As an aspiring sportscaster still in college, are you maximizing every opportunity to gain relevant knowledge?
Choosing smart electives can give you a boost over your competition when you enter the broadcasting job market.
1. Fundamentals of acting
You are often going to be reading from scripts as a sportscaster, but you want to make that delivery sound natural. Acting class is where you’ll learn techniques like word emphasis, pauses and inflections that make reading sound natural.
Acting class will also improve diction and minimize accents.
A fundamentals of acting class was one of the most valuable electives I took at Kansas State.
2. Speech and debate
This is especially valuable if you are an aspiring sports talk host. You’ll learn techniques for proactively addressing objections then selling your opinion.
Your future career may include making public appearances or interacting with the public at a live remote. Speech class will also make you more comfortable speaking publicly and on air.
3. Video production
Most sportscasting jobs today include other types of content creation. Video is No. 1. Having basic shooting and editing skills increases your value in the job market. Knowing how to shoot and edit video in a way that tells a compelling story is even more valuable.
4. Web Development with HTML
It will often be your responsibility to upload content you’ve created to the company website. Having a fundamental understanding of HTML and CSS code will again increase your value. Look for this class under the Computer Science department. A bonus point? It will also help you maintain your own web presence.
Additional classes to consider
- Introduction to Video Editing
- Beginning Graphic Design
- Motion Graphics for Multimedia
- Adobe Premiere
- Adobe Photoshop
Not all of your electives have to be career-related. I took fundamentals of golf during my last semester of school and loved it. Being smart with your electives, though, can help you get your first job faster.
