One Sports Leadership Student Shares His Experience Transitioning Careers

Tom Pomeroy’s professional background falls well outside the lines of the sports field. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at Northeastern and went on to work at a law firm. So when Pomeroy decided to switch careers to pursue his love of sports, he knew he needed quality experience in order for his resumé to float to the top of the application pile.

Pomeroy grew up swimming and playing football, soccer, and lacrosse. In his time outside the law firm, he found himself back on the field, coaching youth lacrosse and wondering if it were possible to parlay his enthusiasm for sports into a career. After looking into the Sports Leadership program at Northeastern, hearing about the Double Husky discount, and sitting in on Dr. Robert Prior’s class, he was all in.

Pomeroy was drawn to Northeastern for two reasons. The first being the university’s reputation and co-op program. “I knew I wanted to test out a few different career options,” he says. The second was his grandfather, who graduated in 1949. “His pride in the school and gratitude for what it gave him made it appealing for me to continue here.”

Pomeroy has taken advantage of new opportunities to gain experience and exposure to different kinds of jobs through Northeastern’s Experiential Network (XN), which connects graduate students with sponsoring organizations to work on short-term, virtual projects.

He worked with Stanford University on one project to conduct a feasibility analysis of operational improvements to recreation facilities by installing lights on recreational fields. For another, he worked for the Vancouver Canucks on an in-depth analysis of the success rate of NCAA free agent signings.

These XN projects have been especially useful to Pomeroy as an adult transitioning careers and he credits them with much more than just resumé builders.

“The XN approach works well because it creates a great working relationship with an alumni for a short project,” he says. “The requirements are clear, the goals are straightforward, and it gives students a chance to put some of the theory learned in the classroom to work in a meaningful way.”

In addition, Pomeroy is finding that XN projects allow for multiple opportunities for short informational interviews. “As the project moves along and check-ins with the sponsor happen, there are times when you can ask about the career of the sponsor and what it means to move from student to professional,” he says. “This creates a stronger connection and a better relationship.”

Pomeroy expects to graduate in the spring of 2017. Having realized he can turn his passion for sports into a career, he wants to do the same for others. His goal is to find a role in athletics administration where he can support athletes in pursuit of their own passions.