The sports industry has a reputation for being highly competitive, ‘closed-off,’ and difficult to break into. Here are three tips that can help you when looking to work in sports and landing a full-time job in the industry. 1. Your Network Is Your Net Worth I’m sure you’ve heard these two expressions repeatedly: ‘Your network […]
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The sports industry has a reputation for being highly competitive, ‘closed-off,’ and difficult to break into. Here are three tips that can help you when looking to work in sports and landing a full-time job in the industry.
1. Your Network Is Your Net Worth
I’m sure you’ve heard these two expressions repeatedly: ‘Your network is your net worth’ and ‘It is not what you know, but who you know’. This could not be more true for the sports industry, especially as the competition for jobs grows daily. There are numerous benefits to networking, including the ability to learn from others who have been in your position or are in the place you aspire to reach one day, and the ability to find new career opportunities. According to The Diversity Dashboard, 80% of jobs are filled through networking, implying that hundreds of jobs are not advertised publicly. When it comes to growing your network, here are three things that can help you when reaching out to people working in the industry:
A. Using templates
Having several templates to use makes it easier to send that initial message to a new network. You can then tweak it as needed based on who you’re reaching out to. This person could be someone you met at a conference, a recruiter, or someone you would like career advice from.
B. Figure out your main reason for wanting to connect beforehand
You want your message to convey precisely what you want from the get-go. Be clear with your intentions, purpose for reaching out, and what you’d like to achieve—for example, learning more about the individual’s job role, finding out about specific job openings, or getting career advice.
C. LinkedIn is your best friend
LinkedIn is an effective and straightforward way to search for, find and connect with other industry professionals, and the most suitable platform for staying in touch with all the connections you’ve made. You can also join LinkedIn groups with people who share your interests to expand your network further.
2. Gaining Work Experience (early on) Goes a Long Way
Anyone interested in working in sports should gain as much work experience as possible. The most common ways are through internships, volunteering, job shadowing, university placements, and graduate schemes. The first advantage is that it gives you a competitive edge when applying for full-time jobs. Many hiring managers may not be too concerned with whether you have a sports-related degree from university. However, the type of experience you’ve gained and the skills you’ve developed will set you apart from other applicants. For example, volunteering at a local sporting event will give you valuable insight into what typically goes on behind the scenes of a large-scale sporting event.
Secondly, experience can help you understand what specific job roles entail and determine whether it is a good fit and something you enjoy. You will be able to figure this out if you have experience doing the actual work. Doing various roles, from athlete marketing to event operations, will allow you to figure out what you like and do not like. Sometimes, the most effective method to figuring out what you enjoy doing is simply trial and error.
3. Knowledge is Power; Keep Learning.
The sports landscape is constantly changing; comparing the present to how it was 10 or 20 years ago reveals numerous differences. Most recently, we have seen the emergence of the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the ascendency of over-the-top streaming services, and changes to the NCAA’s name, image and likeness (NIL) policy. As a result, for anyone trying to navigate the industry, it is essential that you have your finger on the pulse and stay current with what is going on, especially if you are looking to differentiate yourself further. There are several ways to accomplish this: