On May 8th, we hosted a business in sports panel collaboration event (ABSA x SMC) with speakers from a variety of Seattle sports teams!
Meet the Panelists!
Marketing Specialist – Fan Development at Kraken
UW Alumni
Analyst at the Seattle Mariners
UW Alumni
HR Recruiter and Employee Experience Coordinator at the Seahawks
Q&A
Can you please introduce yourself and share a little about your role and what led you to choose to work in sports?
Kobe: He loves working with data and was interested in sports analytics because it aligned well with his passion and interests. During his undergrad time, he applied to multiple positions and landed an internship with MLB. After the internship, he landed his current role which is at the Mariners
Samantha: She knew from a young age that she wanted a career related to sports since she had lots of family members who were coaches and grew up in a competitive environment. She studied Kinesiology & Sports Management at Michigan state and did college athletics for Arizona State and Michigan State. As for her role at the Kraken, she was always a hockey fan, so this was a great segway for her to enter the professional sports world.
Brea: She studied communications at WSU and was a social media intern for athletics. She enjoys working in the HR industry because she loves collaborating in a team where she can work with others and become a better person.
What are some of your biggest learnings throughout your career journey?
Brea: She is naturally a reserved individual and throughout her career journey she learned to use her voice and advocate for herself. One distinct moment was when she had her first happy hour with the Seahawks. She networked with the VP of DEI and was able to start strengthening her connections.
Samantha: She is also a reserved individual. A challenge for her was when she was applying to opportunities in the sports industry and showing off her own accomplishments. Over time, she was able to capitalize on the assets and become more comfortable with her abilities and skills.
Kobe: He is also introverted, but the sports role made him realize that everyone is working towards the same problem and found the importance of networking and collaborating with other teams.
We know that in the sports world, there are a lot of weird hours (working holidays, night games, etc.). Why is your job and working in sports worth that tradeoff?
Kobe: He personally doesn’t work at the games, so he doesn’t have crazy hours. He finds his job worth it because of the people and environment. He loves seeing when the product is released on the field and being in an environment where he is motivated to work together with others.
Samantha: Working at the games brings her life and makes everything worth it. She advises setting boundaries early on and make sure to understand your work responsibilities and know when to set boundaries to have strengthen work life balance.
Brea: She started her job search during the covid pandemic, and it was difficult. She was able to work a job in retail and took on the business management mentality. After applying to numerous jobs, she eventually got a call from Seahawks. Being able to work full time in the HR field makes her happy, as it is a rewarding feeling. People thank her for giving them an employment opportunity which makes her heart full.
What are some of the biggest things you look for as an employer when looking at applications? (Brea)
Brea: Things she looks for in applicants: a resume tailored to a specific position, relevant work experience, add numerical data in resume (helps capture the candidate’s value), portfolio, and cover letter. On resumes, she also looks for people to include hard skills which are specific to the job (ex: excel, adobe) and soft skills that are useful in any career (ex: teamwork, adaptability)
How can students use opportunities in college to distinguish themselves on applications? (Brea)
Brea: Get involved in RSO and various campus activities to build time management and social skills.
What projects and strategies have the Seattle Kraken implemented to engage with fans locally and globally? (Samantha)
Samantha: Seattle Kraken has local and national strategies and are improving their global tactics. A memorable project is that the Kraken design specialized jerseys to recognize different community groups (ex: women, pride, indigenous, sustainability). They work with local artists to design jerseys, auction the jerseys at games, and donate the funds. The jersey celebrating women was well received and one of her favorites.
What is your favorite thing you have been apart of within your first 2 years at the Kraken? (Samantha)
Her first year at the Kraken, they partnered with Microsoft, Nintendo, and a local farm to design a corn maze to celebrate the Kraken. It was something new and eye-opening as it allowed the Kraken to connect with the city in a new way. They also do other Seattle traditional celebrations like movies at the park, or any place where they can surprise people and celebrate the Kraken.
Tell us about your process of landing an internship with the MLB while you were a student at UW. (Kobe)
He applied for the role and got the internship. At league level with MLB, the experience was a more diplomat governmental role while at club level with the Mariners, he got to see the product on the field and make an individual contribution. In both experiences he was able to build his network and make lots of connections.
What excites you about the analytics field mixed with sports? (Kobe)
AI is the biggest exictor for him. Being able to use AI is time efficient and expands our knowledge. In the sports world, AI can help with connecting the team data with fan data and other data analytics.
Thank you for reading!
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