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Meet Eric Markham: Sports Journalist.

CP= Career Planet
EM= Eric Markham

CP: What is your title?
EM: Sports Journalist Intern

CP: Where do you work?
EM:  I work for the The Daily Voice

CP: What do you LOVE most about your job?
EM: I really enjoy meeting new people for instance tomorrow morning I am going to interview Clarence Seedorf who is a soccer player for AC Milan.

CP: Have you had any other jobs?
EM: I work as an editor for my University Newspaper called The Exponent. I have also had a lot of other random jobs such as waiting tables but I hope that those days are in the past.

CP: When you were at school, what type of career did you think you would follow?
EM:  I was always intent of becoming a writer but it is recently that I decided to become a sports journalist.

CP:  Which qualification/s are needed for this career?
EM: To be a good reporter you must have a lot of contacts so I would say that you must be an extrovert and not be afraid of meeting new people.

CP: What made you decide to choose that study path?
EM:  I enjoy sports and I love to write so I figured that I might be good at sports writing.

CP:  How long did you study for, and do you still do any training?
EM:  I’ve been studying for three years and I still have one year left of college.

CP:  Have you ever done any volunteer work to gain experience?
EM:  Yes, right now I am volunteering for the Daily Voice Newspaper here in Cape Town. I am here to gain international experience because I am always looking for new ways to broaden my horizons to become more employable.

CP: What made you decide to choose the job that you are doing now?
EM: I have always wanted to do this job from when I was a kid.

CP: Please tell about a typical day at work (including the main duties etc)
EM:  Well I get into the office around 10am and I read the Daily Voice. I always I have few stories that I am working on and that take a while to write so I work on those. Then people around the office give me random assignments. Today for example I helped a co-worker work on a soccer story.

CP: What are the main tools that you use daily
EM:  Computer, pen and pad and a voice recorder.

CP:  Does your job involve managing other people?
EM: No.

CP: Do you work office hours or flexi-time?
EM:  It’s pretty flexible. I work from Sunday to Thursday.

CP:  Do you work in a relaxed or a formal environment?
EM: Relaxed!

CP:  What is the dress code for your job?
EM:  Jeans and t-shirt mostly however when I do interviews I wear business casual.

CP:  What is the worst/or most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you at work?
EM:  Once during an interview I forgot the questions I was suppose to ask and kept stumbling over my words.

CP: What are the prospects for career growth?
EM:  The growth options are endless. If I work hard and make a name for myself I could become an anchor for ESPN.

CP:  Does your job include travelling?
EM:  Yes, I travel with sports teams to get the stories.

CP: Describe the kind of person that you think most suits this type of work
EM:  No matter how far you are in your career you have to be really ambitious to get all the information and you must be very careful of what you put in the paper because the media has a lot of power.

CP:  Do you have any tips for people thinking about this career?
EM: Listen to you superiors because you will be learning for the rest of your career.

CP:  What other options/possibilities are there for career growth in this field?
EM:  Lots

CP:  What are some of the main companies/organizations that provide employment in your field?
EM:  All major newspapers, and ESPN.

CP: Are there opportunities for entrepreneurs in this field?
EM: Yes, because its changing from print to internet so anyone that can make new ways to put the information on the internet will be very successful.

CP: Do you have hobbies?
EM:  I enjoy reading and playing sports.