5 Tips to Transition Into Sports Business
You see these individuals in the stadiums, arenas, on tv, or maybe you follow them on social media. Most of the time, these hard-working executives are behind the scenes to drive revenue, growth, and business initiatives for organizations.
Everyone’s story of how they “got into sports” is unique. Most start with “I’ve always had a passion for sports when I was growing up.” But as they became more educated on the business, the more important part of their story is “I became a fan of the business.” From our experience, we see linear and non-linear paths in sports.
What is the linear path in sports?
Sports Management Major/Minor →
Volunteer for Athletic Department →
Internship in Minor League Sports →
Entry-Level Position →
Promotion!
But what if your path has a few more “twists and turns” or “stop and goes”? What if your passions have changed? How can you get into the sports business if your path hasn’t been as linear?
Here’s The Breakdown of how you can transition into sports from other industries
1/ Evaluate your greatest skills and biggest assets
Create a “board of directors” to advise you. These could be friends, family, mentors, coaches, or professors. Sometimes they know more about you than you do yourself. Ask them what they think you are great at doing and what your best attributes are.
Identify your strengths, what makes you unique, and the skills you’ve learned in your “outside” position
2/ Educate yourself about the industry
Based on your skillsets, passions, and interests, decide on the segment of the sports business that you want to pursue.
It’s better to apply for many of the same type of role than to apply for many types of roles.
If you have found your target function, dive in! If that’s a situation that you find yourself in, internships and positions in Minor League sports are great ways to get exposure to lots of areas of the business and will allow you to discover your passions.
3/ Grow your network in the sports business
People love to talk about themselves! Set up informational conversations or interviews with people that you identify as key professionals in the area that you want to pursue.
Learn about how they got to their position, what their day-to-day is like, what are their challenges, and what they enjoy about their position.
Attend events (both in-person and virtual) to network with employers and organizations.
4/ Practice telling your story!
Your experiences might not be in sports but practice connecting them to sports.
The sports business is a business, and there are many translatable roles from outside of sports into sports.
Share stories of grit, working non-traditional hours, sales successes, big projects that you have managed, events that you have planned, or campaigns that you have organized.
Make sure your TeamWork Online profile, LinkedIn profile, resume, and social channels are aligned, and best represent your personal brand.
5/ Cast a wide net
There are so many sports properties and organizations all over the world. Many sports executives that we speak with have moved for positions multiple times. The odds of your first position in sports being in your hometown or current location are low unless you are in a major city.
Understand that if you are only looking to work in one league or one team, your opportunities will be limited.
Conclusion
We know that positions in the sports business are extremely competitive, even for those on the linear path. Most roles receive hundreds of applications. The same skills that you promise to showcase once you are in a sports position are the same skills that you need to show in the job searching process. Stay persistent, stay active, and stay positive!
