Event Recap: Marcia Harding, ILR Office of Career Services

The ILR Sports Business Society was fortunate enough to be visited by Ms. Marcia Harding of the ILR Career Services Office on February 19th, as she spoke to the club about how to initiate an internship and job search in the sports field, as well as how to most effectively use LinkedIn as a professional networking tool.

Read some of her best tips after the jump!

  -Update your resume frequently, and have it critiqued regularly. Additionally, create multiple resumes in order to tailor them to specific opportunities.

 -When writing your cover letter, be sure to avoid being generic. Employers can spot this! Employers generally spend more time reading a cover letter than looking over a resume.

-Many jobs and internships can be procured through referrals, so you must always be ready to network and inform employers who you are and what you are interested in. You always need to be ready to network, whether you’re on the streets, a bus, or at a conference.

-When networking, don’t ask for a job or internship, even though the connection might know that’s your end goal. However, be sure to let them know what you are interested in, what your aspirations are, or ask them if they would be willing to participate in an informational interview to share their experiences with you.

-Use the “Groups” function on LinkedIn to find areas that interest you and connect with professionals who share similar interests.

-Use keywords to search for professionals with similar interests, or find Cornell alumni. Make sure to join the ILR Sports Business Society’s LinkedIn group, too!

Also be on the lookout for an email from Marcia that will include the Internet links she presented during her visit, and some additional resources she referenced. If you do not receive this email, contact Dan DeFlumeri at dad326@cornell.edu to receive the information.

Thank you to all of the ILR Sports Business Society members who were able to come, and we hope all of the members continue to use their school’s Career Services Office as they continue to navigate the professional world of sports.