MSI Spotlight: Jay Holloway

Greetings,

My name is Jay Holloway and I was the Facilitator and a Faculty member for
the MSI@HU from 2002–2010. As an alumnus of Howard, it was very
fulfilling for me to return to my alma mater and help recent graduates
from all over the country embark on a new career in media sales. The
experience of meeting, interacting and following up with top-performing
industry professionals has been an unduplicated opportunity. The intense
training and exposure is more than what any university academic curriculum
could provide otherwise.

I have personally witnessed participants enter the program at various
stages of interest and exposure to media sales. Regardless of their
experience, I coached the vast majority of them through the program,
resulting in increased confidence in their own talents, skills, abilities
and potential. Participants are introduced to the latest trends, tools
and products, but aren’t expected to master them in order to get the job.
They obtain the skills and product knowledge on their new job. In other
words, participants can be successful beyond their imagination if they
like to make money and have these following attributes:

• Good communication skills
• Detail focus
• Ethical
• Goal oriented
• Initiative
• Positive mental attitude
• Resourceful
• Team oriented.

I can confirm that this program has historically provided the serious,
motivated, and disciplined college graduate with a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to successfully enter a career in media sales working with
some of the best media companies in the world!

Notification

Greetings,

For easier access, we have created a stand-alone page for MSI Spotlight coverage. You can visit our SPOTLIGHT site, which will link directly to all of our individual spotlight stories. Thank-you very much for your continued support of our program!

MSI Spotlight: Professor Bowers

Greetings,

The NABEF-MSI provides a stellar program for graduated seniors who are passionate about pursuing a career in media sales. Leaders within the media field agree to serve as faculty and organize and develop a specified agenda topic and deliver a professional workshop for the students. Additionally, the participants have the opportunity to interact with these high level leaders; an opportunity that people currently working in the industry rarely get! Not only do the participants receive training from movers and shakers within the industry, they are also interviewed by high level recruiters who are actively looking to hire for open positions.

The importance of the Media Sales Institute for companies in the media field continues to expand. Companies continue to seek candidates of color for positions in media sales. This need continues to expand with each successive year of the Institute.
Lesley Bowers has served as Program Administrator and Program Facilitator for the MSI. Her role is outlined here:
• Serves as a liaison between the Institute and the media industry
• Tracks NABEF-MSI graduates throughout the year
• Maintains contact with graduates and provides updates on their employment status
• Provides follow-up advice and employment assistance to graduates
• Assists in making arrangements for workshop faculty (and MSI presenters)
• Supervises creation and production of the quarterly newsletter which is distributed to recruiters, MSI faculty and their respective companies, MSI graduates, potential schools from which applicant pool comes
• Conducts MSI workshop and supervises final student presentations
• Serves as a faculty presenter during the Institute
• Coordinates and facilitates all on-site sessions during the NABEF-MSI
• Provides intense, high quality individualized tutoring and mentoring for student participants on a continuous basis for the duration of the Institute; Holloway lives in the dorm with participants to be available to them at all times.
• Assists in coordinating and directing students’ final presentations; provides rehearsal opportunities and feedback
• Delivers selected targeted professional lectures
• Organizes final presentation sessions

For the final two days of the Institute, each student prepares a randomly-selected simulated media sales pitch which is offered in the morning as a 7-10 minute presentation before a field of professional recruiters. The afternoon is spent in scheduled one-on-one interviews. At this time, recruiters have an opportunity to meet and talk with students face to face.

MSI Spotlight: Alexis Cook

Greetings!

My name is Alexis Cook and I am a Advertising Account Executive at AT&T. I started working for AT&T in September of 2011 and I absolutely love my job. Although AT&T was not one of the recruiting companies at MSI, I still give credit to the 2011 Media Sales Institute for introducing me to this side of the multi-media and advertising world.

AT&T is one of the nation's leaders in small business advertising. In short, I help my clients come up with affordable, effective and lead generating advertising programs that give them a great return on their investment through direct mail, online, digital, mobile and on-air venues. Some of my clients have been advertising with us for years, while others may have just opened their business in the last week; whatever the situation, I find out their advertising goals and help them come up with an advertising program to fit their needs.

