Two UCFB students are gaining valuable work experience with JDG Sport, a leading independent provider of sport content and marketing services.
Dan Jones and Jay Karabel, who both study BA (Hons) Football Business & Marketing students, were granted the opportunity to work for JDG after the company approached UCFB looking for two students to help their client base.
Within JDG, Dan is responsible for finding clients and building working relationships, while Jay, pictured above, works with existing client Manchester Giants, with the aim of increasing the basketball side’s sponsorship revenue.
Speaking about the importance of investing time into work experience alongside his academic studies, Dan said: “I’ve had to put into practice the ideas I’ve taken from lectures, but seeing it in practice in the work place shows that there’s so much more to it.”
The last academic year saw Jay take part in a sales master class, run by successful businessman Ken Sharpe as part of the UCFB Complementary Curriculum. Speaking on how the class had better prepared him for this experience with JDG, Jay said: “Ken’s master class really helped me with my experience. It involved all areas of sales with a specific view into the sport industry. Certain approaches, persuasion strategies and closing skills were discussed in detail and that definitely better prepared me for my work with JDG Sports and Manchester Giants.”
Dan and Jay have future ambitions of expanding their own football businesses, with both currently in the process of kick-starting their companies. Dan runs Represent Soccer, which aims to help talented footballers fulfil their dreams of playing in America, while Jay is in the process of setting up Match Peak, which will offer non-league sides affordable performance analysis.
Asked how he has found the experience with JDG Sports so far, Jay said: “It has been really great because of how it has developed me personally and as a business and marketing student. I also hope to take the commercial skills into my business idea.”
Dan added: “It’s been an amazing experience! I’ve been given a free reign to shape my role to how I would like it. It’s made me even more passionate about running my own business and has given me plenty of new skills to do so.”
