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NEIT
Grad Lands Dream Job at ESPN
 Scott
Zerbarini is a graduate of the Video and Radio Production
Technology program who has always dreamt of working in sports
broadcasting. Through hard work and dedication, Scott landed
his dream job at ESPN in January. Scott recently took time
out of his busy schedule for a brief interview to share his
experience with other students.
Q. How did you get the job at ESPN?
A. After having tried many ways to get someone at ESPN to
view my resume, I copied and pasted a cover letter and resume
electronically via the web and sent it. Obviously, it is a
leap of faith but you just hope that information gets in the
right hands. After working with Career Services on a few occasions,
I knew the presentation was flawless which made me very confident.
I received a call about a month later and got an interview
around Thanksgiving. After interviewing with three different
people (same day), they did a background check and offered
me a position in the International Dub Center. Honestly, I
would've swept the floors just to get in the company and have
a chance to move up.
Q. What do you like best about your position?
A. My 8-½ hour shift feels like a 4-hour shift. It
is a challenging job, which requires you to always be aware
of what's going on around you. There are times when you have
several different live events happening at once as well as
taped shows for International Air. My head was spinning with
all the information they threw at me, but after a while it
all starts to make sense. It is truly a worldwide company
and there are so many different opportunities to seek.
Q. Did you have to relocate for this position?
A. Right now I am making the long journey from Westerly, RI
to Bristol, CT five days a week. I traded in my beloved Jeep
Wrangler for a more economical vehicle. It's difficult to
say what I will be doing in the future, but obviously at some
point I'll be moving closer to Bristol.
Q. Why did you have such a strong desire to work in sports
entertainment?
A. In 1998, when I decided to pursue a new career path, I
basically asked myself - If you could choose one company to
work for, which would you pick? As someone who likes a fast-
paced atmosphere, having bartended for years prior, the obvious
choice for me was a media related career. Also, it is such
a hands-on field where you can have creative input into a
final product.
Q. What do you feel you did in school that made you a
good candidate for ESPN?
A. The main thing I learned was how to be a professional.
When you put your name on a piece of work, there is a sense
of pride that goes along with the amount of work you put in.
When you care about the final product and enjoy the production
process, quality will usually result. When you are being paid
for your skills, you are held accountable for that product.
My boss told me that they value people with strong character
as much as technical skills. Another key was the ability to
work as part of a team. In my time in the VRP and TCT programs,
I worked with many different people who all brought something
different to the table. The important thing is to try to find
a role for all team members so the team can succeed.
Q. What did you like most about your program here at NEIT?
A. As you go through the process, you learn how all the steps
coincide with each other. It is a unique field because there
are so many areas of specialization that you can focus on,
while it's still important to be efficient in all areas.
Q. If you had to do it all over again, what would you
do differently?
A. I don't really have any major regrets. It's all a learning
process and it is important to understand that.
Q. Do you have any advice to students entering the market
today?
A. It helps to be flexible when entering the work force. It
is also important to do whatever you can to build that resume.
Even if the job doesn't pay, it helps to meet people and get
strong references. The supervisor who interviewed me was very
impressed with a couple of volunteer jobs I did. He said they
like to see that because it shows that you enjoy it and have
a desire to do such work. Working with Career Services was
an extremely positive experience and it made me a much stronger
candidate. That aspect of the job search is just as important
as any.
Q. Any plans for the future?
A. I plan on focusing on things that I can control. The plan
is to do the best work possible and hope it pays off.
Q. Any chance we will see you on a "SportsCenter"
commercial?
A. Actually, ESPN uses their employees as extras in their
very creative commercials, so keep your eyes open.
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