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Molly Danielson

Job title:Season Sales Account Executive

Employer:Portland Trail Blazers (NBA)

Studied:MA Sport Management

Why did you decide to do a postgraduate course?

Career progression was my initial thought to do a master's. The other draw was the personal interest to study abroad and meet people interested in sport business around the world. I was also offered a scholarship through basketball, so it was a "no brainer" to do my master's overseas.

Tell us a bit about your experience as a postgraduate student.

I've managed to balance classes, basketball and work pretty well. I was able to travel around Europe during my stay, explore new things and, therefore, improve my level of general knowledge. I've also managed to build my network and carry those relationships back home in the US.

What’s the most important thing you learned?

How to study in the UK and adapt to the English culture (i.e. compare personalities, expectations, and societal understandings to my own culture in the States).

Have your studies helped you with your current role?

The international experiences allow me to be more open-minded with my colleagues and clients and my sport management studies at Solent enabled me to become more client-centric.

Molly Danielson

My personal relationship with my lecturers was key. Their industry connections and willingness to grow the course was a great motivator throughout my studies.

Did you do any work experience as part of your course?

I gained work experience through the University's basketball performance programme, Team Solent Kestrels, in the sponsorship and broadcasting fields. It was great to collaborate with students of all nationalities from various courses.

Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of studying a postgraduate course?

Make sure to reach out to lecturers before entering the programme to make sure it is the right fit for your career goals. A master's is adding value to your undergraduate degree and can boost your career, but you want to make sure you’re fully invested in it. Be ready to engage with every aspect of the course or wait until you are ready to take this path.

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