It’s not unusual for kids to dream of being a professional athletes, but most know that might not be in their future by the time they’re leaving high school.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t work in sports or work for an organization like the Milwaukee Bucks.
On Thursday, more than 300 high school students from 10 Milwaukee-area schools went to Fiserv Forum to learn more about what some of the Bucks staff do for their jobs. The students also heard from employees at ManpowerGroup and learned about some of the careers the company has to offer.
ManpowerGroup is celebrating its 75th anniversary and partnered with the Bucks to put on an event to create a “spark” of interest for the students to consider as they think of life beyond high school.
“When I was your age, I had no idea what I wanted to do. And that’s OK,” Jonas Prising, CEO of ManpowerGroup, told the students. “But I was curious, and I tried different things. And eventually somebody took me under their wing and I learned different jobs.”
Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, helped organize the event.
“The whole point of this program was to create a spark for you,” Sheehy told the students. “We want you to see everything you can and think about everything you can be.”
They heard from employees that work in business, finance, marketing, technology and advanced manufacturing.
“There’s a thousand schools in Milwaukee and they chose 10, and I don’t want to leave any stones unturned,” Kingsema’j Dixon, a senior at Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, said.
During the business session, Dixon said he learned the value of saving money.
“You got $50, spend $30, save $20,” Dixon said, adding they talked about investing . “What would you rather do if you got $25 million, get it in three (installments) or get it right away? And I said ‘Get it in three’ but he made a point to get (all $25 million) right away so you can invest more money. That was something I took away.”
The sessions helped Dixon explore his interests and shaped how he thinks about his future.
“I want to go to school for sports administration,” Dixon said, but she added one of the Bucks staffers cautioned about focusing too much on sports because some companies put sports majors in silos, thinking employees can work in athletics only and not in another industry.
“I should go to school for business too,” Dixon said. “I should diversify myself in business and sports to have more opportunity to make money.”
Finding passion in a job
Nina Grimsic, human resources manager at Fiserv Forum, was impressed with the students.
She said it’s important for them to see the other jobs that are involved with an athletic organization.
“It let’s them know that there are options,” Grimsic said. “When you think of traditional jobs that they may be going to school for, there are other options and there are other ways to be involved in sports other than just playing.”
One question that came up repeatedly was about employees salaries. But Grimsic said there is more to a job than how much it pays.
“It’s more important for them to find something they’re passionate about instead of looking at the numbers behind it,” Grimsic said. “Especially when you’re a younger kid and looking at what to do for the rest of your life, money sounds really important. And while it is for a lot of people, there’s also a lot of other factors that go into it. Whether it’s work-life balance or what they can take away from the job… for a lot of people it’s easier to get up and go do what you enjoy rather than just getting a paycheck for it.”
The program emphasized to students to find a job they are passionate about.
“I’ve been really excited about doing what I do for a living, which is helping people find meaningful and sustainable employment, everyday, all across the world,” Prising said. “That, if I can give you any advice, is really what I would encourage you to do. As you think about what it is you want to do, number one, try lots of different things; and number two, choose something that you’re passionate about… don’t worry about what others tell you to do or what you think you should do. Go with your heart, go with your passion, go with your interests.”