Advertising Outside of Agency Life

While I am forever grateful for Temple and my advertising degree, I see an opportunity to showcase all you can do in the advertising industry outside of an ad agency, which is a major focus of the the advertising major. So, I am here to tell you about my experience! My name is Aly Clauson and I currently work for the Philadelphia Flyers as a Corporate Partnerships intern. I’m so excited to graduate with my advertising degree and jump into the “real world” and make my mark as a woman in sports. This internship has taught me so many valuable skills and assets. I’ve been able to learn how to effectively communicate with different brands. I’ve learned the importance of proof of performance as well as the business of sports. While this is not my first internship in the sports realm, I’d love to explore more of the social media and content creation side of the industry. We work closely with the social team to put out sponsored social posts for clients, and it has made me want to work more with content creation. 

There are many positive aspects I have gotten to learn though working in the sports business. For example, one aspect I really enjoy is how close you work with your coworkers. Working in sports called for long and uncommon hours. I spend lots of time with my managers and coworkers and we have become good friends. Also, getting to know the “behind the scenes” of how one hockey game is brought to life is something special. There is so much more work than you could ever imagine to bring a game to life. Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, there is so much communicating going on constantly in my position and department. We are constantly connecting with clients to make sure we are on the same page, with other departments to make sure all sponsored content is going out at the right times, and within our department to each other to make sure work is done efficiently. 

I have met such cool people within the industry. For example, I work closely with Lou Nolan on game days and it truly makes me realize how far I have come within the industry. Also, for me, just looking around and seeing all of the other women who work for the Flyers is super inspiring. I am just an intern and there are so many women who have worked their way up and through the industry and I hope that is me one day. I love watching these women do their jobs on game days. It truly is a very cool experience. 

Overall, this experience has blown past my expectations. I never thought I would be sitting in the press row every Flyers game. I never imagined myself having legitimate credentials for the Philadelphia Flyers. I never thought I would have my own cubicle area and have legitimate jobs to complete for clients. Unlike my other internships, I do not feel like an “intern” here. I know I am essential to the flow of the entire corporate partnerships department and it feels good to feel important. As for others looking to get into the sports industry, my advice is to network every opportunity you can. Connect with everyone in the industry on LinkedIn, reach out to people, apply to the internships you do not think you will get (I did that with this current internship)! Putting in the hard work and networking will pay off for you, I promise. 

As my time in undergrad comes to an end, I am so grateful for my education and internship experiences. The Philadelphia Flyers have helped me grow tremendously as a person and woman in the sports industry. From making me feel more confident, to expanding my professional network I have grown in many different ways. I will be forever grateful for this experience.