Practical training at JYP Jyväskylä Oy

When I applied for an internship position at JYP, I was a bit skeptical. I was a business student specializing in marketing, with no studies in any kind of sports business or sports management. What I did have though, was a lifelong interest in sports and ice hockey. A passion, even. When I got the phone call from the person who interviewed me, telling me I got accepted, I remember feeling this combination of excitement and anxiety. Something of an imposter syndrome was creeping into my mind. What if I wasn’t good enough? What I would fail? It was a great opportunity to gain valuable experience and to prove to myself, to them, and to JAMK, that I have what it takes to succeed. I didn’t want to fail.

These fears were quickly erased, however, as I noticed after a few weeks that my previous work experience and JAMK had given me all the necessary tools to succeed. It was just a matter of trusting myself and working hard. What also made the beginning easy was how welcoming the staff was at the entire organization. They knew that I was still an intern, yet gave me both responsibility and guidance, to help me grow as a professional. They didn’t dump too much information or workload on me but gradually increased it, to ensure that I stayed up to speed. Suddenly I had gone from being a hockey fan and a customer to someone working in the industry.

During my internship, my main tasks were customer service at the office, selling tickets, handling the reservations for VIP spaces for the games, and helping out with different sales and marketing projects. I remember the first meeting I got to join, it was about the new strategy that JYP had been planning. During the meeting, my input and opinions were valued and asked for, which really made me feel like I was a real part of the company, not just some random intern there to make coffee and sell tickets.

The best part about my internship was definitely the people I got to work with and the atmosphere at the company. Everyone was always very friendly and supportive, which helped me feel valued. As a hockey fan, I also loved how I got to see and work behind the scenes, to make sure that each JYP home game was as successful as possible, both for the fans and the organization.

Near the end of my internship, I was called to the CEO’s room. I knew I had done well, so I wasn’t nervous, but I was expecting simply some final feedback and a pat on the back. What I got, was a job offer for the summer. I felt both happy and proud, that I had done well enough that they wanted to keep me for the summer. I didn’t think it could have, but it got even better. At the end of June, I was again summoned to the CEO’s room. This time, they asked me if I was interested to work there beyond the summer, for the upcoming 22-23 hockey season. I had another job offer on the table for the fall, but it didn’t take me long to decide what I wanted to do. They wanted to keep me, and I wanted to stay.

So here I am, writing this. Still a hockey fan, but no longer an intern, but a full-time employee at the office. I turned that passion into a job. And I couldn’t be happier.

Author: Miska Sipponen