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ESPN looking for folks

Discussion in 'Journalism Jobs' started by JayFarrar, Jan 30, 2008.

  1. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    This was sent to my e-mail and I was asked to pass it on.

    Sounds ideal for recent grads. Enjoy ...

    PRODUCTION ASSISTANT TRAINEE PROGRAM
    ESPN
    *
    ESPN has a unique and efficient program to evaluate and identify
    potential producer and management track employees. The ideal candidate
    is extremely knowledgeable about college and professional sports on a
    national level, has a journalism or communications degree (although
    those without journalism or communications degrees are also welcome to
    apply) and has some television sports experience.
    -Those interested in on-air work should not apply for this program.

    PA Trainees are hired for seven months. The compensation is $10.96 per
    hour plus benefits. Based on a 40-hour work week over 52 weeks, the
    total is $22,796 per year. PA Trainees are also eligible for overtime,
    which is currently paid if you work more than eight hours in a day. PA
    Trainees work in Bristol, Connecticut on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS and other
    studio based programming. The assignments are primarily of a
    journalistic nature. Trainees control wire copy flow, serve as
    researchers, screen sporting events for highlight video, coordinate
    graphics information, run teleprompter and input data into our archive
    computer system. The hours are mostly late night and include weekends
    and holidays.

    Each month Trainees are given feedback on their strengths as well as
    areas that need improvement. An evaluation is done after five months
    with a final evaluation performed close to the end of the seven-month
    period. At that time it is determined whether a Trainee will be offered
    a position as Production Assistant I and given a raise in pay to $26,200
    per year. Trainees not offered a job would still have the experience of
    being part of a winning team.

    Because of the large number of applicants for this program, it is
    impossible to interview everyone who applies. If we are interested in
    pursuing your application for the program, we will call to set up an
    interview.

    *Apply by Monday, February 4th.
    collegerelations@espn.com*

    =

    *ESPN Content*
    Potential Full-Time & Internship Opportunities may exist in the
    following departments (All positions based in Bristol, CT.)

    *Studio Production *
    ESPN has a unique and efficient program to evaluate and identify
    potential producer and management track employees. The ideal candidate
    is extremely knowledgeable about college and professional sports on a
    national level, has a journalism or communications degree (although
    those without journalism or communications degrees are also welcome to
    apply) and has some television sports experience.

    *ESPN STATS and INFORMATION GROUP*

    What is the Stats and Information Group?

    At ESPN, sports are our choice, our affiliation, our language. If
    statistics, storylines, and numbers are a big part of your sports game,
    then the Stats and Information Group is the place for you. We are a
    pressure-packed, exciting work environment specializing in information
    dissemination across ESPN. Our product is seen across multiple platforms
    - television, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, and ESPN Mobile Publishing.
    There are three groups under our Bristol, CT.-based umbrella: Stats &
    Analysis Team, Production Research and Update Services (Bottom Lines).
    If you would like to join a company with a broadcast portfolio that
    includes more than 40 national and international business entities, we
    have room on the team for one more.

    How do I know if I’m qualified for a Statistics and Information job?

    You need to be passionate about sports and statistics; in fact, you
    should possess elite-level sports knowledge. Strong communication skills
    are necessary, as is an affinity for detail. Accuracy is essential.
    Candidates must thrive under deadline and be willing to work
    non-traditional hours. We’ve created a unique culture, one that respects
    others, has fun, and values innovation.

    ESPN Stats & Analysis Team

    This a newer division of ESPN serving all of the company’s entities with
    real-time scoring, statistics, updates and all statistical information
    for pro and college sports.

    We have four different positions:

    • Stats Coordinators are responsible for rosters, schedules,
    transactions and communicating with teams and leagues. They provide the
    pre-game foundation for production.
    • Stats Editors work live games and are responsible for making sure the
    correct scores, plays and statistics are transmitted as they occur. They
    also produce real-time clock and score updates.
    • Stats Researchers check the accuracy of the statistics as they go out.
    They are our quality-control gurus, responsible for the integrity of the
    numbers we generate.
    • Stats Associates are our entry-level employees. They serve as Stats &
    Analysis Team generalists, participating in all facets of production.

    ESPN Production Research

    We require broad and deep sports knowledge to ensure the accuracy of
    live news-and-information shows such as SportsCenter or ESPNEWS and
    sport-specific shows on baseball, football, basketball or other sports.
    Responsibilities will include researching original content for
    full-screen graphics, anchor lead-ins and original pieces. Additionally,
    you will use expert-level recall of sports history and current events to
    provide statistical or factual analysis of games, news stories and
    topical issues. You will provide real-time updates and trend notes for
    anchors in studio. You also will develop and communicate storylines for
    a variety of shows and ESPN entities.

