5 Secrets to Ace a Job Interview in Sports & Entertainment

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Landing a job in sports and entertainment can seem like a daunting task. But looking at the numbers, it’s not impossible.

Just on TeamWork Online alone, there are nearly 4,000 jobs available today. And the thousands that continue to work in the industry each day had to find their way in one way or another.

Of course, the way most of them got to that point was through acing job interviews. Job interviews, whether we like them or not, will be something we need to be prepared for at all points of our adult lives. According to Zippia’s data analysis team, it concluded that humans average about 12 different jobs throughout their lifetime.

So we can always use tips on how to handle job interviews. But what are different factors we must consider when going through job interviews in sports and entertainment? Here are four notes to consider, as we offer The Breakdown of ways to ace job interviews in the hyper-competitive sports industry.

1/ DO YOUR HOMEWORK before the interview

• You should have a checklist of items for your resume. Your employment/experience history, contact information, and certifications are just as important as the appearance and formatting of your resume. Just consider this stat: according to LegalJobs.io, 76% of resume rejections are due to unprofessional email addresses.
• Research the company you are applying to! It is nice to know general topics about the organization, but get more specific if you can (ie: talking about a team’s ownership history; learning about organizational traditions). Broaden your research to things beyond the team performance and focus on the business side. Another Legal Jobs stat: 47% of job candidates fail job interviews because they didn’t have enough information about the company they applied to.
• Take note of your public image. This is almost specifically tied to your social media persona and what you send out to the masses. Some companies are more lenient when it comes to employees’ social media presence, but there are others that use it as a tool to weed out certain candidates. One more Legal Jobs stat: reportedly 92% of companies use social media to research job candidates.

2/ Steer your answers to SHOW YOUR BEST MOVES

• Watch out for the broad, open-ended questions (ie: “why I should hire you?” or “tell me about yourself.”). You can take these answers in many ways, but the most important thing to keep in mind is these answers must be succinct, relevant, and interesting.
• What makes an answer relevant and interesting? Sharing a story that signifies who you are, the skills and talents you possess, and your experience is vital. But you don’t want the hiring manager checking their watch for the time during your story (they say it takes about seven seconds to make your first impression!). Whether it’s speaking about your time interning with a minor league team, when you competed as a collegiate athlete or just a snapshot of your path to this point, you have to catch an employer’s ear in a short span.
• Know what the employers are looking for. Of course, there are the typical qualities one would expect a hiring manager to prioritize (hard work, passion). But according to Manchester Metropolitan University, five skills needed to thrive in sports management include communication, understanding analytics, time and people management, and having an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Show off your skillset. You have to find the right balance between being confident and being arrogant here. Talk about the comparable roles you had with other organizations and how that has prepared you (ie: working as a concessions manager as you interview for a ticket sales role). And as much as that college internship or club helped you gain experience, companies are more interested in seeing the skills you learned there or at other stops.

3/ Avoid your WHAT-NOT-TO-DO list

Attention: this is your what-NOT-to-do list! Here are things to avoid in job interviews:

• Don’t be a fan. It’s not to say you can’t work for your favorite team, but there is a difference between professionalism and fandom. When interviewing, it can be helpful to share the knowledge you may have about the company you are interviewing with, but you do not want to come off too much as a fan.
• Avoid bland, blanket statements. Rather than saying “I’m a hard worker,” why not talk about a story that shows your work ethic. Speaking about your experiences or relevant matters can be much more helpful (ie: talking about the project you managed during your minor league internship).
• Don’t be too informal. It can help to be able to share personal anecdotes with your hiring manager. But don’t take it too far; this is still a job interview and is almost like a first date. You do not want to overshare too early on!
• Don’t be overly focused on the organization. Rather, speak specifically about your role. As great as it is to know about your organization, knowing about your role and what it entails is just as important. And even if you do not have prior experience in a similar role, asking questions about it can show your interest in learning more about the role.
• Don’t overthink it. You’re there for a reason! We know how detrimental Imposter Syndrome can be, so you must remember you were brought into the interview process for a reason.

4/ STAY ON YOUR TOES from Start to Finish

• Do not forget the little things. Those include firm handshakes, direct eye contact, enthusiasm and energy when talking, and confidence. According to Legal Jobs, 67% of job seekers fail to make eye contact, 39% do not get hired due to a lack of smile, voice quality, and confidence, and 10% are rejected for bad handshakes.
• From zany questions to unprompted follow-ups, be ready for those curveballs. Be ready to think on your toes and answer to the best of your ability.
• In response to those curveballs, be creative with your answers. Some of the questions you are asked will be from out of left field, so you have to be willing to think outside of the box with your answers too.
• Express your thoughts as well. If you feel uncomfortable with a question, let that be known. If you need a question explained differently, let that be known too. This form of construction can be positive and help your hiring manager see you are willing to step up when you have comments in mind.
• Always be networking. Even if you do not land the job, the person who interviewed you could be a reliable contact or reference in the future. Always strive to leave a good impression and don’t burn those bridges — you never know if that person may help you get hired later on down the line.

5/ Take a pop-quiz with our SAMPLE QUESTIONS 🚨

Do you think you know what to expect in job interviews? Take a look at these questions our staff at TeamWork Online has been asked or asked candidates over the years:

• Which current starting NFL quarterback would you say best reflects you as a person/worker?
• What is the biggest misconception about you?
• If you could be any animal what would you be and why?
• Can you do your best rendition of the opening safety video on an airplane?
• What’s the last book you read for fun?
• Can you sell us on your alma mater?
• Why is a manhole cover in the shape of a circle?
• If your house was burning down — all people and animals are safe — and you could only grab one thing, what is it and why?
• If you could be any kitchen utensil what would you be and why?
• What are you most proud of?
• If the New York Times was writing an article about your career up to this point, what would the headline be?
• What do you want to be remembered for and how does taking this job help you get there?
• Tell me about a skill that you recently learned or improved on. Why did you pick it? How did you go about learning it or improving on it?

Working in sports is like any other business, as job interviews are the starting point for developing a strong rapport with your organization. And interviews can go in any direction, you just have to understand it may not go as expected (in preferable and not-so-preferable ways).

Interested in more #SportsBiz insights as a job seeker? We’ve got other articles here with The Breakdown, including Navigating Job Searches as a Diverse Applicant, Women Helping Women in Sports, and Transitioning to Sports From Other Industries.

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