5 Things to Know Before Your First Day in the Sports Business

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You’ve finally made it, your career in the sports industry is set to begin! But how prepared are you to take on the new task?

In recent years, we’ve seen a change in philosophy when it comes to what employees prioritize in their workplace. According to Glassdoor, here are five components employees are looking most for in their organizations:

• Benefits packages
• Compensation
• Company information
• Company mission and values
• Details on what makes the company a viable place to work

Thankfully, sports & entertainment organizations have noted these and are doing their best to accommodate. You likely covered all of these items in your interview and hiring process.

But there are parts of the sports world that aren’t as advertised and that one may not know of prior to being in it. That could be specific dress codes, business and role-specific working hours, locations, staff traditions, and others. That’s why we wanted to give you some guidelines to consider before you walk through that stadium or arena entrance.

So here’s The Breakdown: 5 things you need to know before entering the world of sports & entertainment.

1/ Location, Location, Location

Knowing where you are going to work seems like an easy thing to remember for starting a new job. But it can be tougher going about it than you would think. Especially if you have relocated to a new area.

For most Americans, getting away from home can be challenging — according to NorthAmerican.com, 72% of people in the U.S. live in or near the city they grew up in.

While some are fortunate to land a job and grow a career in their hometown market, the odds are more likely that the relocation process is something most will consider in their careers. Outside of the role and organization, you must also consider the weather, city culture, and your daily commute.

For example, a city like Minneapolis, Minn. is unique in its downtown area, as its Minneapolis Skyway System keeps the city connected with a footbridge throughout the year, but also helps combat the freezing conditions the region gets in the wintertime. If you are working for any of the teams located in the city — the Lynx, Timberwolves, Twins, and Vikings — you could do so and visit these other venues with almost never having to step outside due to the respective home venues (Target Center, Target Field and U.S. Bank Stadium) all being connected by the skyway.

Living downtown while working for those teams may be more advantageous. But it’s not always that seamless. Another example is the Dallas Cowboys, whose home field at AT&T Stadium is based in Arlington, Texas (nearly 20 miles outside of the City of Dallas). The team’s headquarters (the Ford Center, referred to as “The Star”) is about 26 miles outside of the city.

The role you may have working for the Cowboys could impact all your locations, whether you are game day-only staff (ie: Charity Raffle Ticket Seller), you work primarily at the team headquarters (ie: Manager-Security and Parking), you work for the team’s pro shop (ie: Sales Associate) or you are working for the team during its training camp.

Again, it may sound simple, but it’s important to know where you are heading — especially if you went through the interview process virtually and have never been to the new place you are going to.

Knowing your location also goes for being at your site. Take the stadium tour if you can; walk through your office space; ask your hiring manager where your office space is and what parts of the building your job may take you.

Pro Tip: Practice your commute before your first day! Drive during rush hour to get the timing correct. Find out where the employee entrance and parking are so that you aren’t scrambling on your first day. If you plan on using mass transportation, practice the route. Get a feel for timing, the stations, and any transfers you might need to take.

2/ Dress for Success

Whether you are in business attire or one that’s more suited for a labor-based role, you must be aware of what your organization’s dress code may be so you can make the right first impression. Most companies have them and some can be more flexible than others, but it is on you to take note of that before you start your first day. When in doubt ask your new manager.

Here are the different forms of attire your organization may enforce:

• Business Formal: this is typically the standard whenever you will be client-facing. It has been dialed back a bit, especially during the pandemic. Additionally, organizations in a warmer climate might have adaptive versions of this dress code. For men, this is the traditional suit and tie look, and for women, this is traditionally a more wide-ranging look (dresses or skirts, dress pants, collard blouses, crop-pant suits, jackets/blazers, etc.). Take a look at those in the C-Suite of your organization because they will typically be dressed in business formal. But it can also be event specific, like for game days or for gatherings that are designed to connect with your company’s sponsors and partners.

According to Gallup.com, those wearing formal business attire are likely to be higher-earning professionals and women are more likely than men to do so.

• Business Casual: this was described as the most common attire in the business world. Rather than wearing a suit and tie with dress pants, men are more likely to be in a collard shirt and most forms of pants and denim. Again, for the women on staff, this is a wider scale and may even be similar to business formal. But the difference might be some of the accessories added (ie: high-heel shoes, blazer jackets, etc.). You may see someone wearing khakis, sneakers, and a button-up shirt — which can be acceptable and professional!
• Relaxed Casual: this is where you might see coworkers wearing a team hoodie or sweatshirt around the office. Denim pants and sneakers seem to be two other components in this category, which promote comfortability, but also too can be professional enough to be respectable amongst staff. Generally, this is seen on a smaller scale than business casual, most likely towards the end of your organization’s workweek (ie: casual Fridays) or when staff is working in more unconventional hours of operation and lighter staff numbers are in the building.
• Dress Down Casual: this attire here is more for those in heavy-labor positions. Sweatpants, hoodies/sweatshirts, heavy-duty boots, gloves, and even protective equipment all apply here. This is completely acceptable in settings that are more hands-on, like the Director Facility Operations role at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts or the Assistant Grounds Manager position with OVG 360.

Pro Tip: For suiting options, stick to your traditional colors. With dress shirts, that’s white and blue, and stay away from tie patterns that are too busy. On more casual days, a team-issued polo shirt is a great idea. But make sure that you have a professional-fitting pair of dark denim jeans that are free from holes and clean sneakers or casual shoes to wear. Whether male or female, if budgets are tight, investing in a good pair of dress shoes and suit are good choices and will be worth it.

