and being able to articulate what is happening between my supervisor and people on radio, especially in high pressure situations was a learning moment for me but one I understood was a crucial part of the internship experience.  In the undertaking of the internship, the support of the supervisor allowed me to be an effective team member and by growing with the feedback.

Learning to be more self confident in radio communication (Woods, 2024)

The skills that I had before the internship were paired with skills that were starting to develop and the weaknesses were worked upon to become and effective team member.  With the set tasks before games, it was easy to know what needed to be done when I arrived each day and what needed to be done by the time spectators arrived.  This included scrubbing bird poo off seats, sweeping rows of the popcorn from the night before or wiping down surfaces to ensure the match day experience is the best it can be.  Something that was not thought of before the internship stated was the importance of taking pride in the cleanliness of the ballpark, akin to taking pride in the state of one’s workplace.  Working as a team to get these jobs down quickly and efficiently made me realise the importance of teamwork, rather than one person doing each task there was everyone assisting in each section.

Setting up for the day (Woods, 2024)

Aicher, T. P., Barabási, D. L., Harris, B. D., Nadig, A., & Williams, K. L. (2017). Ten simple rules for getting the most out of a summer laboratory internship. PLOS Computational Biology, 13(8), e1005606. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005606

Sanyal, S., & Hisam, M. (2018). The Impact of Teamwork on Work Performance of Employees : A Study of Faculty Members in Dhofar University. Www.semanticscholar.org. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Impact-of-Teamwork-on-Work-Performance-of-%3A-A-Sanyal-Hisam/2e79f478e4721ded1946df4f9260f6e93058e77e

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Internship Entry 2: Finding my feet

With this internship the induction was one practice game on Friday 10 November the week prior to the season starting, observing, and going through the run sheet and learning to know what to expect for a regular gameday.  With this it made it seem easier when everything was happening at what seemed like all at once but had a natural flow to it.  It made the first weekend of games easier to navigate and understand what is expected, with the run sheet staying similar from game to game.

Once again, entering this internship it was off the back of rejection and wanting to ensure that the opportunity was not wasted, getting the most out of the time and positioning to best get work post study.  It was important to remind myself that the rejection was not about me but more there was someone else (Torres, 2016), who in the opinion of the organisation would have been a better candidate for the internship I was applying for. 

Moving to overcome the rejection to get success (Torres, 2016)

Putting the hard work in during the internship benefits one later in life, so being open to doing any task that was asked and undertaking it with a mindset of learning was key (Walker et al., 2021).  This was critical to the first few weeks and fitting into the team and becoming accustomed to the way things are done.

With baseball not being a big spectator sport in Australia, the Melbourne Aces cannot employ cleaners to tidy the stadium up on matchday, especially with four days of games in a row and it is the role of the volunteers, interns and staff to ensure that by the time the fans arrive the grounds are ready for them.  This is a sometimes-overlooked part of sport, and it gives a greater appreciation and ownership of being a team member at the Melbourne Aces Baseball Club.  From wiping down seats to sweeping aisles of popcorn from the night before, it is whatever needs to be done to ensure the upcoming day is a good experience for the fans.  It also showed that even though my role was in the gameday production, it was doing tasks that made the organisation a better place.

Settling into the role (Woods, 2023)

The first forty hours was a learning experience and utilising the opportunity to take in as much as possible made this internship beneficial, understanding why things were done a certain way and the best method to undertake tasks to be efficient in the role.

Torres, O. (2016, June 10). 4 Strategies for Overcoming Rejection. MyTherapyNYC - Counseling & Wellness. https://mytherapynyc.com/overcoming-rejection/

Walker, N. A., Agyemang, K. J. A., Washington, M., Hindman, L. C., & MacCharles, J. (2021). Getting an Internship in the Sport Industry: The Institutionalization of Privilege. Sport Management Education Journal, 15(1), 20–33. https://doi.org/10.1123/smej.2019-0061

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Internship Entry 1: Preparedness

Starting an internship that was out of my comfort zone seems daunting at first, but the looking at the challenges and unknowns this would be an amazing experience.  The nerves of stepping into a role that I was not as proficient in as others I had applied for and the rejection of missing out of a few other roles led me to work on making sure I got the most out of this learning experience.  The daunting moments of realisation that the dream internship would not be happening were hard to navigate but something that when looking back on, made the internship I received better.

