An unpaid internship with the Sacramento Monarchs provided Scott Freshour with the skills he needed to become a full-time employee as the Sacramento Kings’ emcee.
Companies employ college interns to provide students with on-the-job training that pertains to his or her major. Individuals are provided opportunities to stand out to future employers in order to obtain a paid position after college.
“You’re always in that position to try and stand out and make a name for yourself, so it is nerve-racking, but very exciting,” said Freshour.
Freshour was given the opportunity to apply for an internship within the King’s entertainment department while he was still a student at California State University, Sacramento.
“I never thought it would last. I thought it was just for fun and then it turned out to become a career,” said Freshour.
Individuals should take every task assigned to them seriously, no matter how tedious the assignment may seem. “We had to blow up clown balloons. Five of us would blow up 500 of those a day,” said Freshour.
Internships can be an important asset on a résumé to help set you apart from someone who doesn’t have the hands-on experience an internship can give you.
“As soon as I graduated college I was able to get a full-time job right off the bat. I think an internship on your résumé is really important, just to have the extra ammunition,” said Freshour.
Freshour used his time as an intern to focus on his career goals. He realized the unpaid position could take him one step closer to his dream job. Six months after graduating from CSUS he was offered a full-time position with the Kings.
The Kings offer a variety of internships throughout the year in different departments; public relations, media relations, the entertainment department, accounting, and ticket sales.
When getting hired as an intern, remember the connections made can make a future impact. It may provide job opportunities that may not have existed without the internship.
When asked what advice Freshour could give to someone who wants to take a similar route he said, “If I could give advice to any youngster trying to get a job in sports or, really, in any field, an internship is an opportunity to get your foot in the door anywhere. Take it seriously and learn as much as you can.”
