I’ve been aiming for a career in sports broadcasting after I graduate. I’ve worked with LMU’s sports media and interned with baseball’s Oakland Athletics. What’s my next step?
Dalton Green ’18
My vote is part-time grad school and part-time work to minimize expenses. Focus on social influences and creative opportunities that give you an understanding all aspects of American sports. My hero is John Madden. He has a brief interview show every Monday and Friday on San Francisco’s radio news station KNBC. Good luck!
Sheri Richards ’70
An interesting thing about sports broadcasting is that there isn’t one specific path or “right way” to start and develop a career. You must work extremely hard and always be as prepared and knowledgeable as possible. Be patient with what can be a harsh business, but be aggressive at the same time. Reach out to other broadcasters, hear their stories and make as many connections as you can.
Jesse Kass ’10
LMU Men’s Basketball Broadcaster
Don’t be afraid to start from the bottom to get your foot in the door for a career you are passionate about. Once you are there, it’s all about discipline: Show up every day, and produce, produce, produce. Think outside the box, look for ways that can improve the work flow process for your team. Lastly, practice and stay sharp with your skills: “It’s better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have one and not be prepared.”
Elvis Herrera ’07
National Account Executive
Signpost
If you start your career in a small market, you will have an opportunity to experiment and take risks to develop your craft. If you do this, then you’ll be more unique at a bigger market.
Kevin Cacabelos ’15
Former Sports Editor. Los Angeles Loyolan
Notre Dame Law School
You can never have too many internships! Take advantage of LMU’s wonderful Career and Professional Development office to help you land at least one or two more internships this year. Use these experiences to ask questions and get the most out of your internship — don’t be shy! I was lucky that I not only had a fabulous LMU professor as a mentor (the late Michael Daniels, a former CBS producer), but I also landed a fantastic, hands-on internship at KNBC in Burbank during my senior year. The internship allowed me to work directly with news reporters, follow them on stories and even step in front of the camera for a recorded stand-up that I could later add to my résumé reel. This type of experience made my reel look professional, stand out in the crowd and land my first job as a TV reporter and anchor. Next, launch a résumé reel website or YouTube page, upload your best work and get ready to start applying for your first job come graduation day! A site like TVjobs.com lists all kinds of broadcasting jobs, including sports-specific ones, from across the country. Best of luck!
Nicole Chavez ’02
Founder, CEO
Nicole Chavez Public Relations
What to do next? You can ask a dozen broadcasters and probably get a dozen different answers. I will tell you what may work for you or you can listen to someone else’s advice. But, ultimately, Dalton needs to decide what works best for Dalton. You’ve interned with the A’s. If that interests you, find a way to keep working with the club. You will make great contacts and be able to see how things work at a very high level. Eventually, you will need to go somewhere and call games. After calling many games and developing a style that works for you, begin to climb the ladder. Be warned: This is a very subjective business. If broadcasting is something you really want to do, do not allow anyone to rain on your parade. Keep working. Be prepared and continue to improve. And don’t get too big to stop answering questions for the up-and-comers. Good luck!
Bill Seward ’80
CBS Los Angeles