According to Stitch Mine through a Casualwear Businesswear Human Resources Survey and Employee Survey, here are other stats on casual attire:

• 90% of all U.S. companies have some form of casual dress day and a third of all companies have a fully casual dress policy.
• 81% of employees believe causal dress improves their morale. That same figure goes for the percentage of HR staff whose employees believe it is a benefit.
• 57% of employees feel that casual dress codes allow them to be judged on performance rather than appearance. This figure also goes for the percentage of employees who believe it helps enhances camaraderie with supervisors and co-workers.
• 51% of HR staff said employees save money because of casual dress codes. This same percentage goes for employees that said wearing casual dress is when they do their best work.
• 43% of employees believe it makes their bosses more approachable.

Maybe you fit into these categories sentiment-wise as well. But one thing to note is that most sports organizations stick to the business-casual look. However, event-specific and role-specific attires may vary, like the Utility Setup role with Pacers Sports & Entertainment (which is more labor intensive). The attire from that role may be far different than one of the Executive Assistant to the President position with the Carolina Panthers.

Also be aware: most sports job descriptions do not necessarily note what the preferred dress code is. So you must research the organizational website or ask staff members about it before you come to work.

3/ Know your History

Knowing your organizational history could have factored into why you were hired, but it is smart to keep learning more as you begin your tenure. You may not realize how impressive it can be to administrative staff if you come in with an understanding of your company’s past, traditions, and mission.

Indeed.com discussed this very topic and shared why companies ask if you know their history in interviews:

• They are gauging your interest level in a possible role within their organization.
• Depending on how you answer can shed light on your work ethic.
• Your answer can also indicate your level of professionalism.

Having this in mind can avoid an awkward slip-up. Let’s say you are finalizing a role to work with the Green Bay Packers and you mention how you “can’t wait to meet the team’s owner.” That could come off very naive considering the team is the lone publicly-owned franchise in the NFL. That same analogy could be used for the Boston Celtics, which are owned by a collective under the umbrella of Boston Basketball Partners LLC. You can appear ignorant referring to a sole owner when there are 13 members of the collective that have that title.

We must take into account that not each company is created equal. An organization like Klutch Sports’ rEvolution Sports Agency LLC may be easier to research since it was founded in 2017. But you may need to do more digging on a franchise like the Chicago Cubs, which have been in existence since 1870.

You may also be serving more than one entity in a sports company. Going back to Pacers Sports & Entertainment, it’d be easy to assume you are mainly servicing the Indiana Pacers and their venue in a role like Box Office Operations Administrator. But the organization oversees operation for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, NBA G-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers Gaming Esports team, and the Pacers Foundation, Inc., in addition to their home arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The same could be said for the Guest Relations Representative role with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which operates numerous sports teams and venues inside and outside of the U.S.

Pro Tip: Key executives and organizational history can often be found in media guides, websites, and other places on the internet. Do your homework ahead of time! Learn faces, names, and titles. Not only is it a great way to impress people when you first meet them but you can greet them by name. But you can also potentially avoid awkward encounters from NOT knowing who someone is in an elevator or meeting.

4/ Non-Traditional Work Hours

The sports and entertainment world is not like other industries. Many times you are working when others are off of work or are even out of town vacationing or spending the holidays with family.

Work schedules can be more role-specific. There may not be the flexibility to work different hours in a role like Part-Time Overnight Security Officer at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla. Most organizations operate during the traditional 9-to-5 business hours, but that often times carries over to nights and weekends too. Certain sports organizations and teams operate day-to-day too, so instead of eight-hour work days, you may see several hours of work each day throughout the week.

Outside of Tampa Bay Lightning games, the arena has hosted NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament games, an NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament Final Four each, Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions, UFC fights, boxing matches, and other events outside of sports. There may be team-specific arena staff on hand, but more times than not, this staff trickles over into other areas, which could result in working on any day of the week.

Pro Tip: Don’t expect to work every game or event, but plan to be there for the majority of them. Schedules and events are planned out months in advance so put them on your calendar so you can plan around them and share them with your friends and family. Also, learn about how your organization handles flex time, over-time, and in-season vs. off-season schedules to combat the non-traditional hours that come with working in sports.

5/ Quick Tips to Note

• Reach out to current staff. You should know your teammates! And as good as it may be for morale in doing that, this could also help you get insight from inside the building before you step in. They can also give you tips on where to live, where to hang out, and answer questions that you may have on items that we shared above.
• Early birds get the worm. Set a good first impression by getting to the office early. You want to start your tenure on the right foot and show your organization made the right move bringing you on.
• Keep the pens on you. Your first few days in the office may be big paperwork days. This may seem minor but it’s just one small thing you can do to make sure you can hit the ground running as you get there.
• What’s the plan for lunch? You can always bring your own, but be open to other options. Maybe your organization serves lunch each day or perhaps they have catered options. If not, are there places in town or around the office? Also, make sure to meet with coworkers for lunch too — more of getting to know your team!
• Positive mindset and attitude. You never know who you will meet on the first day, so you want to ensure your first interactions are positive ones. Others will take note of your smile, body language, and how to speak to others. Carrying this mindset beyond your first day is just as important and can be one of the reasons you advance yourself in the organization and the industry.

Conclusion:

Working in sports and entertainment has a unique set of standards that you may not have been aware of before. But taking the time to know your organization and reviewing a list of items specific to working in sports before you join your new team can get you started on the right note.

If you are having second thoughts or maybe you’ve been hit with Imposter Syndrome, consider this: TeamWork Online currently has over 5,000 openings on its website. If you are able to secure one of those you’ll join over 200,000 people who have been hired through our site. You were brought in for a reason, but always keep in mind there are tools that you can use that will help you as you prepare for day one — and beyond.

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