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Former sportscaster turns to MBA program for future challenges

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

BY AUSTIN FALLEY

The typical sportscaster rarely wakes up one morning and decides to become an investment analyst; but, two years ago, MBA student Richard Smith did just that.

While Smith holds bachelor's degrees in marketing and international business from Kansas State University, his introduction to sports journalism started out on a whim. After a brief stint in the architecture program his freshman year, a friend suggested he volunteer covering sports at the campus radio station.

"When I decided to bail out of architecture, I was having so much fun doing radio that I decided to go the journalism route," Smith said. "After graduation I was in TV for about five and a half years. Initially, I worked at KOAM-TV in the Pittsburg/Joplin area for a little over a year-and-a-half, before moving on to KWCH-12 in Wichita for four-plus years."

Once his contract with KWCH-12 ended, Smith began looking for new career opportunities outside of the journalism field. He applied to the School of Business MBA program as one of his post-journalism options.

"My job search was going on just as TV was starting to get hit by the first ripples of the economic downturn," Smith said. "Stations were already seeing drops in advertising and began to freeze their hiring. As the summer went on and the job market only got bleaker, it wound up being the option that made the most sense for me. It has worked out beautifully." Smith already has a job lined up after he graduates in May.

Smith chose the School of Business based on his past experiences in Lawrence, the positive experiences his friends had in the MBA program and KU's proximity to many of his friends and family members.

"I really didn't have time to scour every MBA program in the country," Smith said. "But if I had it do again, even with the chance to look at more schools, I'd still come here over almost any other program in the country--I've had a great experience. Having a real, professional job shows you where what you learn in school ends and what you have to learn on your own in the real world to be successful begins. When I came back, much more so than in undergrad, I knew what I didn't know and I think that has allowed me to ask better questions, take better notes and generally get a lot more out of my classes."

Smith attributes his success at the School of Business to the myriad real-world opportunities available to students. During his time in the MBA program, Smith visited successful companies in Kansas City, Omaha Denver and Dallas. He considers the opportunity to work with, and obtain feedback from, real business executives as one of the most valuable lessons he has learned through the School of Business.

"Through programs organized by KU, I've had the chance to work on real-life projects for half a dozen legitimate, successful companies, everywhere from San Diego to Italy, and obtain valuable feedback from their top executives," Smith said. "There is only so much you can learn within the walls of a classroom. KU does a great job of giving its MBA students the chance to go beyond that."

After graduation in May, Smith will begin an investment analyst position at Sabre Holdings Corporation in Dallas, thanks to contacts he made during a School of Business-sponsored trip. Smith's trip with other MBAs to meet Warren Buffett earlier this year yielded key advice for his future: "If you know how to communicate well, your earning potential and success will be at least 50 percent greater over the course of your business career. " He is confident that his more than 10 years of journalism experience will greatly benefit him during his transition into the financial sector.

"My journalistic ability to look at a situation, understand the key factors, and then communicate clearly what's going on and why it's important is very helpful in business environments," Smith sai...