âTo provide our student-athletes the best chance to compete for ... event management, graphic design, special events,
“To contribute to the achievement of the University of North Dakota mission by providing student-athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level of ability on an array of competitive intercollegiate athletic teams that emphasize winning championships, academic success and graduation, personal development and growth in character, and ethical conduct and sportsmanship.”
“To provide our student-athletes the best chance to compete for championships by driving attendance at events and motivating a loyal and boisterous crowd. To connect the student-athlete to the Greater Grand Forks and surrounding state-wide community by providing personal development and growth opportunities through engagement with fans, children and citizens of North Dakota and the Red River Valley.”
Internship positions within the North Dakota Athletics Department offer a unique opportunity for students to work within a Division I athletic department and promote North Dakota Athletics. These positions are valuable learning experiences and will provide an opportunity to experience the inner workings of various roles that marketing plays in an athletic department. There are numerous events in and around the UND campus and the Grand Forks community. These positions provide students with invaluable real-life experience working live events, along with working with the various staffs and administrators that will benefit the pursuit of a career in any field. Opportunities for advancement (such as sport “leads”, in-office projects and other open positions) are available to those who demonstrate an exceptional work ethic beyond the standard internship responsibilities.
Opportunities to learn are available in the areas of sport event preparation, event management, graphic design, special events, game entertainment, producing sport-specific game scripts, promotions, social media, kids club, student groups, project/program administration and more. Marketing interns in many ways are the “face” of the athletic department at events and regularly interact with the community and fan base.
Interns are required to take an active role in NoDak Nation, the official student booster organization of North Dakota Athletics. NoDak Nation operates semi-independently of and cooperatively with North Dakota Athletics. NoDak Nation offers the best opportunity for unique ideas and student promotions to take hold and grow through the support of interns and a budget operated between the student group and North Dakota Athletics. Interns will be responsible for all elements related to the management of the group. This includes, but is not limited to, membership and inventory management, tailgating activities, sponsor relations and fulfillment, special events, and other areas related to the management of the group.
Internships run from the first day of classes in August through the start of finals week in May. This regularly includes time over holiday breaks (Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.). Applying interns are required to commit to the entire school year if offered.
Required qualifications: All interns must be enrolled at UND for the time in which they are on staff. Preferred qualifications: Students looking for a career in marketing, live entertainment and/or athletics are highly encouraged to apply.
Time Commitment
The time commitment is significant and often more than a student envisions. This time commitment is much larger in the Fall semester than Spring due to our sports schedules and the efforts required for those sports. Interns are expected to staff the ticket kiosk outside the Student Ticket Office located in Memorial Union. This is generally 2-3 hours a week per person and is scheduled around class hours and other legitimate obligations. Interns are expected to work office hours to help fulfill various roles that are assigned to them. This is generally 2-3 hours a week as well, and also scheduled around class hours and other legitimate obligations.
In addition to ticket and office hours, interns are assigned to work athletic events throughout the year. Many of these events take place in the evenings during the week and consistently on weekends (day and night). In a normal week, expect to work 2-3 events in a week. In very rare instances, interns may end up working nearly 40 hours in one week. This generally happens once or twice a year, particularly late October/early November with overlap between the Fall and Winter sports schedules. Any time-off requests may be made but must be submitted prior to the making of the events schedule. Time-off requests will be considered as much as possible, but cannot be guaranteed. Once the schedule is set, interns are required to work with each other to trade shifts as the need arises. The schedule will include “in-times” designating when the shift is to begin. Interns are required to be available over holidays and breaks in which home Fighting Hawks athletic events are being held. We will seek volunteers from interns who live nearby first and we try to scale down our staff needs during holidays and breaks, but we still need to put out a product that is Division I level quality and championship caliber work. All interns are required to work the Hockey NCHC Quarterfinals every year. This lands on one of the weekends over spring break. Funds for intern polos, jackets and any “bonus” compensation is dependent on our ability to fill all staffing needs for that weekend.
Promptness
Punctuality is a vital asset to the members of the team. Lack of punctuality diminishes our ability to provide fans a high-quality experience and diminishes our ability to provide a high quality reference when applying for your next job. If running late, whether it be for office hours or a game, you must contact your supervisor. If unable to work a scheduled event, it is the intern’s responsibility to find a replacement and inform the necessary supervisor of the changes.
Compensation is offered in four possible ways: 1. Credit arranged through the University a. All arrangements with professors and advisors, along with any paperwork, is the responsibility of the intern and any requirements of the athletic staff member must be communicated well in advance of the due date.
