Eric also uses his undergraduate mass communications degree from VCU on a daily basis to write press releases to send to local, national, and international news outlets. He also arranges interviews between VCU experts and the media to help give the university local and national exposure. Eric says he faces a new job-experience every day.

“I don’t know who’s going to call on the phone, but I get to pick it up and hear who’s on the other end.”

One of Eric’s most rewarding experiences was when he set up an interview between Diane Sawyer and a VCU expert for ABC’s World News Tonight.

“It is very gratifying to see your work and effort pay off for the greater good for the university and the researcher,” he says.

Eric currently plans to work his way up the ranks in marketing jobs at universities, but his career aspirations do not stop there. His dream job is to work in public affairs at a national park or forest. He would also like to teach at a university one day to help students start their own communication careers.

As for students who aspire to work in the marketing field, Eric advises students to get as much experience as possible, whether through an internship or volunteering.

“If you enjoy doing it, it’ll put a smile on your face, and eventually one day someone will pay you to do what you love.” 

Always an athlete

Sports have always played a major role in Stacey Craighead’s life. She earned varsity letters in five sports in high school and played on Seton Hall University’s volleyball team. So she knew early on that she was destined for a career in sports.

“I played just about every sport as a kid,” says Stacey. “I knew I wanted to stay involved in sports. I considered the athletic training route, but I realized that I was more interested in the business aspect.”

Today Stacey is Selection Tour Director for All-American Games, a New Jersey-based sports management marketing company whose premiere event is the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The bowl, which is held each January in San Antonio, Texas, includes 90 top high school football players and 125 marching band members from around the country.

Stacey joined the company last year as an intern and traveled around the Eastern United States to put on events at high schools where athletes were being selected. She landed a full-time job in the company’s sponsorship department following the tour. She later was promoted to tour director. That means she is in charge of managing the 15 interns putting on 189 events in the fall.

“I like it this year because I’ve been able to take a step back and see the big picture,” says Stacey. “I’ve been involved in everything from helping with the planning of the tours to plotting the best routes for our tour teams, and I’m a lot more involved with the sponsors.”

One of Stacey’s favorite aspects of her job is the responsibility given to each employee at a small company. “We’re a very small company, and everyone has a big role,” says Stacey. “Last year I was able to go out on the road, and now I’m in the office, so it’s nice to be at a small company to explore a number of different jobs.”

Stacey took sports marketing in high school, where she was the only girl in the class. It introduced her to the basic principles of sports marketing and assured her that sports marketing was the right career for her.

“I think that was kind of the launching pad for me,” she says of the class, where she can still remember class projects, such as marketing a sports protein bar. “I got a taste of it and couldn’t let it go.”