A Night With Niles Brandon, VP of Human Resources at Fanatics
Daibelis Acevedo
Stillman News Editor
On Thursday, November 18, 2021, the Marketing Department held their last event for the Fall semester’s Marketing Series. Niles Brandon from Fanatics honored us with his presence and knowledge. As Vice President of Human Resources at Fanatics, Niles walked us through his journey and what marketing managers are currently searching for.
Niles Brandon is originally from Bronx, New York, and he attended the University of Albany. After his four years there, Niles decided to follow the law school path and thought his dream was to become an attorney. Surely after a year in law school, Niles knew that it was not for him, and he completely changed his direction. Niles decided to travel to California and live there for some time, where he bags working for Paramount Pictures in their Human Resources department.
While sharing the importance of networking, Niles shared his own personal story on why networking helped him land the unique position he has now. Niles left one of his previous employments with great connections, and one of his old supervisors made a call and brought Niles onto Fanatics. “Build relationships early on, and do not be afraid to speak up,” said Niles when asked about his experience in trying to network.
Furthermore, the conversation shifted focus to what Fanatics is currently looking for in talent and how students can prepare for a career at the company. Niles shared that it is imperative to be able to differentiate yourself from the people around you. He gave us an interesting metaphor, and he said, “your resume is the ticket to the dance, but once you get there, you need to be able to dance.” Niles advised students that their resume isn’t everything, and they need to prove themselves and showcase themselves beyond what is already on the paper. This metaphor resonated with all the students and staff at the event.
Additionally, Fanatics is looking for individuals from a sports background, especially since they are big on diversity and inclusion. One of the most important values at Fanatics is culture. Niles shared that being able to execute your knowledge and idea of culture is extremely important to employers at Fanatics.
Here are some additional tips directly from Niles Brandon:
• Be more focused on hard skills
• Ask questions and do not be afraid
• Don’t take yourself too seriously; enjoy the journey
• Be innovative and always be one step ahead
• There is a huge benefit in being able to try different things and expand your horizons
• Network, network, network
At the event, students and Niles also shared information about hot topics like NFTs, data, ethics, and much more! This event was a huge success, and SHU greatly appreciates Niles Brandon’s attendance and advice.
Contact Daibelis at daibelis.acevedo@student.shu.edu