Where it will all take place, the Melbourne Ballpark (Melbourne Aces, 2021)

With this in mind, the rejection of others and the unknown of what the internship actually entailed, it was something that made me want to get the most out of the time, looking at the internships I had missed out on would only hurt but looking at how I can make the most of the internship I have would make it more rewarding in the long run.  I found it easy to acclimatise myself to the organisation, as it was with one that I was familiar with, in a location I had been to before and with a sport I semi understood, which is a good start, however the role and tasks I would be undertaking were what made this internship feel out of my skillset.  I felt the Melbourne Aces internship was the perfect internship for me to position myself towards my desired career path.  Also given the timing of the internship, being outside of the usual study period and not overlapping classes assisted in fully focusing on what needed to be done.

Simplifying the internship experience (Arendall, 2017)

Looking at the importance of an internship in relation to furthering one’s path to a desired career.  The employment chances of a student from education platforms that utilise internships are generally greater than those that do not have such programs, having had workplace experience (Silva et al., 2015).  The tasks that are required to be undertaken in an internship position are not necessarily taught in the classroom but are present in the workplace, for example the ability to multitask and prioritise tasks in order to be the most effective, to be able to communicate in high pressure situations or make a split-second decision (Padmavathy & Kranti Tekulapally, 2021).  This is something that going into an internship is one of the scariest aspects, dealing with stuff that can’t be taught through a lecture but only through experience can one learn.  This is what made the internship feel like a challenge I would be able to not only learn from but thrive in the environment, knowing that I would be allowed to make mistakes and those mistakes would help me become better in my path to my desired job.

After all the key to a successful internship is how on approaches it, from the start being open to the new opportunities that are presented and throughout the experience by being ready to take on anything (Arendall, 2017).  This statement is how I look to undertake any task asked of me during the internship.

Arendall, M. (2017, April 28). Start Your Internship Off Right- Do The Prep Work! Www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/start-your-internship-off-right-do-prep-work-michelle-arendall-vsp/

Padmavathy, & Kranti Tekulapally. (2021). Preparedness for Internship: A Survey of New Interns at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Telangana. Perspectives in Medical Research, 9(2), 24–27. https://doi.org/10.47799/pimr.0902.06

Silva, P., Lopes, B., Costa, M., Seabra, D., Melo, A. I., Brito, E., & Dias, G. P. (2015). Stairway to employment? Internships in higher education. Higher Education, 72(6), 703–721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9903-9

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Entry 4- Olympic Games Legacy

The Olympics are a major event that is held in international regard.  There are multiple factors that are explored when countries bid on the right to host the Olympics and these areas include economic and environmental impacts of the event (Misener et al., 2013).  With a growing trend of host focusing on the legacy of the Olympics, with a focus on starting to work on it from the build-up to the event, a strong example of this was London 2012, with the organisers looking at the legacy during the bidding process all the way to the Opening Ceremony (Agha et al., 2012).  

Events like the Olympics are great for encouraging participation in the aftermath, with this being a key focus on the hosts of each mega event, as it is seen as part of the pillars of the Olympic Movement (Perks, 2015).  In the lead up to London 2012, the expectation was building and there was the prospect for London to be built up once more as a global powerhouse city, with residents coming together through sport and being promised long term legacy investments with improvements on infrastructure and impacts on health and education (Griggs & Randall, 2022).  With planning for how the Olympics will benefit long after the event has concluded has been seen mixed results with places such as Athens and Rio de Janeiro being seen as negatively from a legacy perspective, with white elephant arenas and no long-term benefits coming from the hosting of the mega event.

The International Olympic Committee has started to change the way bidding for the right to host and more focus on the sustainability and cost-effective hosting of the event (O’Flaherty, 2023), with more focus on creating a greater legacy for each Olympics and looking at utilising established facilities.  There is not just one specific area that legacy relates to when it comes to hosting the Olympics, with it going far beyond just the city but focusing on every investment the country makes to ensure the greatest outcome from hosting in one region occurs (Duignan, 2019).  As Bull (2023) discusses in terms of places successfully creating long-lasting benefits, “where lasting legacies have been achieved, urbanists and designers with skill, vision and imagination have been commissioned early in the Olympics preparation process to explore and demonstrate new ways in which the city might work.”

