How to get a job in sports management

Video: Careers in Sports Management: 6 Steps to Get You There

Content

Steps
Tips
What do you need

The field of sports management has changed over the past 30 years. With the development of advertising and marketing, sports teams and organizations are promoted as brands. To get a good job in the sports field, it's important to get a college degree, pursue opportunities in a range of sports, and work your way up from your very first job. Sports is a big industry: you can sell yourself to many organizations. Sports management is a highly competitive field, so if you have the passion and energy to be successful in this industry, get your degree. This resource will tell you how to get a job in sports management.

Steps

1 Cultivate a love of sports. Play and watch a variety of sports, including high school, first league and major league, niche sports, giving you plenty of options when looking for graduate programs, internships, and a job. Many employers prefer people who are at least well-read about sports in high school and college.
2 Get your high school diploma. This is the first step in your education. Prepare yourself for a bachelor's degree - study business and science, learn to speak confidently in public.
3 Apply for a bachelor's degree in business, athletic management, sports management, or sports business. If you have already chosen a specialized field in sports such as sports training, graphic design, sports psychology, sports law or sports medicine, then you can start your journey before pursuing a specialized diploma in sports management because it will take a long time.
- Find and apply to schools that offer specialized sports management programs. Some schools offer a bachelor's degree in sports management science, while others only offer a master's level. A bachelor's degree is a good start, you can always consider pursuing an MBA at a later date.
- Focus your search on major cities with a large concentration of sports teams. Cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago are more likely to offer graduate programs and internships in teams than in small and medium-sized cities.
4 Sign up for an internship as soon as you start college. Many sports industry experts believe that an internship and other networking during college is the most important aspect of getting a job after college.
- Volunteer on local sports teams or at major sporting events in your first year of study. Volunteer with organizational responsibilities to gain management experience as soon as possible.
- Find your first formal second year internship. Start your search with major sports teams, if you can't find, move on to minor ones. After a year of study, you will be more valuable to the organization than in your first year.
- Find a summer internship or full or part-time sports job. You can find work related to ticket sales. Many jobs prefer that you have experience supporting the team through sales.
- Choose an area of sports management that you want to pursue in your final year of college.For example, sports marketing, sales, events, public relations, sponsorship, hospitality, or sports and recreation. Have an internship in the field of your choice over the past year.
5 Explore starter positions in your specialization. Call an alumni association and ask to speak with the owner of your ideal job. Look for the paths successful people have taken to get where you want to be.
- Some beginner jobs are easier to spot than others. For example, if you want to work in sports finance, it's a good idea to start with commission sales. For parks and recreation, support the current program directors in your area.
- Forbes magazine recently ranked the best beginner jobs in the sports industry. The list includes the best vacancies to move up the management career ladder: sales team, associate public relations officer, sponsorship or client entertainment, freelance accountant.
6 Get valuable work experience. Just like the internship, where and how you worked is more important than what school you went to. Try to move up the corporate ladder from your current position.
7 Build connections with people throughout your career. As with many other types of work, you will discover the best jobs by getting to know the right people. From the moment you start classes and your first volunteer work or internship, make sure to meet people from all branches of the sports industry who may be of service in the future.
8 Consider getting an MBA. A master's degree is not strictly necessary, but is especially important if you don't have many connections with sports teams after graduating from college. You will also need a master's degree if you want to pursue sports medicine or sports law.
9 Look for promotions. There is a lot of competition in sports management, you have to leave your mark at work. If your current job doesn't help you move to the next level of management in the next couple of years, look for a better job while working on this one.

Tips

Whenever you work for a team or intern in the sports industry, try to stand out. Since there is a lot of competition in this area, the trainee must excel by leading projects, proposing ideas and working hard. This motivated approach will also get more feedback and contacts for future posts.