Media Sales Institute for recent graduates to feature job fair, training seminars

Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is accepting applications for an all-expenses-paid workshop this summer for recent college graduates interested in launching careers in media sales.

The Cronkite School is hosting the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation’s Media Sales Institute on June 6-13, 2017. The weeklong immersion program is open to recent college graduates across the country to help prepare them for media sales careers in the broadcast industry.

Up to 30 fellows will be accepted and will receive NABEF Media Sales Certification as well as transportation, housing and meals at no cost. Recent and soon-to-be college graduates can apply at http://nabef.org/msi/registration.asp.

The Media Sales Institute includes sales-training seminars, mentorship and networking opportunities with leading industry professionals, as well as a job fair at its conclusion where attendees will interview with more than 20 local and national media outlets.

Past graduates of the institute have gone on to work at broadcast sales positions for companies including Cox Media, E.W. Scripps Co., Hearst Television, Raycom Media, Sinclair Broadcast Group and TEGNA. Paige Charday, who graduated from MSI in 2016, said the institute helped her land a job as an account executive at FOX 5, KVVU-TV, in Las Vegas.

“There was so much I learned from the institute,” Charday said. “It was great to work with so many great people in learning how to solve critical situations. This is such a great thing to have as a first step in your career.”

This marks the fourth year the Cronkite School is hosting the Media Sales Institute, which features sessions with seasoned media sales executives such as Margie Albert, a 30-year award-winning media professional who co-directs the program with Cronkite Assistant Dean Mark Lodato.

ASU is one of only three select institutions to host this event. Florida A&M University and Howard University are the other universities holding Media Sales Institutes in 2017.

“The NABEF Media Sales Institute at Arizona State University continues to accept and develop professional candidates for rewarding careers in broadcasting,” said NABEF President Marcellus Alexander. “The success of our graduates validates the effectiveness of the program and its importance to the media industry.”

The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reinforcing the future of broadcasting through a commitment to education and to advancing excellence in the diversity and community service efforts in broadcasting. In addition to the Media Sales Institute, the foundation offers a number of professional development programs, including the Broadcast Leadership Training Program and the Leadership Development Institute.