(London 2012 Closing Ceremony, John Huet & IOC, 2012)

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Entry 3- eSports events

When it comes to the what the future of sports holds in society, one section that needs to be considered is the rise of eSports events and how the popularity of such events has on the impact of how organisers run events.  Firstly, to define what exactly an eSport is, according to Hallmann and Giel (2018) “eSports is all about different teams or individual players competing with each other and trying to be the best in a specific game.”  This is generally seen to be more of the elite level of competition and can be compared to the AFL level of play compared to a local competition.  Organisations linked to technology has generally been at the forefront of creating spaces of competitive play, to allow players to be able to generate a liveable income to see this ever-growing platform be sustainable (Hamari & Sjjblom, 2017).

When looking at events in Australia, there are a few that jump out including Dreamhack and PAX, with the former being an event centred around eSport competition with an element of a convention and the latter being a convention with an element of eSport competition.  With the allure of being able to see the best of the best in the Oceanic region compete in various video games and to be sporting like environment is what Dreamhack sells itself as, taking place in the Melbourne Park precinct with the main stage in Rod Laver Arena (GamesHub, 2023).  On the PAX front, ESL Australia held multiple gaming competition finals over the three day event with the ESL Arena playing a major part in the event (Mannering, 2022).

When looking at the effectiveness of these types of events one should just look at the audience numbers and the rise from 235 million in 2015 to 395 million in 2018, showing that the market there for event promoters to utilise (Nagorsky & Wiemeyer, 2020).  This in itself is reason for eSports to be taken serious and even considered by sporting brands to jump on board to market themselves to a new audience and potential future revenue streams by holding events that otherwise would not be thought of before to gain more reach in a different section of society.  This has also seen brands that are not usually associated with video games such as Dan Murphy investing in the eSport industry to ensure event exposure, the liquor retail company invested three million dollars into a Sydney bar with a eSports venue built in (Yun, 2023).

(PAX 2017, Woods, Personal Communication, 2017)

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Entry two- Funding of a major sports venue

The planning and construction of new major sports venues come down to the ability to fund the project.  Stadium construction is seen all over the world and the state-of-the-art venues are often funded by the taxpayer, with public funds allocated by the government, whether in full or combined with private investing (Rockerbie & Easton, 2019).  When looking at private investments, it is generally the most transparent and historically the most common, with organisations sourcing the funds and being able to use it to generate further income (Alakshendra, 2016).  With time however, there has been a rising cost in construction costs that make it no longer economic to seek the exclusively private funding of a stadium.  With this in mind, governments playing a major part in the allocation of the funds to ensure there is an economic growth and the overall quality of life (Connolly & Touchton, 2020).

The ability to devote a substantial amount of public money to create facilities for sporting use is a contentious issue both locally and internationally (Hutchinson et al., 2018), with the need to provide evidence of the benefits that the venue will provide and ultimately allow the people to be supportive of the construction. However, there are places that limit the amount of funding that can be distributed to venues, sometimes altogether restricting the ability to fund arenas, such as San Francisco, that forbids sporting teams to be utilise public funds from the government to construct new sporting facilities (Davis, 2019).  Since 2000, there have been over 100 new sporting venues created in the United States of America alone and due to the rising costs of the venues, the organisations are more commonly seeking the use of public funds to assist with the payment of the projects (Irizarry, 2017).

Looking at an example of how sporting organisations utilise a mixture of public and private money to fund construction of a major sports venue, Truist Park stadium district which is home of the Atlanta Braves cost $1.3 billion dollars (Kellison & Mills, 2021), the local government accepted a $392 million county subsidy for the venue district and seeing reinvestment back into the local community.  With this in mind it, there can be an argument that there is a positive for cities to have a major sporting venue, creating benefits to the local economy and the surrounding areas (Matheson, 2018).  The ability for organisation to raise funds with a mixture is not a negative, it is a long term investment and should be seen as that rather than being seen as fund that could be used elsewhere.

(Truist Park, Atlanta Journal Constitution, n.d.)

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Entry One- Sports fan experience, media or service enhancement at a sports venue

Stadiums are the centre point to the sports fan experience, after all it is where the event occurs and the ability for a stadium to enhance the attendee’s experience.  A positive experience encourages fans to return to an event and the stadium (Drenik, 2022) and looking at Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium with the features it holds with modern hospitality and entertainment spaces that deliver an experience beyond the action on the field of play (Bednarz, 2016).  

