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Parent Department University of Florida

You Deserve a Seat at the Table

By Matthew Drayer

Matthew is a senior studying Information Systems at the Warrington College of Business and minoring in Innovation. Matthew held positions as Vice President of Gator Sports Management Organization and Director of Outreach for UF Club Pickleball. Outside of UF, Matthew interned at NBC Sports Next on the GolfNow Sales Operations team where he worked with Salesforce developers and administrators. Most recently, Matthew finished his IRTS fellowship in NYC where he learned from an extensive list of media professionals at companies such as HBO, Fox Sports, and NBCUniversal. After college, Matthew hopes to secure a full-time role as an analyst or on an operations team.

Matthew Drayer

One challenge that many people face within professional atmospheres is imposter syndrome. This challenge was a hurdle I had to overcome during my fellowship in New York City this summer. The fellowship I was a part of was IRTS, a selective program dedicated to building future media leaders and promoting diversity within the industry. Out of 1,500 applicants, I was selected along with 39 other “fellows” to spend nine weeks in New York City to learn from industry professionals, network, and intern at a media company. The first week of the program was orientation week where we attended multiple company visits and met with media executives. Being in one of the world’s biggest cities and having the opportunity to learn/network with high-level executives at top companies left me feeling like an imposter. After discussing this topic with my colleagues, I realized that I was not alone. I battled imposter syndrome for most of the summer, but I refused to let it tarnish the experience.

After reflecting on this summer and imposter syndrome, I realized that it is important to have confidence in your abilities and the person that you are. Also, I believe it is important to take pride in your accomplishments and previous experience. Your accomplishments and experience in college lay the foundation for what you can bring to the table. If you find facing similar feelings, take comfort in knowing that the recruiters saw something in you that made you stand out and that you deserve to be there. A piece of advice I heard from a former fellow this summer is that you have nothing to prove only to share. I believe it is important to remember this early on in your professional career and to not lose sight of the fact that you are in a learning phase. Lastly, if you do find yourself experiencing imposter syndrome, know that you are not alone and that it is normal to feel this way.

One of the most important things I have learned during my networking experiences this summer is that your experience in the Innovation Academy is extremely attractive to recruiters. Before I continue, I think it is important to preface that when I first got accepted into IA, I had my doubts. I failed to see the value that it would bring at the time, but I took a leap of faith, and am so grateful that I did. Every time I bring up Innovation Academy and the skills I have gained from the curriculum in an interview or networking session, it is always one of the highlights of the conversation. I highly recommend taking full advantage of your time in the minor program and getting involved as much as you can. I can confidently say the skills I learned in the Innovation Academy have played an integral role in getting me where I am today.