The Ins and Outs of Building Your Career in the Sports Industry

By: McKenzie Quirin

Edited by: Kaya Crawford

Photo from Rob Corder (Flikr)

Do you have a passion for sports and want to work in the industry? Not knowing where or how to start your search can be scary, but Girls Club has all of the answers for you to get your foot in the sports industry door.

Network!

The best way to get your foot into the sports industry door is to always network, network, network. Take the time to reach out to professionals, colleagues, peers, and professors who you believe could help you by recommending places they know that may be offering jobs or internships at that point in time or to lend a helping hand in building your resume and portfolio.

Utilizing websites that allow you to network such as LinkedIn will allow you to get your name out into the sports world and you will have further opportunities for personal connections. Having those personal connections makes people remember you and when that time comes for you to get the job you want.

According to LinkedIn’s help page , its priority or use is “to find the right job or internship, connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career.” Creating a profile on LinkedIn is as simple and quick as creating a social media account, but it is used for much more than posting selfies and finding new followers. LinkedIn’s resources cater to the idea of having your profile stand out and growing your network. Make sure to have a professional profile and background photo as well as an about me section to enhance who you connect with. The more you connect and network with others the better chance you have at building your profile by receiving recommendations and endorsements.

Build Your Brand

When keeping up with the ever-changing world of sports, it is important for individuals seeking a job in sports to brand themselves in the best way possible. Careercake CEO and founder Aimee Bateman noted that branding yourself differentiates you from the other candidates with similar skills, experiences and qualifications.” Potential employers look for individuals who carry themselves in a positive light through their work both in their personal and professional lives.

Personal branding not only allows you to essentially sell yourself to future employers, but it also shows that you happen to be authentic, credible, trusting, and willing to grow personally and professionally. One who takes pride in self-branding sees the control they have over their image and how others in the same field see you as a professional and as a person.

Branding yourself right is something all individuals should look into but it's not the most important in gaining access to sports careers. There are a substantial amount of steps towards branding yourself but the ones that stick and are worth following include:

• Determine Your Values

• Putting Yourself Out There

• Networking (like mentioned above)

• Being Open to Feedback

Take Advantage of All Opportunities

When beginning your journey in the sports industry, you must share the love of all things sports and have ample knowledge on how the sports industry works.

It is important to take advantage of the various opportunities that exist whether that is through college campuses, internships, or volunteering. Experience is the most crucial way of receiving a job in the different areas of sports.

Working on campus with your sports programs is one of the best ways to get involved. Try reaching out to your campus athletic programs and see if they have any opportunities such as event staffing, student team managers, and social media roles. Volunteering at local sports games and events are all good experiences you can add to your resume and help you to build your connections. Internships will help you gain valuable work and experience before applying for your dream job.

Individuals who seek internships and jobs can utilize the Teamwork Online website resources to find exactly what they are looking for. Today, teamwork online is the largest professional network that has offered entry-level jobs and intern experience to over 200K+ candidates and has worked with organizations such as the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), etc.

Combining your future career with your love for the game will make your daily life and work more attractive and fulfilling. Although it may be scary at first to take that big of a leap, just remember to take it one step at a time and you will feel at ease. Making use of these ins and outs mentioned will improve your odds of success in the sports industry but stay true to who you are and what you are passionate about.

For more resources on the women in the sports industry check out the Girls Club website, podcast, Instagram, and all other social accounts.