By Dustin Waleff, Sports Editor
On Sept. 30, director of sales for NBC Universal, Lina Lam, met with Susquehanna’s chapter of Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM) to share her experiences in the sports media industry and give advice to students.
The goal of AWSM is to connect students who are studying sports media with those currently working in the media field, to learn about the field, as well as a chance to gain a future connection following graduation.
Lam had specific advice to give to students who had their internships cancelled because of the ongoing pandemic.
“Try to stay connected with the companies that you had your internship lined up with. Reach out and try to talk with people who can help you through your experience. Even if you do not know someone specifically, even reach out to human resources, and see if they can help you connect with someone at the company you were planning on interning at,” Lam said.
“Even though this is a difficult time, do not let the distance keep you from making those connections, and building relationships with those who can help you in the future, as a possible mentor,” Lam continued.
In terms of searching and applying for jobs, Lam suggested that students keep their search relatively wide.
“Do not limit yourself on the jobs you are looking for, as you never know what jobs you may get, as they will always help you going forward. Always take the interview, if you are given the opportunity, even if the job may not be what you want to do, those interviews will give you valuable practice, for when you interview for a job you are excited about,” she said.
Lam graduated from New York University Stern School of Business, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and International Business. Since then she has kept various jobs in the field of sports media. Lam has specific experience in NBC Universal’s coverage of the Olympic games.
Lam worked for two professional sports leagues, first with the National Football League, where she was a marketing associate, and second, with the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a coordinator and then senior coordinator of marketing.
After her time with the NBA, Lam moved to NBC Universal, where she has been working since April 2008. She began her time with NBC as the marketing manager of sports sales marketing and worked her way up to being the director of sales for NBC Universal in regard to the Olympics.
President of AWSM, junior Samantha Balsamo said, “I was really looking to give students in our chapter the opportunity to be inspired by Lina. Lina was once in our shoes, she dealt with internships and college. In a time of such hardship, bringing in some light and optimism is important.”
“I believe students could grasp what the work life is today and how the industry has developed with these uncertain times. I wanted people to think about the future and what the possibilities are for ourselves,” Balsamo continued.
Junior Mack Dickey shared what she took away from Lam’s visit. Dickey said, “[You] can learn from the experiences you don’t like. Don’t always take the path that everyone else is taking, try to do something different with your passion.”