    ESPN Update Services

    Update Services manages the editorial operations of ESPN's domestic
    "BottomLine" ticker services. Staff members are accountable for the
    accuracy and timeliness of all content, as well as the quality of the
    numerous editorial decisions made by the group every day. Update
    Services is a key component of ESPN's editorial distribution, with a
    reputation for collaboration, communication, initiative and teamwork.
    Staffing is focused on the editorial needs of the day, with shifts
    ranging from early morning to late in the evening. At any one time,
    there could be as few as two or as many as six people working on
    BottomLines in the group's production room.

    What do I do next?

    Email your resume to our hiring manager, Samantha Rudolph, at
    Samantha.T.Rudolph@espn.com. Thanks for your interest!
    =

    *Event Production *
    Event production is the department that covers all the games and events
    outside of the studio. We are responsible for covering live and taped
    event programming for ESPN.

    The role of a Project-Based Production Assistant or Intern is to assist
    the sport he/she has been assigned to. This may include:
    • Support the Coordinating Producer and other producers as assigned.
    • Screen, clip, log, and transcribe interviews and footage for events.
    • Packing bins and otherwise shipping materials for games/events.
    • Assisting associate producers with feature edits
    • Editing highlights, working with graphics, organizing headshots and
    melt reels
    • Working with the video tape library—checking out and returning tapes.

    *Production Operations *
    Production Operations is the home of Broadcast Edit, Domestic
    Productions, Domestic Studio/ EJ Operations, ESPNews, Global Operations,
    Network Control, and Media Operations.

    Production Operations is a department with over 500 technicians, working
    around the clock and everyday of the calendar year to provide on-air
    video/content to the sports fans. We have 9 control rooms (5 HD, 4 SD),
    28 Broadcast Editing Suites, and 8 studios (our newest in DC Screening).
    Each of our operating groups, as well as Technical Administration, has
    dedicated Managers, Supervisors, Operations and Scheduling Coordinators
    who run the entire operation.

    *Programming *

    The Programming Department's Mission is to create, acquire, and schedule
    premier content to engage fans and maximize audiences on all platforms.
    We lead the development of sport strategies across the company and
    manage constructive relationships with our colleagues in other
    departments and with our league partners and organizers.

    ESPN on ABC is the home of the NBA Finals; NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and
    the NASCAR Busch Series, including the entire Chase for the Cup; college
    football including Saturday primetime games and the Rose Bowl; college
    basketball; FIFA World Cup Soccer; The Open Championship (British Open);
    Little League World Series; and the IndyCar Series featuring the Indy 500.

    =ESPN encompasses six Domestic Cable Networks, Regional, Syndicated, Pay
    Subscription Packages and 32 International Networks.
    *
    Commercial Operations *
    This team processes, catalogues and screens the content of all
    commercials, league institutional spots, and client supplied inventory
    on matters of taste, appropriateness, brand standards and decency. They
    apply policy standards and make judgments to approve, decline or
    facilitate further review as necessary.
    The Media Editor acts as liaison with internal departments and clients
    throughout the review process. This team troubleshoots problems, purge
    outdated materials and act as liaisons with Production Ops and dub
    houses across the world. This group can receive as many as three
    thousand spots in a month's time.


    =*Creative Services & Design *
    Creative Services is responsible for creating, designing, executing, and
    delivering an extensive variety of products throughout the ESPN
    corporate structure. We are the focal point for communication and
    organization with internal and external requestors.
    Creative Services offers a wide variety of products including graphics
    and graphic development, studio environments, music applications,
    design, animation, production execution, advanced technology, and
    contracted agreements with both technical and design vendors. Our goal
    is to serve as ESPN’s sole creative resource--fulfilling all -requests
    with high quality, professionally applied solutions and products.


    *-International & Deportes Production *

    *ESPN International *- formed January 1988, ESPN, Inc.'s global
    footprint on all seven continents began syndicating programming in 1983.
    A division of ESPN, Inc., ESPN International has grown to include
    ownership - in whole or in part - of 35 television networks as well as a
    variety of brand extension businesses. ESPN International business
    entities include television, radio, print, internet, broadband,
    wireless, consumer products, and event management. ESPN reaches fans in
    195 countries and territories, and is produced in sixteen different
    languages including Arabic, Cantonese, Dutch, English, French, German,
    Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Malay, Polish, Portuguese,
    Spanish and Turkish.

