How I Used Social Media to Grow My Professional Network

Finding ways to network with others can seem like a daunting and difficult task. Trying to get in contact with those we idealize in our dream careers or job industries can seem like such a stretch too, especially if those dream careers fall in the journalism industry. One thing that I have found extremely helpful, which came as a shock to both me and my friends and family, was using social media as a pathway to connecting with those who hold jobs in the same industry I am pursuing a career in.

So, flashback to last semester when I was asked by my professor in my internship class to reach out to anyone that had my dream job to ask them a few questions for a small paper we were writing. Well, as someone who is pursuing a career in reporting for either the WNBA or NBA, I knew it was going to be a major stretch for me to find a way to get in contact with any of the sideline reporters I admired in the industry. However, I decided to take my chances with social media since I noticed a large portion of reporters are active on it. The two that seemed to be the most popular and used were Instagram and Twitter from the research that I conducted, obviously, this will change depending on who you want to reach out to and what industry you are pursuing a career in.

So, I wrote out these semi-long paragraphs direct messages to send to about ten reporters I admired in the sports industry. I made sure to mention in these messages that I was a junior in college that was looking to ask them a couple questions regarding the sports world and their careers that I could use in the future for when I am out there looking for a similar job. I also let them know that I was a current intern for the Clippers and that my major was in sports communications because I wanted them to know that I was serious in pursuing a career in the same industry and not just some fan who wanted to ask a couple of questions. 

And, low and behold, I came into contact with two female reporters that I admire immensely. 

The first reporter who reached out to me was Kerith Burke, the sideline reporter for the Golden State Warriors, my favorite NBA team. I was overcome with appreciation because she had my dream job and I had just seen her a little over a year ago on the court interviewing some of my favorite players. I was able to have this amazing 30 minute conversation with her about the industry and her career which was inspiring. Since then we have had multiple conversations, one being for my personal sports podcast, and the other for an article I wrote for Cal Lutheran this fall semester.

The other reporter I was able to get into contact with off the bat was Kristen Ledlow, a sideline reporter for NBA on TNT. Kristen has since been my mentor and coach in the field of sideline reporting and we have bi-monthly coaching calls set up so that she can answer any questions that I or other aspiring female reporters have about the industry. Through Kristen, I have been able to connect with all of the other women in these coaching calls to expand my professional network.

With the progress that I had made using social media as a networking tool that one day, I decided to continue using it as a way to reach out and get to know more people in the sports industry and it has helped me professionally grow as a person. For example, I am now in contact with not only other sideline reporters, but journalists, radio and television show hosts, and those who work on the social media side of sports. I highly recommend using social media as a way to network because it allows us the chance to reach out and come into contact with such a wide variety of people that can help us get further in our careers, especially those that require knowing people in order to secure a job in the industry.

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