LeBron James Internship: Athlete Looking For Interns

Impact

Do you enjoy basketball? How about web design and content development? If you answered yes to both these questions, then LeBron James has just the opportunity for you!

Recently posted on his website, the internship calls for applicants who are passionate about online content development and digital sports marketing. It is a ten week program that is available throughout the fall, spring, and summer. Candidates must be attending college or a four year university, access to a computer and phone, demonstrate a strong knowledge of basketball, and proficient with Microsoft Office, social media platforms, and Adobe Creative Suite. The internship is targeted for fluent Spanish speakers (maybe I’ve found my new calling?) and journalism, communications, or marketing students. Applicants are required to write a 500 word essay when they apply, describing why they are the perfect person for the internship.

As a Humanities major, I spent the latter half of my college career working unpaid internships, the kicker being if you want credit for the experience, you’d sometimes have to pay “classroom fees” in order to receive that credit. This opportunity seems to be similar to most of the internships I held: a lot of writing and research, typical office duties like fixing the copy machine or knowing where the office supplies are, and your basic menial tasks. The job posting is vague, and doesn’t include information about compensation or whether you’ll actually get to meet James.

Sure, it’s great to meet important people and build those relationships with them when you graduate and start your career, but applying for a job because of superficial reasons like just being able to work for a celebrity, star athlete, or well known politician can hold you back from enjoying the experience and taking away transferable skills that you can use in future jobs.

However, it’s tough to be a recent graduate in today’s economy. Currently I am a 25-year-old intern in a rough economy, trying to just make rent. While anxiety about what comes after an internship is inevitable, you should be able to walk away from the experience with new skills, new connections, and a new confidence. Plus, who knows? Maybe you’ll actually get the chance to shoot some hoops with the man himself!