(August 27, 2018) A familiar face helped open the door to a new career opportunity for Mark Shelley. An STAA member, Shelly is joining ESPN Ithaca as a sports reporter and play-by-play broadcaster.
Shelley has broadcast experience with Cornell University, Mansfield University and the Tri-City ValleyCats.
“I saw the STAA email with the job posting and applied almost immediately,” said Shelley. “Ithaca is relatively close to where I went to school and I love the area. I knew the Sports Director at WETM in Elmira, and he helped get me in touch with one of the broadcasters In Ithaca. I interviewed and got the job the day after my trip to the station.”
The connections don’t stop there for Shelley. His experience with Cornell made the decision easier for this broadcaster out of Mansfield University. Shelley broadcast Cornell University ice hockey and sprint football. The games aired on ESPN 3 and the Ivy League Network.
“I get to work in a market that I have a familiarity with and have strong connections in. I broadcasted women’s hockey and sprint football at Cornell, so I have existing connections in the athletic department. Also, the station is hoping to grow, and it’s exiting to be a part of this process.”
The moral of the story for the former communications assistant is, fittingly, communication.
“Networking. Networking. Networking. I use the expression: ‘I knew a guy who knew a guy.’ This is true,” explains Shelley. “It helped me get in touch with people directly at the station and helped me understand the details of Ithaca market. Smile, shake hands, and stay in touch with your contacts.”
Shelley is taking a step in his career that will allow him to be multi-dimensional. He will have the opportunity to host, write and broadcast multiple sports. He credits STAA with helping polish his job market strategy.
“My STAA membership greatly improved my job approach. I greatly benefited from the resume guidelines, to the demo reel construction, to how to send my information to a potential employer.”
(Visit Mark’s website).