Photo by Donovan.
As the world becomes increasingly more digitized, university students have started learning how their connections on campus can help their career.
Jay Schmoldt, a sophomore marketing major, has made his presence known on campus through content creation.
Through connections he has made on campus, Schmoldt has landed an internship with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although he is flourishing now, he started building his resume by simply managing the social media for his high school’s lacrosse and hockey teams. Those connections led him to constantly growing opportunities.
In the university’s athletics department, Schmoldt started doing videography. Schmoldt credits his resume’s constant boosts to events held right on campus.
“I took a few video production classes on campus, but I wouldn’t say that was what I used to build [my resume],” Schmoldt said. “It was honestly the stuff at Capital, building more of my Instagram and my digital portfolio that I feel really helped me.”
In the sports department, Schmoldt had the opportunity to shoot the NCAA Women’s Basketball Division III Semifinals and also was contracted to shoot exclusive material for finalist Smith College.
However, Schmoldt acknowledged that the constantly growing media industry requires dedication.
“I’ve definitely seen a lot of people take interest in this field,” Schmoldt said. “But some people don’t have the dedication to practice and hone their craft and get better.”
Nick Astalos, the university’s director of sports information, said the department has seen a steep incline in interest from students wanting to be involved in the department’s operations. Because of this, students have had to become more pluralistic in their skillset.
“Photography has definitely seen the biggest increase,” Astalos said. “A lot of students are learning video now, but they might not want to dive into it just yet. They still want to learn and do it on their own until they’re comfortable.”
This freedom of creativity and environment of learning are what Schmoldt admires most about the opportunities on campus.
“I could go to a bigger school and shoot events right away,” Schmoldt said, “but having the freedom to be at Capital to do what I want and use the free vision that I have is something special.”
Along with Brendan Eagan, assistant director of sports information, Astalos and Eagan are continuously using innovation to build their department’s efficiency while also making sure students get a good learning experience.
This year, students have had the opportunity to run the Athletics department’s social media accounts for the first time.
“In the past, we didn’t let anybody touch the social media except [myself and Eagan],” Astalos said. “We now have three interns who work for us. We’ve been able to delegate things off of our plate, which allows us to focus on other areas and allows them more hands-on experience, so when they graduate, they’re ready to apply.”
Two students in the Athletics department gaining hands-on experience are sophomore public relations major Camryn Mauter and junior political science major Riley Donovan.
Mauter’s job is mostly social media work, which includes making game day graphics and recording in-game content for Instagram. She hopes that her experience gained within the department will help further her career.
“I want to hopefully one day be the social media manager for a collegiate or professional level sports team,” Mauter said. “I feel like Capital has given me a great opportunity here to springboard and build up my foundation for a successful career.”
For Donovan, her job within the sports department is photography. Donovan started her photography job this year, her first experience with photography since high school.
Unlike most of her coworkers, Donovan’s career aspirations lie outside of the sports industry.
“I want to get into political media,” Donovan said. “That includes taking pictures at rallies and conventions, which is something I’m passionate about.”
