Grady InternViews: Jack Little

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience.  

Jack Little is a second-year journalism and sports media student working at Mansfield Town Football Club as a Media Intern. Read on as he provides insight into what this internship looks like.

Briefly describe your internship and its associated responsibilities.

I work in the media department at Mansfield Town Football Club, a professional soccer club in Mansfield, England that plays in League One of the English Football League. Describing what I do on a day-to-day basis is difficult because no two days have been the same while I’ve been here. My most consistent jobs have included posting social media graphics on facebook and instagram stories, creating and updating the club’s new website, and writing articles for the club’s website which are often shared on social media.

What opportunities did you have during your internship?

This internship has been fantastic for me because the club has allowed me to do so much. In my time here, I traveled with the team to Portugal for their pre-season training camp, I did play-by-play for one of their matches on their video broadcast, I did the PA announcing at a home match, I created graphics and video content for social media, I did on-camera interviews with a new signing on his first day and the manager of the club after a match, and I interviewed players and wrote several features in the club’s annual magazine. I even helped the media department interview candidates for a vacant graphic designer position.

What skills and knowledge have you gained from your internship?

I’ve become a better interviewer and writer during my time in Mansfield, as well as gaining skills in website creation, videography and graphic design. I’ve also learned how to live in another country and adapt to the workplace customs in England. I’ve had plenty of “Americanisms” get edited out of my writing!

What is one piece of work you are proud of creating in this role?

I was able to interview and write a multi-page feature article about midfielder Stephen Quinn for the club’s annual magazine. The interview was really enjoyable and the article turned out nice. I also enjoyed getting to do an on-camera interview with the manager of the club and one of the new signings.

How have you balanced this internship with college?

I worked 9-5 most days, so there was some time to relax and pursue other interests of mine in the afternoons and weekends (when there wasn’t a game). There were also days where we would be in later or off earlier due to a game that day or the day before which meant that I could travel and explore the area that I was living in.

What challenges have you overcome in this role?

The differences in British and American English posed a significant challenge early on. Certain spellings are different (ex. equalizer/equaliser) and certain phrases wouldn’t “translate” properly which meant that I was less efficient in the early days as all my work had to be checked closely. After a week or two, I learned most of those quirks and was still able to work with my own style while ensuring that the British audience could understand it.

How has the Grady curriculum you’ve taken prepared you for this internship?

Having experience from the classes I have taken in Grady allowed me to ease into the role I had. Grady classes prepared me to write with AP style, which translates even in England, and how to properly structure different types of news stories. My experiences in the Carmical Sports Media Institute allowed me to feel confident covering sports as I already had some experience doing almost everything that I was asked to do at Mansfield Town.

Who is one Grady Professor who has inspired you?

Professor Welch Suggs has been a great source of inspiration for me. I loved taking IntroSports with him and I felt like the experiences I had in that class gave me the confidence to go for this internship.

What advice would you give to someone looking to apply to similar internships?

If you are looking for an internship, why not go somewhere new and experience a different culture while you are at it? I have loved living in England. I think everyone should take the time at some point in their life to live in another country if they can, even if it is just for a brief time. Try something new and be open to anything!

How has this internship influenced your future career?

This internship has essentially solidified my desire to work in sports media, but I am now open to working and living in England (or maybe another country), as well. I feel like I have opened a new job market for myself by doing this internship and it has made me really excited about the future.

How Did you find out about this internship?

I started the summer with a Maymester at Oxford and wanted to hang around in Europe for the rest of the summer, so I emailed essentially every club in the English Football League to see if anyone was looking for an intern. I heard back from the media team at Mansfield Town about a week later and they were looking to add someone for the summer so it worked out perfectly. (Mansfield Town is always open to hiring interns if anyone is interested…)

Edited by: Shannon Lorusso, sel67411@uga.edu