Summer Series: Alex Randall

Today, we are so excited to continue our summer series with another sister spotlight about one of our members.  Alex Randall is a rising senior at Carolina and an active contributing member to both the sorority and the University as a whole.  So, it's no wonder she landed one of the nation's most coveted internships working for FOX Sports in New York City!  Alex is one of many examples of our tenacious members following their dreams and achieving them in ways they never dreamed possible.  We couldn't be more proud of her and are so excited to share her experience with you!

"When most people asked me how in the world I got a job with Fox Network Group in New York City, my response was, “I literally have no idea."  In today’s job market, to get a job, let alone your dream job, it helps to have a connection high up in the company.  I didn’t have one of those at Fox. After applying for over 40 different internships, being frustrated only hearing from half, I was exhausted. In my interview with Fox, the person from HR flat-out said, 'We have over 500 applicants right now and are taking 18. We also already have many qualified people so you tell me why you should get this internship and impress me.'

I was immediately thrown off and just started talking about Carolina, my work and leadership experience to break the ice. I also added some humor to the conversation. When asked how a '…girl from NJ got a southern accent,' I responded by stating, 'When I’m in SC people think I have a northern accent…when I’m in NJ, people think I have a southern accent,  I will bring both to the internship if I get hired.'

When I didn’t hear back from Fox by the deadline, I was SO discouraged and decided I would go to Italy for a Maymester. I booked everything but my flight, but then came the Fox congratulations email. Words cannot explain how excited I was to receive an offer from Fox.  Landing a job at Fox Sports in advertising and sales was a phenomenal opportunity. From the beginning, I didn’t really know what network ad sales involved besides people buying air ads.  At the end of my internship I knew so much more from a practical and sales standpoint.  By the way, even though I canceled my Maymester plans, I ended up touring Europe through hostels for two weeks before the Internship started which helped grow my independence even further.

The first day working in NYC was probably the most intimidating day I have ever experienced. The commute from my home in northern NJ to the Port Authority in Manhattan was an eye opener but exhilarating.  As I navigated the NY streets and avenues I approached this gigantic Newscorp building that was home to multiple companies, Fox News channel, Fox Entertainment, Wall Street Journal, NY Post etc. I walked into a sea of interns who were also checking in at the Fox front desk (Next to Bill O’Reilly’s studio). I literally knew no one.

Even though there were 18 interns from all over the country we all had at least one mutual friend. One intern was actually the cousin of a fellow Delta, Mary Henderson (small world). Everyone at Fox was super nice and professional. Everyone in Fox Sports also asked about our favorite football star, Clowney. Even after two short weeks I felt like I was already a part of the Fox family. The first time I met my boss I had to take the initiative and find him.  Upon locating him, I was met with, “I didn’t even know I had an intern!”  He was a hilarious and wonderful person to work with…turns out he also lived a few towns over from me in NJ.

Besides developing relationships in the office with interns and Fox employees I also had a few celebrity sightings. I saw Dog the Bounty Hunter, Matt Bomer, Mark Walhberg, Eli Manning, Velociraptor and Humans of NY. Just the other day I walked right by Jesse McCartney, my childhood crush.  Since it was 8 am in the morning I questioned taking a picture with him.  Once he knew he had been “spotted” he hopped into his black sedan car and peaced out, I should’ve acted more quickly!   Fox also gave us a few perks including free movies screenings and personal viewing of 2014-2015 pilots for the next year. Gotham the prequel to beginning of Batman is going to be amazing--highly recommend seeing it!!

During my internship I had to pick a national casual dining restaurant and make a pitch to them on why they should invest in Fox Media Group as opposed to other networks. I was paired up with 5 other interns with Fox Sports along with other interns working for Fox and FX (Hispanic media and NatGeo). The restaurant we thought worked perfectly with Fox Sports was Buffalo Wild Wings, “Wings Beer Sports.” In addition to being assigned to supervisors and mentors, we also were assigned to team leaders who were a tremendous help!  Throughout the summer we researched the Buffalo Wild Wings, visited with them, and strategized the pitch.  To complete our assignment, we had to present the pitch to a Fox audience at the end of the internship. Everyone joked around saying how many people would attend.  We were assured that it would not be “…as many as in the past… not a big deal.” Well it turns out we presented a 20 minute pitch to over 200 people, the Fox president, execs, basically everyone you could think of…no pressure there, right?   

Thankfully my leadership roles at Carolina, voice performance/ theater background and public speaking came in handy for the Buffalo Wild Wings presentation.  Because we did so well and the Account Execs loved our ideas they are actually sharing our proposal with the client, Buffalo Wild Wings!

Some other fascinating things I got to do at Fox was sit in on phone calls with my team and client, observe how ad/sales works, communicate with the west coast, visit other networks like the YES network, have viewing parties of the World Cup (I won the bracket), hear other incredible Fox speakers in education sessions and even take Ad Sales 101. At the end of this internship  l certainly realized that Ad sales is so much more than selling TV air time and you must be passionate about the job that you hold in the work force. 'Treat getting a job, like it’s your job,' said my mentor.

I’ve learned that if you want to work in NYC it’s worth the time and effort.  Every challenge is an opportunity. Waking up at 5:30 a.m. and coming home after 7 p.m. is exhausting but very rewarding. Welcome to the real world! Absorb everything when you have a job of a lifetime.  It was so worth it. The walk to and from the Fox building on Avenue of the Americas, across from Radio City Music Hall, was always very entertaining. From walking through Times Square seeing super heroes and naked cowboys, to being in the theatre district and hoping to see James Franco or Bradley Cooper, to being close to Rockefeller center was phenomenal and a taste of what I want to continue to pursue after graduation.

I can’t wait to see all of you in a couple weeks!

Delta Love and all of mine,

Alex Randall"