photo by Bryan College
For Bryan senior golfer Daniella Banda, the internship of a lifetime fell into her lap while browsing LinkedIn. In November of 2018, Ms. Banda saw a post about a “Careers in Golf” event hosted by the National Collegiate Club Golf Association in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Although the event was listed as “male-only,” Ms. Banda reached out anyway and received an invitation to attend. The event connected her with recruiters from the Golf Channel, PGA of America, USGA, Buffalo Agency and other major golfing representatives, including the Ladies Professional Golf Association. During her time at the Careers in Golf event, she realized her goal was to intern for the LPGA, so she identified internship opportunities on LinkedIn and began the application process.
With the helpful advice and proofreading services from Bryan’s Career Services Center, Ms. Banda crafted on application that highlighted her experience and determination to have a career in golf. She achieved her goal – she was awarded an internship with the LPGA Foundation for the summer of 2019.
Ms. Banda spent that summer working primarily under the LPGA and USGA Girls Golf brand, performing tasks that ranged from publishing newsletters to conducting an audit for over 500 site directors. Part of her work also entailed traveling to the LPGA Leadership Academy in California to teach golf and oversee on-site logistics.
Ms. Banda stressed the important role networking played for her in reaching her goals, stating, “Take a chance and attend an event. It’s scary to travel solo or be in a space where you don’t know anyone, but you can make some amazing friends through those experiences. In addition, those opportunities can give you exposure to information outside of your curriculum.”
To feel more confident and sharpen her skills, she focused on practicing an elevator pitch and setting goals for each event she attended.
“One of my most important tips is to take the path less traveled and do things that scare you,” said Ms. Banda. “Last year was important to me because I started to mold my career path and I identified what I enjoyed. In addition, you can build your network, travel the world, meet people, explore your passions and develop yourself professionally – all for free.”