MSI was great to me for several reasons:

1. I met a lot of great companies and contacts in the media, sales and communications industry.

2. I learned the nuts and bolts about all types of media sales. This knowledge not only helped me to impress my interviewers, but it continues to help me stand out among some of my more seasoned co-workers and our competitors by giving me the well rounded advantage to be able to come up with competitive ways of positioning our products to potential clients.

3. It boosted my confidence as a future sales/marketing/advertising professional and gave me more job options. By the end of July, MSI granted me over 12 interviews and several job offers with some of the nation's top communications/ media companies.

MSI Spotlight: Justin Shields

Greetings,

After graduating from the program, I decided not to immediately take a position in media sales and instead secured a position with the Department of Justice. As for the institute itself, my experience was priceless. Great institute mates combined with dynamic and insightful speakers made for a memorable MSI 2010.

I still have contact with some people that I met nearly two years ago, and I'm grateful. I would encourage future institute participants to take advantage of all the connects and opportunities that MSI presents. If everything adds up for the right person at the right time, MSI has the potential not just to create a mere job, but a career.

MSI Spotlight: Debbie Manigat

Greetings,

Debbie Manigat is a Howard University graduate and participated in the 2009 Media Sales Institute at her own alma mater. Growing up, Debbie just knew she wanted to be the next Oprah Winfrey, now she laughs that she wants to be more like “Dr. Drew”!... All jokes aside, Debbie says her heart simply pumps to help families repair from emotional, physical, and substance abuse. Today, Debbie is a Therapist-in-Training at Palm Beach Atlantic University completing her Master of Science Degree in Counseling Psychology with a dual focus in Mental Health and Marriage & Family Therapy.

Debbie and her husband, Wilson, hope to be the next leading Marriage & Family Therapists in America helping to keep families together and marriages thriving. She is also a mentor for the Women of Tomorrow, member of the South Florida Association of Christian Counselors, and Founder of Visions of Virtue, a faith-based performing arts program for youth. Finally, Debbie is also the 2011 Golden Key Graduate Scholar Award Winner of $20,000 towards her graduate studies.

New Year, Innovations

Greetings,

Happy New Year to all! I hope that your Holiday season was blessed. We have a lot planned for the 12th Annual Media Sales Institute at Howard University. Notably, this week we will be finalizing our BRAND NEW CURRICULUM for the 2012 program. We are so excited to share the new and innovative plans that we have for this summer.

Of course, the New Year also brings a plethora of new information. Notably, our General Deadlines is February 3, 2012. That's exactly one month from today! Even so, we would like to announce that our Extended (and Final) Deadline is currently set for April 6, 2012. We have already received a solid amount of applications; however, we will continue to promote the program well into this Semester.

So thank-you for your time and patience. We look forward to keeping you updated on all that goes on with the Media Sales Institute at Howard University.

MSI Spotlight: Latricia Simpson

Greetings,

In regards to my post MSI 2002 experience, it has been good overall. I started in the media industry in radio sales, and 10 yrs later I am still in sales as the Vice President of Sales for CBS/Entercom. I have worked in both NY and LA, and have been employed by Clear Channel, Interep, and now Katz all without changing my overall job description. I will say the industry, particularly radio, has gone through some tough times these past couple of years, and compression is huge in the national arena, but it is still a great industry to be a part of and I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

There is a need for more diversity in the business overall, even though it has definitely gotten better than when I started, and having more programs like MSI helps with getting the word out that this business exists. Overall media is a career that I will be in for many many more years, and the information learned and relationships made from my start with the Sales Institute still proves invaluable to me today.

MSI Spotlight: Marcellus Alexander

Greetings,

I am Marcellus Alexander, President of the NAB Education Foundation (NABEF). In that role, my responsibilities include oversight of our Foundation’s programs. The Media Sales Institutes (MSI) provide very important training by NABEF in cooperation with our university partners, and are of personal interest to me. You see, I had the privilege of having Ernie Fears, Jr., the founder of this program and former HU professor, as my mentor. I am committed to evolving and keeping the program fresh and relevant to our industry.

The Media Sales Institute at Howard University helps prepare its graduates to succeed in the media sales space, while putting them for on a path for growth and advancement in the broadcast industry. Graduates of this program begin their search for important sales positions by presenting to and talking with recruiters from major media companies. In competing for these jobs, they enjoy a distinct advantage over others due to this effective training.

“I strongly recommend that upcoming, rising seniors who have an interest in being the best in media sales, apply to participate in this career enhancing opportunity!” - MA