Kennedy Broadwell is a senior from Toledo, Ohio, with a major in Sports Media and a minor in Sports and Recreation.

When I first came to Butler in 2017, I was most excited for all the opportunities students have to challenge themselves, try new things, and gain first-hand career experience. My advice? Do this as soon as possible.

In my first semester on campus, I decided I wanted to hit the ground running with an internship. I knew how important connections and experience would be when it was time to start my career. So, I became IndyHumane’s Social Media Intern, which gave me a chance to learn how to collaborate with media staff to create successful multimedia campaigns.

That was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Because I chose to do this, I already had more on my résumé than most first-year college students, which has opened so many doors since.

Doing an internship early demonstrates your drive and, most importantly, improves your skill set. Since my time with IndyHumane, I have also interned with the Drew and Mike Show and Nine13sports. This summer, I am lucky enough to be interning with CCA Sports.

I want to make myself as marketable as possible. That is why all of my internships have been completely different, and I am doing as many as I can. I am now a senior Sports Media major, and my dream is to work in the sports industry. But I am not blind to the fact that this is a difficult field to break into, which is why I have made sure to gain real-world experience from a variety of companies during my time at college.

I have taken the advice from both professors and practicing professionals to not pigeonhole myself. To make sure I’m a well-rounded candidate when I start applying for full-time jobs, I’ve had to seek out internships that would help me gain career skills that apply to the sports industry but are also valuable within other fields. For example, at IndyHumane, I learned about the importance of non-profits in our community, gained writing and marketing skills, and had a whole lot of fun. My second internship with the Drew and Mike Show taught me how to edit podcasts, monitor fan interaction, and become an on-air personality. Then, I was able to land an internship with Nine13sports, another non-profit. There, I learned more about running company social media campaigns, working with kids, and blogging.

Now, I will be the Digital Marketing Intern for CCA Sports. This is possibly the most competitive internship I have landed so far. When interviewing with CCA Sports, I made sure to bring tangible examples of projects I had done with my other internships, sharing how I had helped those companies grow. It was my previous internship experiences that ultimately landed me the internship I have this summer.

So, to those of you wondering if it’s too soon to jump into an internship: It isn’t. Be confident in what you know and what you can do. Internships provide opportunities to learn and build your network. Take advantage of being in the great city of Indianapolis, and go after what you set out to do the day you decided to become a Bulldog.