InternshipRatings.com

By Jay Preble
Director of Public Relations
Tampa Bay Lightning

As director of public relations for the Tampa Bay Lightning, I try to accommodate every meeting request I receive from college students who are interested in working in sports public relations. Sometimes it’s just an “informational interview,” and sometimes the student is working on a paper for class. Without fail, the question is asked.

“What do I need to do to get a job in PR with a sports team?”

My somewhat hypocritical answer is always the same – “You have to do an internship to even have a shot.”

I’m a hypocrite because I got hired by the Lightning in 1996 basically because I was the right person in the right place at the right time. Though I was a Mass Communications (Public Relations) major in college, I caught the sports writing bug while still in school and went to work for a local newspaper upon graduation. When the Lightning joined the NHL in 1992, I ended up covering the team for The Associated Press. Four years later when the team’s VP of communications needed a PR person who could write and edit, I slid into my new career.

Most of you, unfortunately, aren’t going to get as lucky. We receive dozens upon dozens of resumes each season and many are from bright, hard-working college grads who would do well in the business. If we have an opening in our department, however, 95 percent of the time we’re going to hire someone we already know through an internship.

This is where it gets tough for most recent or soon-to-be college grads, because the market for sports internships (PR or other departments) is daunting. Most require extremely long hours (15-hour game days are commonplace in hockey) and provide little, if any, compensation. I’ve commented to many people that I never cease to be amazed by those college grads who find the means to move to a new city and work long hours for almost no money - just for the possibility of getting a job when the internship ends.

That said; if you’re one of those industrious types who can pull it off, and you’re a hard worker who “gets it,” I’ll do everything I can to help you get hired once your internship ends. We’ve had a pretty good track record at the Lightning in this regard, with some of our former PR interns currently holding the following titles:

Coordinator, Communications – Ottawa Senators (NHL)
Media Services Manager – San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
Assistant to the General Manager – Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Public Relations Coordinator – Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Assistant Director of Media Relations – Atlanta Thrashers (NHL)
Coordinator, Media Relations – Toronto Marlies (AHL)
Communications Coordinator – Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Ticket Sales & Operations Manager – Depaul University (NCAA)
Manager of Internet Development – Nashville Predators (NHL)

Now, for the second part of my standard answer to the “how can I get a job??” question:

If you’re still in school and you’re convinced sports PR is your path of choice, do yourself a huge favor and walk into your school newspaper’s office. Ask for the editor, and tell him/her that you want to write. It doesn’t matter if it is sports, news, features or opinion/editorials - you need to know how to write and edit and the best way to gain practical experience in a short time is through a school paper or magazine.

The writing and editing in sports PR can be nonstop, from press releases to media guide bios to website features to letters from the president or general manager in the game program.

If you’re already a decent writer by the time you start your internship, expect to have some press releases thrown your way as a test of your abilities. If you pass the test and you’re a hard worker, you can expect my endorsement when your internship ends.

Editor’s Note: Jay Preble is the former Director of Public Relations for the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL).