Internship Story: Jared Nightingale at Saratoga Springs Race Track

Jared Nightingale searched LinkedIn for a summer marketing internship near his hometown of Saratoga Springs, New York. He landed at the Saratoga Springs Race Track, a premiere location for summer horse racing.

Why did you choose to intern at the Saratoga Springs Race Track?

I’ve always been interested in sports. I figured this internship would be a great opportunity to build my resume for a future position in sports marketing. My experience presented many opportunities to gain experience in marketing.

What were your internship tasks?

The Saratoga Springs Race Track is a very popular vacation destination. There will often be special events and giveaways to entertain and attract patrons. My internship involved planning and coordinating events such as celebrity meet and greets, giveaways, live performances, and many other special events. I also oversaw “Taste NY,” a sampling tent filled with many New York-based vendors. My internship had a fair share of both planning and producing these events.

What did you like most about your marketing internship?

Every week there were new projects and events to run, so I always felt engaged and important in my internship. The networking I was able to do during the summer will be beneficial to my career. My favorite experience was when I met New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley. I was his escort for the day, and we hit it off. He’s offered me the opportunity to work for the Charles Oakley Foundation and plan his book signing in Saratoga next summer. None of my friends believed my story about him, but that changed when Charles gave me a shout-out during an interview on Fox Sports.

What were the biggest challenges you faced as an intern?

Staying productive on the not-so-busy days. There is so much going on throughout the day at the track. My boss couldn’t be on top of us telling us what to do all the time. Another challenge I faced was watching over the Budweiser Clydesdales. It was very overwhelming. There were ten 2,000-pound horses, and everyone wanted to touch them. Learning the sport of horse racing was another challenge. The gambling laws are so specific that understanding the business practices was hard at first. But now I understand everything, which has given me a new appreciation for the sport.

What things did you learn during your marketing internship that you couldn’t have learned in the classroom?

I learned how to act in a professional setting. Given the degree of clientele that I was around, I was able to pick up on how high-profile people handle themselves while working. Another thing I learned during my internship experience is the art of flexibility. There would be events that we spent weeks planning, and something out of our control would happen to derail the process.

How will this internship experience help you as you move forward in your career?

I now have a marketing internship at a prestigious entertainment venue on my resume, which will appeal to employers. I was able to see and learn about many different areas of marketing, which has helped me figure out what I would be interested in doing for a job after college. This internship also connected me with Charles Oakley. Working for his foundation next summer is going to be incredible.

Any advice to share with other MBS students considering an internship?

You have nothing to lose! I suggest beefing up your LinkedIn profile because that’s where I found this internship. LinkedIn is the easiest way to market yourself.

Jared Nightingale, Class of 2024
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, New York
Major: Marketing
Internship Title: Marketing Intern