“@Max_parker3 @Dartmouth Hurry up, we are starting!” Jay Harris, host and anchor of ESPN’s Sports Center, interrupted his remarks to tweet at a student who had expressed interest in attending Harris’ lecture in front of a packed audience Sunday afternoon.
Harris spoke to students about his career in journalism, public speaking and fostering meaningful relationships to develop careers both in and out of the sports industry.
Mark Williams, CEO of Williams Communications and one of the nation’s experts on branding, sports marketing, consumer behavior and hip-hop culture, moderated the discussion.
The tone was casual and friendly. Harris stopped the discussion after Williams’ first question to respond to Max Parker ’17, who had tweeted at him earlier saying that he was excited to hear Harris speak. Williams joked that Harris was “the real deal,” because unlike other major television personalities, Harris would tweet back at his followers.
After the brief tweeting digression, Harris began by sharing how he became interested in media. In 11th grade, he took a diagnostic test that indicated he would be a good fit for journalism.
Harris stressed the importance of experience over payment or “credit” when it comes to finding internships and jobs. He gave the example of students aspiring to become doctors.
“You all have a doctor, so just call him up and say, ‘Hey, can I hang with you for the day?’” he said.
Williams then directed the conversation to how students should communicate with possible employers to land internships, forge relationships and stand out from the competition.
“If you want to separate yourself from the competition, you’ve got to be bold,” Williams said. “My father always said that you’ve got to stay in your own lane, since your biggest competition is yourself.”
Harris added that the most influential relationships arose from his ability to demonstrate his interest through thoughtful questions.
“The funny thing about this business is that everyone has a different route,” Harris said. “It depends on your timing, your education, your internships. For me, relationships played a big part of my career success.”
Harris told audience members to temper their expectations for themselves when trying something for the first time. He shared his fear of someone discovering his first broadcast at ESPN because it was “horrible.”
“We live in the microwave era, where we want results right away,” Harris said. “Just take your time, guys — relax.”
He suggested that if students were uncomfortable with public speaking, they should play a game with friends drawing random topics from a hat and forcing themselves to speak knowledgeably with a strong command of any subject matter.
Harris joked that he once had an in-depth conversation with a female news anchor in Pittsburgh about makeup, in which he was the knowledgeable one.
“Makeup time is a great time,” he said. “Ladies, I feel you. Gentlemen, go to the spa — there’s nothing wrong with it.”
Williams said Dartmouth students should not rely solely on the prestige of the College or even its alumni network. He said that anything students claim they can do, they should be prepared to perform.
“I think that this talk went really well,” Harris said in an interview. “I was impressed with the turnout, the questions, the energy, the drive of students today.”
Students said they were grateful for Williams and Harris’ candor.
“It was a really practical talk especially from Mr. Williams, who gave us a lot of advice on how to jump start our careers,” Cortland Weatherley-White ’17 said. “I heard things today that I just would not have learned in the classroom.”
One student asked Harris what his most important piece of career advice for college students was. Harris gave two suggestions.
“There is a fine line between being persistent and being a pest [with employers],” Harris said. “A handwritten note will blow people away.”
Harris closed by saying students should trust their instincts and not be scared to break the rules.
“Sometimes you have to ignore the coach,” he said.
Sports Business at Dartmouth president Simon Teich ’16 said he was pleased with the event’s attendance.
“It’s easy for people to sometimes get stuck in the Dartmouth bubble, so we were thrilled that people are still connected to the sports world,” Sports Business vice president Adam Charnin-Aker ’16 added.
The lecture was co-hosted by the Center for Professional Development, formerly Career Services, and the newly formed Sports Business club at Dartmouth.
