When Sport Management majors at Rice University think about their futures in the sport industry few consider the possibility of extending their careers beyond the U.S.A.
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Summer Roberson ’17 is one of three Sport Management majors currently immersing themselves in UK culture and internships. Roberson’s work experience is based at ESPN UK in London as a marketing research and analytics intern.
“I primarily put together infographics about ESPN consumers and the things they like. For instance, one of the first graphics I put together was about ESPN consumers’ tech consumption,” said Roberson. “Another task I usually have on a weekly basis is an advertising brief, where I use Target Group Index - a database of consumer survey data based in the UK that collects data from all around the world – to paint the best marketing campaign aimed at securing an advertiser on ESPN.co.uk, or any other ESPN UK websites.”
The future lawyer notes that she was paired with ESPN UK through CAPA’s placement assessment in which one sends in a cover letter, their resume, and fills out a questionnaire. CAPA is the local education center through which she and the other Sport Management majors are able to study and intern abroad. The experience is all part of Rice’s School of Social Sciences GATEWAY program.
According to Roberson, the professional environment at ESPN UK is significantly more relaxed, with a lower power distance index, than the United States, which adds to her more enjoyable internship experience. She enjoys being around people who love sports as much as she does.
“Professionalism is definitely a takeaway from the Sport Management Practicum class that I have been able to transfer not only to this internship, but to all of my internships,” said Roberson. “All aspects of professionalism that may seem inherent, like how to address an email and how to ask questions, actually differ from site to site, and Practicum helped me apply the principle to this site.”
ESPN UK is a division of BT Group in the United Kingdom and Ireland, under license from American sports broadcaster ESPN Inc.
Meyrav Levy, a junior from Puerto Rico, is majoring in Sport Management with a concentration in Leadership and Public Relations.