How to get a job in the sports industry: 3 Tips
People come to me often and want to know the “secret” to getting a job in sport. They always ask what path is the “right” path to follow. Spoiler alert: there is no right way. Don’t get me wrong, there are ways that make it easier, but you can’t follow a simple mold to get into the industry.
I have worked in the sports industry in some form or fashion since 2012. I started off as an athlete when I was young playing a multitude of sports, but finally landing on gymnastics. After my career ended with gymnastics, I knew I wanted to stay in the sports industry so I got a business degree and then went to law school. While in law school, I interned for sports agents, stayed abreast of sports news, focused on sports law and alternative dispute resolution in law (negotiation, mediation, and arbitration). I networked with sports minds during law school and built strong bonds with them. Then when I graduated I was offered an hourly position with one of the attorneys I networked with in the sports world. It was exhilarating to see my hard work pay off. Then I went to work for a huge company outside of sport, but kept in contact with my mentors in sports. I then applied for a part-time sports writing gig in the industry and actually got it. At that point I was juggling my full-time position in employment law and a side hustle in sports journalism.
I feel the need to pause and let those reading know that during this time I was applying for ALL the legal jobs in the sports world and was getting turned down for every single one. Either I had “too little experience” or I was completely ghosted. When I applied for the sports journalism job I submitted my rigorous writing paper from law school that was all about the NFL concussion suit. I had no formal journalism training but my boss, Neal Coolong, said he would train me.
I went to a few different companies and even dabbled in some entrepreneurship, but I longed to be an attorney in the front office of a sports team. I continued to network and happened upon a post on LinkedIn about a small soccer team looking for some interns in marketing and other areas. I reached out and applied, since I had a degree in marketing and knew that my diverse skill set would be valuable. I ended up walking into the interview and walking out with a full-time position that I handcrafted for the team. My position entailed player relations, public and community relations, social media, advertising and marketing, along with legal work. To be clear, I created a marketing and business plan for the team to take to my interview. I was over prepared, which means I was prepared perfectly.
In March of 2020, I was laid off from my position due to “restructuring” of the team. To be honest, it was a blessing in disguise because the culture at that team was not in line with my core values. I started to get more involved in the esports space and ratcheted up my networking, wrote books on various topics, and started a podcast. I applied for tons of positions in the sports world and I kept getting rejected. That’s when I decided that if no one would bet on me, I would bet on myself.
Because of this, I founded my own strategic sports consulting firm. To date I have worked with companies in esports & cinema, personalities in esports, and am in talks with teams from the NWSL, WNBA, & NBA2K league. If they won’t let you through the door, build your own building.
These three tips will set you on the right path so you have a strong foundation from the start.
Network effectively and efficiently. Consistently be nurturing relationships with those in the sports world. Many jobs never get posted, but are just filled through connections. Start on LinkedIn and reach out to people there and professionally request 15 minutes to talk to them about their journeys. Then set a reminder to follow up with them ever month or so to just catchup with them. Send them articles or information they might find useful in their jobs, leagues, or for their teams. For information on now to network effectively, check out this book and Series 1 of this podcast.
Don’t give up after failure. Failure is one of the ways to find out how NOT to do something. Don’t take it personally, just pick yourself up and move on. If you aren’t failing then you aren’t trying hard enough or dreaming big enough. Analyze the failure, learn from it, and move on. There is always something to be learned in any situation and sometimes you have to be the one to teach it to yourself.
Learn all aspects of the sports industry, not just one niche. It pays to be knowledgable about all areas of sports from jobs of coaches to staff to those in front of and behind the camera. If you want to be a sideline reporter then you also need to understand the the rules of game you are reporting for and who the major players are and how the business of the game works. In the sports industry, you always have to pivot, adapt, and think on your feet. The more you know about everything the bigger the asset you will be within the industry.
I have curated my life and work to encompass my unique skill set of law, business, journalism, and marketing. Not only can I speak with the media in a clear and poised way, I can also review a contract for an athlete then negotiate with vendors, and walk into a C-level meeting with ideas on how to create new streams of revenue for the club. Being a multipotentialite, a renaissance woman, and a generalist is crucial if you want to succeed in the industry.
If you are serious about getting a job in sports or growing in your position then schedule a 45-minute consultation with me today and walk away with actionable steps and a written summary of our call to make you more strategic, organized, and fearless.