(January 22, 2012) Whether it is beneficial for a sports broadcaster to attend Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings can be a controversial subject. At the very least, it is an excellent opportunity to grow your network of industry contacts. At the very best, you end up with new job. Mike Baggerman is one of the latter. An STAA client, Baggerman has accepted a Broadcast and Sales Assistant position with the West Virginia Power.
The Power is the Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“I understand that every minor league team is a business that must generate revenue. A voice alone won’t bring in money, so the sales aspect of this [position] appealed to me greatly. I know having a solid sales background helps in the long-term,” says Baggerman. “From a broadcasting and media relations standpoint, Adam Marco has so much baseball broadcasting experience, so I feel fortunate to learn from him this season.”
Baggerman was not originally planning on attending the Winter Meetings, but ended up heading to Nashville at the suggestion of trusted advisors.
“[STAA CEO] Jon Chelesnik and my other industry contacts advised me to attend the Winter Meetings in Nashville. In the job posting room, the West Virginia Power opening was available the first day of the job fair. After interviewing with their lead play-by-play man, Adam Marco, we kept in contact over the next few weeks.”
Recently, Baggerman received an e-email from Marco requesting a phone conversation. The purpose of the conversation turned out to be a job offer.
A 2012 graduate of SUNY College at Brockport, Baggerman was most recently a fill-in high school basketball play-by-play broadcaster for the Finger Lakes Radio Group. During the summer after graduation, he was also a sales and media relations intern for the Brooklyn Cyclones (the short-season affiliate of the New York Mets).
When it comes to tackling the job market, Baggerman says it is vital to keep your head in the game.
“Don’t be discouraged by the teams that pass on you. You have to maintain a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) about the whole job process. Keep on searching for the job that is right for you that will also allow your career to take the next step.”
Baggerman also credits STAA with aiding the job hunt process.
“A big way to find jobs is the STAA itself. Jon sends job leads directly to your e-mail, which gives you a heads up about a lot of openings in sports broadcasting. Not just that, he also has a group Q&A feature periodically [monthly live chats for clients] which I used for job interviewing tips.”
“Thank you so much [to STAA] for your advice and convincing me to go to the winter meetings.”
(Visit Mike’s STAA Talent Page).