Brian Burns: Graduate on Fire
Let me ask you something, do the words "Super Bowl", "Olympics" and "dream job" mean anything to you? Brian Burns is doing it all and imparting wisdom upon the rest of us looking to do the same thing. Thanks for being such an insightful spotlight, Brian. We couldn't be happier for you and all of your well-earned accomplishments!
Where are you now? And what are your job responsibilities?
I work as the Marketing Coordinator for U.S. Figure Skating in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We are the National Governing Body for Figure Skating in the United States from the youth level through the Olympic Team. My role deals primarily with sponsorship marketing. I am the day to day contact for our national sponsors, making sure the assets in their contract are delivered and activated on and ensuring they are feeling as fulfilled as possible. I also manage the print advertising for SKATING Magazine, our monthly membership publication. Working in Olympic sports was always dream of mine and, to be honest, doesn't always feel like a job. Yes, the work is hard and the hours are intense at times, but I didn't decide to pursue a job in sports because I wanted a 9-5 at a desk job all day.
How has the program helped you to get there?
First of all, Northeastern has established an excellent reputation in the sports industry and that's a testament to Professor Roby, Dr. Prior, and the faculty and staff at the school. The curriculum in the graduate program prepares you for real-world situations, which allows you to fall back on your learning when you encounter career challenges. I don't think that can be said for all programs or majors. The group dynamic in a lot of classes encourages professional dialogue and networking and the week long residency in Boston or Charlotte reinforces these skills. You work with people you've never met and find a way to put yourselves in a position to succeed. This is a skill that current students will appreciate as they enter the very competitive sports industry.
What did you value most about the MSL program, and how can the current class benefit from that thing?
You have amazing resources in your instructors and fellow students. Many of these people have worked in the sports industry already, some in elite roles. Be a sponge and take in every bit of information you can. Look at personal stories about what worked in their career and what didn't. Listen to and appreciate how people struggled to make it but ultimately didn't. I'd say the best way to benefit from the resource of people is to remain open to new ideas and see each dialogue as an opportunity to learn something.
Are you willing to be contacted for networking opportunities? If so, what is the best way to get in touch with you?
Absolutely, I can be contacted at bburns@usfigureskating.org
Any other advice you'd like to share?
The saying, "it's not what you know but who you know" is true in my experience. Yes, you'll have a Master's degree form one of the better sports leadership programs in the country and that is something to be proud of. However, that doesn't always stand out when sports jobs listed on Teamwork Online get 500-1,000 applications. You have to make and maintain all the connections you can as you go. Stay in touch with people you've met in internships, be open about where you want your career to go. Go to sports job fairs even if they seem useless. Take any position in the sports industry you are offered to build experience. For me, I did an internship at USA Rugby in order to fulfill that requirement to graduate. At the same time, I took a position working game nights for the Denver Outlaws lacrosse team. The internship at USA Rugby got me in the door of the Olympic movement and the part-time position with the Outlaws allowed me to move on to a role with the Denver Broncos, and experience a run to a Super Bowl championship. I was then able to move into several other roles in Olympic sports, finally landing what I consider a dream job at U.S. Figure Skating. It's easy to get discouraged, but know that people will get your resume in front of someone who matters. At that point, the value of your education and professional experience will be impossible to ignore.
Where are you now? And what are your job responsibilities?
I work as the Marketing Coordinator for U.S. Figure Skating in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We are the National Governing Body for Figure Skating in the United States from the youth level through the Olympic Team. My role deals primarily with sponsorship marketing. I am the day to day contact for our national sponsors, making sure the assets in their contract are delivered and activated on and ensuring they are feeling as fulfilled as possible. I also manage the print advertising for SKATING Magazine, our monthly membership publication. Working in Olympic sports was always dream of mine and, to be honest, doesn't always feel like a job. Yes, the work is hard and the hours are intense at times, but I didn't decide to pursue a job in sports because I wanted a 9-5 at a desk job all day.
How has the program helped you to get there?
First of all, Northeastern has established an excellent reputation in the sports industry and that's a testament to Professor Roby, Dr. Prior, and the faculty and staff at the school. The curriculum in the graduate program prepares you for real-world situations, which allows you to fall back on your learning when you encounter career challenges. I don't think that can be said for all programs or majors. The group dynamic in a lot of classes encourages professional dialogue and networking and the week long residency in Boston or Charlotte reinforces these skills. You work with people you've never met and find a way to put yourselves in a position to succeed. This is a skill that current students will appreciate as they enter the very competitive sports industry.
What did you value most about the MSL program, and how can the current class benefit from that thing?
You have amazing resources in your instructors and fellow students. Many of these people have worked in the sports industry already, some in elite roles. Be a sponge and take in every bit of information you can. Look at personal stories about what worked in their career and what didn't. Listen to and appreciate how people struggled to make it but ultimately didn't. I'd say the best way to benefit from the resource of people is to remain open to new ideas and see each dialogue as an opportunity to learn something.
Are you willing to be contacted for networking opportunities? If so, what is the best way to get in touch with you?
Absolutely, I can be contacted at bburns@usfigureskating.org
Any other advice you'd like to share?
The saying, "it's not what you know but who you know" is true in my experience. Yes, you'll have a Master's degree form one of the better sports leadership programs in the country and that is something to be proud of. However, that doesn't always stand out when sports jobs listed on Teamwork Online get 500-1,000 applications. You have to make and maintain all the connections you can as you go. Stay in touch with people you've met in internships, be open about where you want your career to go. Go to sports job fairs even if they seem useless. Take any position in the sports industry you are offered to build experience. For me, I did an internship at USA Rugby in order to fulfill that requirement to graduate. At the same time, I took a position working game nights for the Denver Outlaws lacrosse team. The internship at USA Rugby got me in the door of the Olympic movement and the part-time position with the Outlaws allowed me to move on to a role with the Denver Broncos, and experience a run to a Super Bowl championship. I was then able to move into several other roles in Olympic sports, finally landing what I consider a dream job at U.S. Figure Skating. It's easy to get discouraged, but know that people will get your resume in front of someone who matters. At that point, the value of your education and professional experience will be impossible to ignore.
Comments
Post a Comment