Elon University senior entrepreneurship major Kimberly Gersh leveraged a summer work experience into a permanent position by using her personal network and seeking resume and cover letter feedback from the Student Professional Development Center.
Kimberly Gersh is what you’d call a “sports nut.” For as long as she can remember, the Elon University senior has been fascinated by the sports industry, and she knew early in her collegiate studies that she wanted to intern for a company within that realm.
The entrepreneurship major from Maitland, Florida, also recognized the career resources available to her through the Student Professional Development Center, which ultimately helped her secure a summer internship and, as of next month, a full-time position as a web producer at CBSsports.com in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
To what does the Business Fellow attribute her early career success? Professional networking and guidance from the SPDC.
Gersh is the final person to be featured during the 2014-15 academic year in a series of E-net profiles on the successes of students and alumni who have used the Student Professional Development Center to find job and internship openings, help with graduate school placements, or prepare for interviews and improve applications with guidance from staff.
She recently answered questions from the SPDC about her experience.
Tell me about your experience in landing a career with CBSsports.com.
During the spring of my junior year, I reached out to my personal network and was able to get into contact with someone within the company. My contact then put me in touch with the VPs of both the marketing department as well as the product development department. After having interviews with the VPs, I landed part-time internships in both departments, thus creating a full-time internship for the summer.
How did your interest in the company develop?
I’ve always been interested in the sports industry. I absolutely love sports! So I knew that I wanted to find a company to intern with that was within this realm of interest. When I found out that someone within my personal network knew someone in the sports industry, I realized very quickly that I needed to take advantage of the possibility of beginning a relationship. I wasn’t sure exactly what type of work I was looking for, but I knew that if I at least tried some sort of work in the sports industry, I would begin to find a niche.
What have you learned from the experience?
I learned so much from my internship, both personally and professionally. On a personal level, I learned what type of work environment I do best in. I enjoy environments that inspire creativity and a sense of community, and working at CBSSports.com solidified this idea. Professionally, I gained experience on working in groups and on long-term projects with lots of moving parts. While I did have group work experience in a classroom setting, it was very different to have to work with people from all sorts of departments and from different areas of expertise, and then come together and produce a great final product.
This past October, they offered me a full-time position starting in June. I will be working in the product development department as an associate web producer.
What professionals did you work with in Student Professional Development Center? What help did you receive?
I worked very closely with Jane Mehringer in the Porter Family Professional Development Center, which is the career center located in within the business school. (Editor’s note: Mehringer recently left the university for a professional opportunity with MetLife in Cary, North Carolina). I used the Porter Center frequently and formed close relationships with the other staff members. With their help, I started developing my resume during my first year at Elon, participated in mock interviews, and learned how to write an appropriate cover letter.
I have also worked closely with Jan Pagoria, who was my liaison during the internship process. Jan is fantastic and loves what she does. In both the Porter Center and the SPDC, you can tell that the staff enjoys working with students and helping them with everything from resumes to mock interviews, and so much more. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with these professionals, and highly recommend their services to students all over campus!
How would you mentor and assist Elon students in achieving their career goals?
As a student, I think that having a mentor is a very valuable relationship, especially while going through the internship and job search. I would do my best to provide guidance to students in regards to working on their resumes and cover letters, as well as give advice on how to look for and reach their ideal job. I think that the utilization of your network is extremely important, and I would be more than happy to help students understand how to use their network to its full advantage.
What recommendations would you share with other students about the Student Professional Development Center?
I think that the resources the SPDC has to offer students are fantastic. The extensive knowledge that comes from this office is compelling enough for me, and throughout my four years at Elon I’ve used both the SPDC and the Porter Center to the fullest extent. The guidance they can provide and the lengths they go to help students prepare for all aspects of the job and internship process is beyond reproach, and the jobs and internships students receive are proof of this fact.