The fan experience has seen changes in different areas including technology and overall sustainability (Panchanathan et al., 2017), which is important as everyone is different, it is unlikely to be a one size fits all approach when dealing with tens of thousands of patrons.  The ability for stadiums to create more than a simple event, by developing mobile applications that are there to assist in delivering a greater fan experience, focusing on creating more engaging content related to the event and/or stadium (Urhrich, 2021).  

The ability to mix tangible and intangible elements to influence the fan’s experience attending events has been focused on more in recent years and to foster positive memories (Cho et al., 2019).  Stadiums are looking at multiple factors to encourage attendances to sports events, outside of the on-field action.  The quality of the facilities and the overall perception an attendee has of the venue makes it more likely for repeated attendance outside of the quality of a sport (Boissel et al., 2017), this is to say that a higher quality stadium encourages a greater fan experience and delivers greater profit to the venue.  

With the presentation of the stadium playing a major part in the match day experience to the attendees, by utilising a mixture of key elements to create a link between the home team and the venue (with the colours of the home team playing a major part in the aesthetics of both the interior and exterior) (Giorgio et al., 2018).  This is far easier if the team is the only tenant of the stadium, allowing for a team to create a unique connection with their fans and creating a better experience for them.

(US BANK STADIUM, Andy Clayton-King & AP, 2016)

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References for Portfolio

AFL. (n.d.). Careers. Afl.com.au. https://www.afl.com.au/careers/our-organisation/our-purpose-and-values

Duncan, S. (2021). DIGITAL WORLD OF SPORT : the impact of emerging media on sports news, information and journalism. Anthem Press.

Heagney, M., & Benson, R. (2017). How mature-age students succeed in higher education: implications for institutional support. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 39(3), 216–234. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080x.2017.1300986

Huhtala, M., & Feldt, T. (2016). The Path from Ethical Organisational Culture to Employee Commitment: Mediating Roles of Value Congruence and Work Engagement. Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.16993/sjwop.6

Jacobson, J. (2020). You are a brand: social media managers’ personal branding and “the future audience.” Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29(6). https://doi.org/10.1108/jpbm-03-2019-2299

McDow, L. W., & Zabrucky, K. M. (2015). Effectiveness of a Career Development Course on Students’ Job Search Skills and Self-Efficacy. Journal of College Student Development, 56(6), 632–636. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2015.0058

Meade, S. (2023, January 31). Mark’s Resume [Email].

Schudlik, K., Reinhard, M., & Müller, P. (2020). Prepared to fake? The relationship between applicants’ job interview preparation and faking. International Journal of Selection and Assessment. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12317

Vergara, C. (2022). Creating a Competitive Advantage for a Successful Career Trajectory. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (Miami Gardens, Fla.), 14(2), 77–84.

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Entry 7 A Reflection on the Subject

This subject has been great for me and my professional development.  I started out thinking my resume was acceptable within the first week I realised it wasn’t and worked with the lecturer to update and get it to a level where it is appropriate for today’s standards.

Discussed the lesson with classmates to get their understanding of what was taught and gained new perspectives. Went through the position descriptions and separated the internships that interested me and worked with my skillset.

The guests that spoke were engaging and interesting with their insight of the industry and the former students gave their experiences from internships, with what to expect and what is expected.

At the start I did not have an internship that stood out but halfway through this subject I felt Rainmaker and FoxFooty were the two that appealed to me the most.  When Alex and Ali spoke about Commonwealth Games Australia internship and the pathway Alex has taken to now be at Melbourne in a media role.  Another position I will be applying for will be a creative role at Melbourne Aces.

There are a few internships that I had thought it would not be for me but hearing from the student who had undertaken that internship, it seemed to be different to what the position description had detailed.  I am excited to take any internship that is offered that will challenge me, but I will be able to utilise what I have learnt over the years, not just the last two in the degree.  This will be also to build off the work I have done to build my portfolio and something that I have been proud of is my portfolio website, to showcase how this course has helped me gain confidence in myself.

