Ngozi Monu
The following story was submitted by Ngozi Monu, a 2016 fellow of The Perfect Game Foundation.
- Name: Ngozi Monu
- School: University of Washington
- Job or Internship: Inside Sales Representative, Portland Trail Blazers
How did working with The Perfect Game Foundation help you?
From the moment I met Del, he has been a tremendous influence in my life. During my senior year of college I was very overwhelmed and stressed out about finding a career in sports but Del made my process so much easier. From setting up informational interviews with influential people in the sports industry, to sending me job postings, Del was of great guidance to me every step of the way. He frequently checked up on me as well and made sure I had all the resources I needed to be successful. Even though I only met Del a year ago, it seems like I’ve known him my whole life. He has been an amazing mentor and friend, and I’m so thankful for the positive impact he has left on my life.
What advice would you pass on (‘Pay it Forward !) to others to aspire to work in sports?
Working in the sports industry is extremely competitive and can be very frustrating at times but my biggest piece of advice is to network as much as you can and never ever give up. If this is the career path you know you want to take, work hard, keep the faith, and your efforts will be rewarded! I thought right out of college I would have a job lined up, but it took me two extra months of networking and applying for various positions before I lined up a job. Networking is imperative to be successful, so make sure to utilize all your resources because you never know who might know someone within the organization you might want to work for.
In His Words
"There is no substitute for Excellence – not even success. Success is tricky, perishable and often outside our control; the pursuit of success makes a poor cornerstone, especially for a whole personality. Excellence is dependable, lasting and largely an issue within our own control; pursuit of excellence, in and for itself, is the best of foundations,” The Heart of the Order, by Thomas Boswell (Doubleday, 1989).