Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com Internship - Part 1: Intro

The internship at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com has already been a dream that came true, and I am always very excited to share the story that led me to the job. The first sport I started to get interested in was tennis, as my family is obsessed with it, and they all play it very often. My sister also plays competitively. Consequently, I started following professional tennis, which I watch on television and at live tournaments.

When I was a first-year student, and I attended without any experience and idea a job fair at my school, I, of course, went to the table of the Delray Beach Open. One of the executive staff members told me it was an opportunity for mainly graduate students and said to me to apply a few years later. At that time, I was interested just because of my passion for tennis. Later on, two years later, when I decided to apply I learned thanks to sports management classes at Lynn, sports professionals I talked to, and articles I read, that it is not just about the sport, but it is the job position held. There is a significant difference between being a fan and work in the sports business. Hiring managers do not sympathize with candidates that apply for a job just because they support the team. I was very interested on the tennis side when I applied, but what it appealed the most about the internship was about working in different departments, from sales and sponsorship to marketing and player relations. I could have definitely learned what I would have enjoyed doing, and what not.

Meanwhile, in those 2 years, I volunteered at the tournament and built my resume with multiple experiences. At the same job fair that the Lynn University Career and Alumni Connection Office hosts yearly, exactly one year later, I went to the tournament tennis table once again, introducing myself and letting the hiring manager know, I volunteered at the Open. Later on, I followed up and continuously kept in touch with the staff, even when I was studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain. My goal was to take multiple classes before senior year to have more free time to intern at the tournament. However, once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the internship was not confirmed to be available the year later due to the time's uncertainty. Meanwhile, learning from my Human Resources Management class taken in Spain, podcasts I listened to during quarantine, and my tennis passion, I started to interact with the Delray Beach Open Instagram page. Listen to live interviews, react to stories, and comment their posts helped to connect more closely with the tournament staff. Once the internship for the following year was confirmed (made it an even more incredible opportunity considering the uncertainty with the pandemic), I signed up for the interview. Unfortunately, my flight to Florida got canceled and I was unable to make it. Scared I would not have been able to interview, I ended up doing a virtual interview that went well.

Finally, when I got this fantastic opportunity after a great conversation with the hiring manager, I was incredibly happy. I have always wanted to work in a professional tennis tournament; it was like a dream coming true, as I previously mentioned. I was thrilled to start during an unbelievable year with the coronavirus pandemic still out there...