Scoreboard
Career in Sports - Part 2, The Perfect Job file You want a career in sports, right? You have even looked at and found your ideal job. Great, print out that job description (or save it on your computer) and let's start your Perfect Job File. Getting Ready for your Perfect Job By now you have started to outline your resume and have made a list of what experience you are "missing". The first part of your plan should consist of how to make up for the missing elements, whether they are experience or education related. The second step in your process to begin a career in sports is to create a "Perfect Job" folder or file. You can keep this on your computer or create a physical file or binder. Whichever version you chose to create, be sure to label your documents with the month and year as this will be helpful later in your process. The Perfect Job File In your Perfect Job file, section one should be job openings from different sports organizations that are of interest to you. While you may not be ready for any of the positions that you find, it is important to collect potential positions. You might need to sub-divide the positions into Internships, Entry-Level Jobs, Mid-Management and Leadership. These positions will be easy to decipher based on years of experience, skills, education and salary. There are three reasons why these job openings are important to retain:
The second section to your Perfect Job file should be articles from industry related publications such as Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal. If you are interested in ticket sales for example, you can keep a file of trends for sales, promotional and marketing plans linked to ticket sales and much more. This will be useful information to recall on your first interview or in a networking situation. Keeping updated with what current leaders in the field are doing is your key to becoming a leader yourself. The final section in your file should be a collection of contacts and question for professionals in the field. As you begin to build your network of industry professionals, it is vital that you remain in touch with people. If you get to interview a professional for a class assignment or meet someone in a social situation, keep their contact information in one location. Also, after you meet someone, inevitably questions come up about his/her success in the field or advice they might have to offer. Keep a running list of the questions and the answers that you receive. After a few years you will have a strong collection of people and a great collection of advice to help you on your way. Remember that the key to success begins with preparation. No one wants to hire someone who seems unprepared for what challenges might lay ahead. Be sure to back up your electronic files to a backup drive (all PC and MAC computers have portable options available for those of you with laptops). If you are keeping a printed file, be sure to label it "IMPORTANT" so that it is not accidentally discarded. This is Part 2 of a four-part series regarding Careers in Sports.
1. You must know the qualifications of various positions you are interested in to create a full career
path plan.
2. After reviewing several, you will be able to identify key terms, courses and requirements that
may need to be added to your list of missing resume items.
3. All positions have a cycle, which means that people will flow in and out on their own career
paths. You should start now and track this cycle for your ideal job within the sports industry.
Career in Sports - Part 1, Getting Started
When you decide that you want a career in sports - there are a few questions you may want to ask yourself.
1. Am I willing to move to another city and state to further my career?
2. Am I willing to work non-traditional work days and hours?
3. Is my love of sport strong enough to keep me going in a competative and a stressful industry?
If you were able to truthfully answer yes, then you have taken the first step toward starting your career in the sports industry. You will find both great challenges and satisfaction in this field.
To begin, take a keen eye to your resume. Review the courses you are taking in college (or that you did take if you have already graduated). Then examine the work experience you have listed. Have you been able to work in sports before? Have you volunteered in sports?
If your answers were no, then your next step is clear. You will need to get some sports experience. Most colleges and universities are requiring students at the undergraduate and graduate levels to spend time gaining "experience" through an internship, mentorship, practicum project, field experience or partnership. This is the most traditional way to learn valuable insights into the sports industry.
This is not to say that if you did your internship for Marketing with a corporation, you have wasted your time. Most sport organizations have a corporate organizational structure and follow similar principles. However, while most majors are able to find positions within sport organizations that are similar, the differences between sport and corporate America can be rather great. For example, most sport organizations follow a different dress code, chain of command and often have a more "team-oriented" approach to goals.
To really "get started" on a career path in sports, you will have to develop your plan. The first step in your plan is to examine your resume to find out what you are missing and take the step necessary to turn your weaknesses into strengths.
This is Part 1 of a four-part series regarding Careers in Sports.
Read the full version of The Scoreboard, Vol. 1, November 2008 by clicking on the icon below.