According to McDow and Zabrucky (2015) “The most successful job searches take effort over the long term and improvement in skills through sustained and consistent practice”, this has been proven not just over the last month but over the time over of the degree.  This subject has also shown the importance of peer feedback and the impact a friend and mentor has in the long-term success of someone’s career.  

With identifying key strengths in my skillset and what I have done over the last two years of the degree, knowing I have still got a year of learning to undertake, as well as the internship.  I also know the expectation of the internship.  It is not about perfection but about growing and I have had to keep reminding myself even before starting one.  The next few months seem so hard right now but I am glad that I have done this subject at the start of the year, eases the workload back into my schedule and has prepared me to get into the mindset.

My portfolio website, the best way to showcase my work (Woods, personal communication, 2023)

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Entry 6 Interview Preparation

My interview preparation was an interesting series of events, with the assessment interview coming a day after my first internship interview.  This allowed me to prepare for the intern interview and used how I went to evaluate what I would need to work on for the assessment interview.  The answers I gave seemed to be a little more prepared in what I wanted to communicate and the practice in class assisted in formulating these responses.

Schudlik et al. (2020) makes the statement, “Given the importance a job interview can have for one's career and eventually for one's life, interviewees should be highly motivated to prepare for it as well as they can”.  This backs up what has been ingrained in me during this subject, with identifying key elements to talk about and ensure I am confident when speaking.

Part of the performance of the interview comes in the way one dresses and that helped me get in the zone before walking in the room.  With previous interviews it has usually been suit and tie, but this time I went with smart, with a good shirt, nice chinos, and stylish boots.  The outfit kept me calmer than if I had been in a suit.

I have learnt to draw on experiences from both my time in this degree and the last ten years in the industry.  By looking at what part I played in group assignments to being able to work autonomously in different workplace environments and understanding how those experiences have given me stories to tell.  With being able to tell the story by looking at the STAR method (situation, task, action and result).  This helped with giving the simple structure of what needs to be told and what information is important to answer a question.  In my case it was a time I demonstrated problem solving and by addressing the situation, the problem that occurred and how I was able to fix the problem in a timely manner that ensured there was minimal to no evidence of there being an issue, as well as reporting the fact that there was indeed an issue that occurred.

An area I need to focus on is my confidence and nerves going into an interview and while in the interview, I must back myself that there is something that got their attention with my application.  The ability to practice in the lead up to the interviews allowed me to understand what questions I need to think about and which ones I feel confident in answering without thinking too deeply for the perfect response.  I did this by having a web call with a classmate before the internship interview and we asked each other a few questions and gave feedback to help with getting the best outcome.

A nice shirt, dress smart (Woods, personal communication, 2023)

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Entry 5 Culture, Values and being a high performing Intern

There is a growing importance of workplace culture, and the prominence of an organisation’s values has grown in how they are highlighted, both internally and externally.  The values of my work has shaped who I am today, with the AFL values being the following: Play as one team, play with passion, play fair and play to win (AFL, n.d.).  These values may seem strange to an outsider or new employee, but these can be transferred to any aspect of life, not just the workplace.

With the AFL values, it promotes teamwork, being passionate about the work one does, striving for the best possible outcomes and treating everyone with respect.  As an intern, I will not only live by these values but adapt to the values set by the organisation I am placed at.  This will allow me the best opportunity to fit in to the new environment but also set to continue living out the values I have already, this is important to grow more and open myself to getting the most out of the internship.

Having known positive values and culture in a workplace, organisations promote higher work efficiency in their employees (Huhtala & Feldt, 2016) this is something that they use to showcase the workplace both internally and externally, whether they are visible or invisible.  I am interested into the story behind the setting of values in a work environment, entering into an internship it seems crucial that I subscribe to the given culture and set values in place in the workplace.  It seems logical to understand the process they used to create their values and how they came to establish the culture, something to be mindful while doing the internship.

With my internship I am looking to make the most of the opportunity, by ensuring that I not only understand what is required of me but ensuring I display the values when representing the organisation.  By showing initiative and going above what is expected of me, presenting ideas when asked but also working on brainstorming new ideas to ensure I am always ready to give something.  This will show my willingness to always give something and to be seen as someone who wants to excel.

I am looking forward to establishing myself as a team member and someone who others will look to as not just the intern but an important role player in the organisation.  

The AFL Values (AFL, afl.com.au, n.d.)