2. Work Study a. A limited number of work study positions are available. Students must fill out a FAFSA in order to determine eligibility and allotment. Work study funds are awarded to interns based on experience and are not guaranteed to everyone who qualifies for eligibility. 3. Experience a. In today’s working world, nothing can substitute for practical work experience when applying for a full-time job. Since most of our staff has worked internships early in our careers, we understand the importance of a quality internship and cater our positions to provide meaningful work. 4. Limited bonus compensation on a year-to-year basis for those not earning work study a. This “bonus” is not guaranteed and is based on numerous factors, mainly working the Men’s Hockey NCHC Quarterfinals, and also having an exceptional work performance throughout the year.
Interns are expected to act in a professional manner at all times while representing the North Dakota Athletic Department. The use of alcohol and illegal substances is prohibited while in the office and at events. Arriving to work under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances is also prohibited and will lead to dismissal from the team. Event Etiquette
Interns will be assigned to work a number of specific and different events. We are ALL responsible for the success or failures of these events. Interns should always be especially courteous, friendly and respectful to the public, game crew, student-athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and other athletic, REA and Alerus Center staff members, and property.
Confidentiality
As an intern, you may be exposed to areas of athletics not open to the public (injuries, academics, contracts, promotional information, etc.). Interns are held to the same standards as a full-time employee and must follow policies and guidelines set by HIPAA and the department. These will be explained further upon hire. Violation or sharing confidential information will lead to immediate dismissal.
Dress Code
Office: Please dress appropriately for work conditions. No sweats, pajamas, workout clothes, hats, etc. If you have to question it, don’t wear it. Events: A staff polo will be provided to all interns. Khakis and dress pants are required. No jeans or yoga pants. Shorts are only permitted in cases of extreme temperatures when working outside and are subject to direct supervisor’s discretion.
Social Networking Sites Policy
The Department of Athletics understands the popularity and usefulness of social networking sites. North Dakota Athletics utilizes and maintains a significant social media presence to communicate with fans. Use of social media networks by interns, who are perceived by the general public to represent North Dakota Athletics, to facilitate communication with other students, interns and the public is fully supported by North Dakota Athletics provided: o No offensive or inappropriate comments or pictures are posted. o Any information communicated via social media or fan websites (such as siouxsports.com) does not violate University, department or Federal policies (this is the most common misstep made by interns). o Photos and/or comments posted on these sites do not depict team related or university identifiable activities (including wearing staff uniforms or gear inappropriately). o Violations of University policy (e.g. harassing language, University alcohol or drug policy violations, etc.) or evidence of such violations in the content of online social websites are subject to investigation and sanction under the UND Code of Student Life, North Dakota Athletic Department Handbook and other policies. They are also subject to the authority of law enforcement agencies. o Monitoring: Before participating in any online community, understand that anything posted online is available to anyone in the world. Any text or photo placed online becomes property of the site(s) and is completely out of your control the moment it is placed online- even if you “protect” your account.
You should not post any information, photos, etc. online that could embarrass you, your family, the athletic department or the University. This includes information that may be posted by others on your page or tweeted “at” you. Be aware that future employers and internship supervisors view these sites as a way of screening applicants. In addition, nearly all graduate programs and scholarship committees also search these sites to screen applicants.
Each intern is a vital part of the North Dakota Athletics team. North Dakota Athletics, and the Marketing department especially, value the time and efforts of our student interns. This experience should help further your career within the sports world, or offer experiences applicable to future careers outside of athletics, while providing a well-rounded understanding of a working university athletic department. This department has an open door policy. If at any time a concern arises, students are encouraged to bring it to the supervisor’s attention immediately. Additionally, if you have ideas, skills or interests that can benefit the department and you wish to gain more experience in those areas, we’re always open to feedback on how to improve and how we can utilize your skills or interests. We have created roles in the past based on interests of our interns.
Our #1 job is to create the best experience possible for our studentathletes and fans at each and every game!
To apply for a position as a North Dakota Athletics Marketing intern for the 2018-19 school year, provide a cover letter, resume, list of at least three references, and answer the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Why do you want to work in athletics for the University of North Dakota? What are your expectations of the internship? What are your educational and career aspirations? How has your previous work experience prepared you to be a good fit for this internship? 5. Do you have any specific skill sets that you believe could be an asset to our Marketing team?
Once complete, send to: Lance Moser, North Dakota Athletics Assistant Director of Marketing
[email protected]
Application timeline:
Deadline for applications is 11:00 p.m. (Central Time Zone) on Sunday, April 1, 2018. Those selected for an in-person interview will be contacted by email, and all interviews will take place between April 5-13. Those selected for an internship position during 2018-19 will be required to attend one brief meeting the last week of April.
