(June 13, 2012) As Alex Faust began the hunt for his first post-college job, he was faced with the difficult choice of pursuing two career paths he loved: business or sportscasting. Lady Luck has smiled at Faust, an STAA client, granting him employment on both fronts. The 2011 Jim Nantz Award winner as the nation’s most outstanding collegiate sports broadcaster, Faust is the new play-by-play voice of Staten Island Yankees baseball.
He is also joining PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Boston office as as an associate in the advisory practice.
Entering the job market is tough for every college graduate right now. Faust was no exception, and the pull between his two worlds was making it even harder.
“It was an emotional tug-of-war,” Faust says. “On one hand, I’ve worked at a management consulting firm on a co-op rotation, and graduated Northeastern with a degree in economics. I was eager to apply my skills and experience to the business world. On the other hand, my identity is being a sportscaster. How could I just leave broadcasting, which I love so much?
“Every single alumnus and person in the business I talked to said that I should try to pursue the dream. Deep down, that’s what I want to do. That’s what I’ve been wrestling with for the past eight months or so as I conducted my career search, but so long as I can stay active in sports broadcasting in some way, you never know who might be listening – the ‘big break’ could be a call away.”
Faust continued to apply for jobs in both fields. Fate took a turn in the spring while Faust was perusing the Staten Island website, where an opening with the Yankees was listed.
“At the time, it was already late in the going for the upcoming season (late April) and sending off my demo and a cover letter seemed like a shot in the dark.” Staten Island called Faust to come in for an audition. While waiting to hear back from the Yankees, Faust received an offer from PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
A few days after Faust accepted the position as an associate in the advisory practice at PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Boston office, the Yankees called.
“My career search was frustrating at times – at one point I went a few months without a single e-mail or call-back. But when I got an offer for a full-time position here in Boston, I was ecstatic: I could have a job in a city where I was already quite active in college hockey media. I was at peace with not doing sportscasting full time.
“But to get a call back a few days later from the Yankees saying they wanted me to be their primary play-by-play announcer was just unbelievable. To be able to do one of the two would be great enough. To be able to have both a broadcasting gig and a full-time job afterwards, I haven’t wrapped my head around it. I feel like the luckiest college grad you’ll find.”
Faust is a hustler, maximizing his time in college to the fullest extent with internships and job experience in both his preferred fields. He also served as sports director and business manager at Northeastern’s campus radio station, WRBB-FM. If anyone can walk in both the sports broadcasting and business worlds simultaneously, it’s Faust.
“I’m looking forward to opening night and the Staten Island-Brooklyn rivalry. I’ve been going to Staten Island games since the team came to the city in 1999, and knowing how much fun those sell-out games are to watch, it’s going to be even better behind the mic for them. Plus, growing up a Yankees fan, to be a part of the organization as a broadcaster is such a thrill.”
(Visit Alex’s STAA Talent Page).