    *ESPN Deportes* - is the brand under which ESPN Inc. has been serving
    U.S. Hispanic sports fans since 2000. In addition to ESPN Deportes TV,
    the roster of branded initiatives now includes ESPN Deportes Radio, the
    only around-the-clock national Spanish-language sports radio network;
    ESPNdeportes.com, a fully integrated Spanish-language website; ESPN
    Deportes La Revista, a Spanish-language version of the popular ESPN The
    Magazine; and ESPN Deportes Wireless, which offers mobile phone
    subscribers images of their favorite Latino sports stars.


    *ESPN Radio *
    The country's largest sports radio network, ESPN Radio provides
    programming to more than 720 affiliates nationwide. Full-time
    Affiliates: more than 330 stations including New York, Los Angeles,
    Chicago, Dallas and Pittsburgh.

    Programming includes: NBA and Major League Baseball games, including the
    Finals and World Series; College football's BCS Series; Monday – Friday:
    Mike and Mike in the Morning (Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic), 6-10 a.m.
    ET; The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.; The Dan Patrick Show,
    1-4 p.m.

    ESPNRadio.com: most listened to online sports destination offers more
    than 20 original podcasts each week.

    *ESPN The Magazine *
    ESPN The Magazine utilizes an award winning variety of sports news
    resources combined with fastpaced, timely, in-depth commentary and
    opinion, all depicted in the rough eye-catching photography. Awards:
    Surrounding its launch, ESPN The Magazine received honors from Adweek
    and Advertising Age as the best magazine launch of 1998 and the 1999
    National Magazine Award for Design, its first year of eligibility. The
    Magazine was honored with the 2006 and 2003 National Magazine Award for
    General Excellence and was nominated for the same award in 2002 and
    2004. In October 2005, the American Society of Magazine Editors unveiled
    the 40 greatest magazine covers of the last 40 years, and ESPN The
    Magazine’s cover from June 29, 1998, featuring Michael Jordan, was
    ranked No. 18 on the list. ESPN The Magazine was the only sports title
    on the list.

    *ESPN Books*
    ESPN Books was created in May 2004 to leverage the company’s expertise
    in sports reporting and sports entertainment to develop and promote a
    sweeping catalog of sports titles. ESPN Books is releasing 14 titles in
    2007 including After Jackie: Pride, Prejudice and Baseball's Forgotten
    Heroes by Cal Fussman, Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance by William Nack, It
    Never Rains in Tiger Stadium: Football and the Game of Life by John Ed
    Bradley and Breaker Boys: The NFL's Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925
    Championship by David Fleming.

    *Apply by Monday, February 4th.
    collegerelations@espn.com*
     
  2. Do I get to be a roaster?
     
  3. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I know several people who have taken these jobs and the only good thing about them is that it looks good on your resume... ESPN abuses these people so much that most are gone within six months...
     
  4. Very true. I know someone who had a similar job to this at the WWL. You will work the worst possible hours, meaning be ready to come home at 4 a.m. every night after the 1 a.m. ET Sportscenter. It is brutal, but like Mizzou said, looks good on the resume.
     
  5. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    I interviewed for a PA spot right before graduation. I asked the interviewer, whose name escapes me now: "What percentage of people stay on with the company after the six months?" He said, "Seven." "Seven or seventy," I said.

    Sure enough, it was 7 percent. After that, you're gone and likely not coming back. I didn't bother submitting my resume into the program because it wasn't a writing gig and I didn't like the risk. Plus, Bristol, Conn., isn't very cheap.
     
  6. Mr. Homer

    Mr. Homer Member

    With all that said, they will fill these very quickly.
     
  7. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    no but the women are. Damn Mikey you should have taken the gig. You'd be getting laid in the back seat of your car at Muzzy Field in no time flat.
     
  8. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    I wasn't worried about that at the time, though. The only real perks to taking that job would have been the name on the resume and the deal ESPN has with the local dealerships. For instance, the BMW shop down the road from the headquarters sells the ESPN employees cars a few percent above wholesale.
     
  9. OnTheRiver

    OnTheRiver Active Member

    And at $22K a year, you can split one with five other wage apes.
     
  10. sportsnut

    sportsnut Member

    Sounds wonderful, I want to sign up right now.
     
  11. Sly

    Sly Active Member

    my friend had one of these jobs a few years back. After hearing his stories, I wouldn't wish one of them on my worst enemy. He later decided he'd rather be a public school teacher in the inner city.
     
  12. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Treat it like a seven-month internship with no illusions of it growing into a six-figure dream job at ESPN and it looks like a perfectly fine gig. If someone's complaining about the weird hours and endless work, um, welcome to our world.

    I've heard and read the stories (see Mike Freeman's "ESPN: The Uncensored History), but jeez it's not like Bristol is surrounded by barbed wire and a moat.

    And no, I'm not the hiring manager :)
     
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