Athletic Communications offices can be sparse if you are looking for a female mentor, let alone a female in general. We’re out there, but sometimes can be hard to find.
For two years as an undergrad student worker, I didn’t know how lucky I was. I not only had two full-time female SIDs, but also a female graduate assistant and a female student graphic designer to look up to.
Once I graduated, I was frequently the only female in the athletic communications offices I was a part of.
As a result, it isn’t much of a shock that most of my mentors are men. The first time I worked with an all-female, all-remote staff was for Sparkles & Sports, as the social media manager and occasional contributor well into my career.
Here are five tips I’ve learned (and relearned a few times) over the years.
1. Don’t hesitate to reach out to someone that you follow on social media or at another school that has your dream job.
With social media, video conferencing and email communication at our fingertips, take that deep breath and reach out to those in the field whose work you admire. See if they are up for an informational interview. Talk to them about the day-to-day of their role, how the interview process went, where they see the industry going, or their thought process on an item you really liked.
2. Make the effort to build the relationship past mentoring.
One thing I learned by being a member of a remote group was to make the effort to get to know my co-workers. Sure, I followed the Sparkles & Sports team on social media and we chatted on the GroupMe app about all sorts of stuff. But I decided that true effort was needed on my part to get to know them.
I know I dropped the ball early in my career on this front. I didn’t take the time or make the effort to make a connection. And if I did, I didn’t sustain it.
At first, I was self-conscious of what I could add to the relationship. I felt like I was taking too much, too often … which caused me to only appear when I needed something. I also didn’t check in regularly, whether I was looking for a new spot or if I had landed somewhere or if I had created something new to show off.
With the Sparkles & Sports ladies, I started telling them whether on social or text, what awesomeness they were doing, or that I saw something that made me think about them. When our paths crossed, I tried to make sure we could meet up in person.
3. Be ok with the fact that a mentorship might not work out. But don’t burn that bridge.
Another thing to think about when seeking advice or building a mentor relationship: You still need to listen to your gut.
You know your goals - in your career and in your life. Share those with your mentors so they can help you, but be prepared when the advice you receive doesn’t fit those goals. Or if you feel like you’re being pushed in the wrong direction.
Though it’s hard to remember when you feel like you’re on the outside looking in, it’s important to be strong enough to say, “Thank you. I’ll consider what you said. I need to do some more thinking.”
Remember, their path isn’t yours.
4. Broaden your scope (You aren’t just the job.)
While being remote with Sparkles & Sports and other side gigs, I was able to further explore women-led communities that were adjacent to Sports Info. Like coding, crafting, sabermetrics and design. Joining these groups helped me broaden my thinking on all sorts of areas that I hope to implement into my role now.
I love keeping up with what other schools are creating, but getting out of the sports bubble helped me see what other industries are doing to solve very similar problems.
5. Keep your LinkedIn and portfolio site up to date.
When you reach out to people for informational interviews, especially if you reach out via LinkedIn, they are going to look at your page and portfolio to get a sense of who you are. This will also help when your mentor is asked by someone for a recommendation. Make it easy for the people who are looking for your skills to find you.
Ok. Sure, I have not said anything new here. For me, it finally clicked when I heard it from a stranger. Not sure why. I guess the Universe thought I needed a head slap right then. Hopefully, you can feel the Universe’s gentle nudges the first time around.
- Bridgette Robles (@BridgetteRobles)
Assistant Director of Athletic Public Relations at the University of Richmond
p.s. Bridgette Robles has degrees from Missouri State University and The George Washington University. She has been a part of NCAA DI, DII and DIII athletics communications offices, as well as Minor League Baseball organizations and Baseball Prospectus. Contact Bridgette at @BridgetteRobles on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Opmerkingen