Bears host Career Expo for college students at Halas Hall
Story by Gabby Hajduk, photos by Jacob Funk and Bailey Black
Last Thursday, the Bears hosted more than 40 college students at Halas Hall for the club's third annual Career Expo to teach them about the various career paths within the professional sports industry. Students heard from members of the front office and business operations staff about their path to the Bears and day-to-day responsibilities.
The students, ranging from incoming freshmen to seniors, are all members of either Alpfa, HOPE Chicago, Chicago Scholars or Project Love Chicago — non-profit organizations in the Chicagoland area that focus on historically underrepresented and marginalized communities.
The Career Expo was hosted by the Bears' Diversity, Equity & Inclusion department and aims to give students a behind-the-scenes look at the roles and people that help a professional sports franchise operate successfully. The goal is to increase awareness of opportunities in the sports industry and create an expanded pipeline of future talent.
Along with the afternoon programming, students were invited to attend camp practice that morning. The groups watched practice and ate lunch from the Bear Garden on the third floor of Halas Hall.
Once practice concluded, Bears chairman George H. McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren came by to kick off the program. McCaskey also reconnected with Chicago Scholars, the non-profit he represented in the 2023 My Cause My Cleats initiative.
McCaskey spoke to the students first and explained the difference between his path to the Bears as one of owner Virginia Halas McCaskey's 11 children compared to most of the organization's path to the club.
He urged the students to start on their own path today, not tomorrow, and "make the most out of this experience." His main piece of advice to the students was to ask each employee's path to the Bears and how they could chart their own.
McCaskey then introduced Warren, who he referred to as the "epitome of hard work," disclosing that he often receives work-related texts from Warren at 4 a.m.
Warren took time to share his journey to the Bears, which included careers as a lawyer and sports agent before working various in front office positions at the St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings before becoming commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.
Warren spoke about his upbringing in Phoenix, Ariz., where his parents taught him the importance of academics and discipline. He also shared the story of the life-altering accident he endured at 11 years old when he was hit by a car while riding his bike, putting him in traction and a full body cast for months.
He told students that following the accident, he dedicated his life to changing the world for the better and pushing past his comfort level daily. Warren concluded by telling students to set goals and dreams so large that it causes those around to them chuckle, and reminded them that "you can work your way into greatness."
After McCaskey's and Warren's words to the group, manager of DEI Mallorie Sanders provided students an overview of the Career Expo's goals and what to expect for the remainder of the program.
For the next hour, students participated in an information fair, where 10 departments at the club were represented: corporate partnership & activation, corporate communications, social media, digital media, community & alumni relations, marketing, business strategy & analytics, ticket sales & services, human resources and information technology.
The students had the opportunity to meet with employees from each department and learn about their roles in the club, their path to the Bears, their college experiences and make professional connections.
Bears employees fielded a array of questions about building a portfolio or resume, the process of making the team's schedule release video, how fans are able to immerse themselves in AR technology through the George Halas and Walter Payton statues at Soldier Field, challenges they faced in their career journey, how data is connected to business strategy and how partnerships are formed.
The staff members were impressed by the students' willingness to learn, interest in each of their roles, confidence in asking questions and prior knowledge of the industry.
Once the information fair concluded, students watched a panel moderated by director of corporate communications Micaeh Johnson, talent acquisition coordinator Ana Rodriguez and football communications associate Kenny Rolle II.
Rodriguez spoke to the students and answered questions regarding the job application process, what human resources departments look for in candidates and ways to stand out to employers. She told students that the three most important traits she looks for in a candidate are work ethic, teamwork and adaptability.
Rolle discussed his experience as a member of the Bears associate development program, a 12-month experience for recent college graduates who are looking to gain experience in the sports industry. He gave students an insight on his path to the Bears, what he did in college to prepare for the professional world and the stressed importance of networking, mentorship and experience.
Veteran safety Kevin Byard III surprised the students during the panel to close out the programming. He shared his journey through the NFL – spending his first seven seasons in Tennessee and being traded to Philadelphia midway through last season before signing with the Bears in March.
Byard gave the students advice and fielded questions about how to navigate changes in life, his internal motivations and what he learned in college at Middle Tennessee. The 9-year pro expressed the importance of staying intentional through life and creating goals to achieve in the next month, year, five years and 10 years.
Students were invited to share their favorite experiences and what they learned at the Bears Career Expo. Responses can be found here.
