A Day in the Lives of SMBA Students Interning with NHL Team
Sports MBA students interning with the Pittsburgh Penguins
Whitney:
Hi everyone! Whitney Hamilton (SMBA ‘21) here - I’m a Sports MBA student entering my last semester of the program. I am currently working for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL as an intern in the Corporate Partnerships department. I learned about the opportunity through Amy Wesson (SMBA ‘17) an alumna of the SDSU Sports MBA program who now works for the Penguins.
Given the virtual nature of the internship, it’s difficult to chart out a “typical” day on the job. I will say, though, that working for an organization located in the Eastern time zone while living on the West Coast has certainly changed my daily routine! My goal is to officially become a morning person before the end of this semester…but, for now, I will rely on a few cups of coffee to get me through the early mornings! Daily routines depend on scheduled meetings and the nature of the projects we have; some days start as early as 6 am!
Gian:
Hey there everyone! My name is Gian Bajwa (SMBA ‘21). I hail from Toronto, Ontario and I am a Sports MBA student completing my last semester of graduate studies at SDSU. I am also currently interning with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Corporate Partnerships department like my classmate, Whitney. I am extremely grateful and excited to be interning with a well-established and successful organization within the sports industry. I hope to use my internship experience both as an opportunity to apply my Sports MBA education in the workplace and as a launchpad into a new career path.
As interning during the final semester of studies is a required component of the SMBA program, I began applying to various internships across the sports industry in mid-October 2020, looking to start in January 2021. One of the great things about the SMBA program is the strong alumni network, so when I saw the Corporate Partnerships Internship posting with the Penguins, I immediately reached out to Amy Wesson (SMBA ‘17), an alumna of the SMBA program who works with the organization. I had a few conversations with Amy already, so I was able to connect and learn more information about the role and what the Penguins would be looking for in an ideal candidate. Maintaining a strong network proved to be helpful in securing the internship and alumni currently working with the Penguins continue to be a great resource for me to lean on during the course of the internship.
As Whitney mentioned, the “virtual” nature of the internship results in lots of variation in day-to-day activities, particularly as the NHL season is currently in progress so different days require different approaches. Having said that, one of the more structured days of the week is Monday:
9:00 am (PST): We start our week by logging into the organization's “All Hands” meeting, which
includes updates from the team’s President and CEO, David Morehouse. It’s a great
way to find out what the other departments are working on and to provide a sense of
unity and togetherness while everyone is working from home.
10:30 am (PST): The Corporate Partnerships team checks in on a WebEx meeting to discuss projects, challenges, and ultimately to ensure everyone is on the same page. These check-ins happen twice per week, typically on Mondays and Wednesdays.
12:00pm (PST): As we are a cohort of 6 interns on the Corporate Partnerships team, we typically use this free time after our check-in meeting to debrief on any ongoing projects we are working on and discuss ideas. With varying school schedules, we tend to establish objectives and deadlines in these meetings and regroup as necessary throughout the week.
1:00 pm (PST): The rest of the afternoon is spent independently working on delegated tasks for various projects and following up with emails. The pace of work is constantly changing, with some projects anticipated to be ongoing for the entirety of the semester and some emergency requests popping up unexpectedly. Thus, it’s important to use this free time in the afternoon to stay on top of things and prioritize projects based on relevant importance and anticipated deadlines.
Projects tend to arise all the time, so our days fill up quickly. So far, no day has been the same, but we think that’s fitting for the corporate partnerships world in professional sports - especially these days. Working for a professional sports team during a pandemic has already provided great learning opportunities. These are unprecedented circumstances for everyone, and the ability to witness first-hand how one of the best organizations in sports is handling the challenges will certainly prove invaluable throughout our careers.
About the SDSU Sports MBA Program:
The SDSU Sports MBA program is an intensive, accelerated MBA degree focused on the dynamic business of international sports. The program provides its graduates a thorough understanding of the skills crucial for professionals to succeed, while building a broad network of relationships in the sports-rich landscape of Southern California. Visit business.sdsu.edu/sportsmba to learn more, request information or apply to the Sports MBA program.
