Q&A with David Jordan

David Jordan is a University of Canberra graduate who completed a Bachelor of Sports Media degree in 2016. His internship with Capital Football during his university tenure ultimately led him to become the coordinator of digital engagement for the organisation.
I caught up and had a chat with the 23-year-old UC graduate about his experiences as an intern, what he loves most about working in sports media and advice he could pass on to current students who are undertaking their internships this semester.

Q: Was there anything that university gave you that helped you prepare for your internship?
A: At Uni I developed a professional approach to things. Different teachers taught me different approaches to writing, asking questions and reporting. Using those techniques allowed me to start my internship at a higher level than if I’d been doing it outside of uni.
Q: How was your internship experience at Capital Football when you were a student?
A: It was really good. It was just going out on a weekend doing match reports and then some feature stories during the week. Russ Gibbs who was there at the time, who was media manager was a very good operator, very good with planning, what needed to be done and what was expected.
Q: Can you tell me about how beneficial your internship turned out to be, seeing you now have a job at Capital Football?
A: He [Russ Gibbs] gave me a call one day and after 3-4 months of my internship said are you able to take over. The internship was good because I built a bit of a relationship with some of the personalities in the football community already. When I took over and was there major contact I had to facilitate news conferences. Building up the skills of reporting, asking questions and engaging with people in a really direct manner really helped me moving forward.
Q: What do you love so much about being the digital coordinator?
A: My job covers a lot of facets, not only high level football like the Premier League but I get to engage with junior league clubs. I’m involved with Kanga Cup and the Westfield W-League and National Youth League through Canberra United. It’s a job that is really hard to get bored in because it’s constantly changing and there are a lot of different levels and facets to it. I could not ask for a better job in the sport industry straight out of uni, I love it.
Q: How have you found students like myself that have come in working for you over the last couple of years?
 A: I have found having student interns really valuable, all of them are really passionate about what they are doing and are excited to learn and be involved because they know it can also be a pathway for them. It really helps when you have kids that are interested in football to start with because it elevates how keen they are.
 Q: What advice can you give us students who are currently in their sports media internships and those who will be in the near future?
A: Obviously work hard, be up front with the media manager or supervisor about what you can and can’t do, make sure you are punctual, but outside that ask questions. If you notice something they do with their social media or something they ask of you and you are not sure why they do that, just ask questions. It’s a really good opportunity in these internships to be involved in the world of sports media without having too much responsibility on your shoulders. Take in as much as you can and get your hands dirty.