“Working for Nike is absolutely amazing.”
Meet Jesse Tsu, a graduate from the Rice University Sport Management Program. Since finishing his time at Rice in May 2011, he has been working at Nike’s office in Katy, Texas, as a Nike Pro Combat Analyst. His duties include tracking and analyzing the sales performance of Nike Pro Combat. This consists of many different types of gear that athletes wear, such as the padded tops that football players use.
Week to week, Jesse produces reports that provide the details of each particular product, examining sales as well as potential revenue opportunities through retail metrics and trends. Jesse has also had the opportunity to travel to Portland, Oregon, and tour the Nike World Headquarters.
Working for a company that so handily dominates its market is a unique experience and offers flexibility. In terms of hours spent in the office, Jesse is trusted to spend enough time to get his work done without a strict requirement of hours. It was interesting to learn that the office atmosphere is not overly formal and stringent but more focused on camaraderie. Expectations are that the employees will conduct their business when it is time to work, but also enjoy the experience when it is time to have fun.
Finding a job in today’s economy can be a difficult task. However, Jesse was able to find his current position through a Sports Management professor, Tom Stallings, who referred Jesse to his current boss. He performed well in his interview and landed the position. Jesse believes that his two years of experience with the Houston Rockets, as well as his extensive Excel knowledge, were vital to being offered the position.
To current and future job-seekers, he offers these words of advice: “Just Do It. If you find a job that you're interested in, don't let anything get in your way. Don't doubt yourself, don't shy away from a complicated application process, don't be timid. Also, if you don't find something right away, don't panic. You'll have plenty of help from the sport management professors, alumni, and the network of contacts that you've built up.”
When questioned about his future, Jesse offers his satisfaction with his current position at Nike. He acknowledges that he has only been there a few months and is enjoying the moment. One particular goal he does have is to be part of Nike China, and join the office they currently have in Shanghai.
Stephen Noh, a senior from Katy, Texas, is majoring in both Sport Management and Economics as well as minoring in Business.