Figuring It All Out: Advice For Sport Management Graduates
1. Figuring It All Out
Advice to Sport Management Graduates
Chrystal Denmark Porter, Ph.D., Ed.S., M.S.A.
What Do I Do Now? Some Cold, Hard Truths
When I made the decision to no longer pursue a career in the sport industry, but rather return to graduate
school to earn my doctorate degree so I could pursue opportunities that would allow me to teach and work
with sport management students, my primary goal was clear: I would be bluntly honest with students
about what it takes to get your foot in the door as an entry-level sport management professional. That was
my goal then, and remains my goal now. What I did not anticipate as a sport management college
professor was the resistance I would receive from my students regarding the realities of who you need to
be and what you need to do to solidify real opportunities within the sport industry.
In a nut shell, many students I encounter are unwilling to take advice, as students, from individuals who
can provide them perspective about the very industry they want to enter. Rather, they choose to listen to
individuals who give generic career advice, that may have lots of truth for other industries, but do not take
into consideration the specifics that are related to the sport industry. Time and time again, I listen to
students dictate to me how rhey think things work, rather than taking the time as a student to learn from
their predecessors.
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2. Some things I have learned to be true about gaining employment in the sport industry have remained
consistent both in and out of times of recession. I mention this because too many sport management
alumni want to blame their lack of success of gaining entry into the industry on the economy. Rather than
seeing themselves at the beginning of their race, they want to find a reason not to even get in the starting
blocks and then complain that things are not going as they anticipated.
I go into detail about specific strategies that sport management students should use in my book Studying
Sports: How to Maximize Your Status as a Sport Management Student. However, some topics that I did
not mention in the book that new sport management graduates should have considered as students include
the ideas that the sport industry:
• Supports Nepotism- If you discovering you do not have family, friend or network ties that can
help you gain access to information or decision makers in the sport industry, you did not properly
network as a student;
• Equates Entry-Level with Internships: As a new graduate, it would be a huge mistake to see
yourself above taking an internship;
• Expects You to Prove Your Loyalty and Worth: Opportunity to join sport organizations come in
many shapes and sizes, but many new graduates fail to take a risk and see opportunity in accepting
positions with un-sexy titles and responsibilities; and
• Cares Less about Your Degree: I have said it before, and will say it a thousand times...In the sport
industry, you can’t degree yourself into a great job!
Although most new graduates do not want to hear this, the rules to working in the sport industry were in
play well before you even knew sport management was a major. The sport industry job market always has
been, and always will be over-saturated with individuals who would give up everything to work their
dream job in sports. As well, if you do not have any connections or the right connections to land a good
position, then you cannot overlook the necessity of gaining entry via an internship. With the exception to
jobs that are related to sales or community relations, sport organizations are in the position to try-out their
entry-level employees, rather than take risk on unknown outsiders. As a result, if a person does not work
out, they can easily move on to the next person with minimal fallout, because their investment to that
point was low.
So What Can You Do NOW?!?!?!
I am aware that I may have made things sound grim up to this point, and that was intentional. I want to
send home the message that if you truly want to make your plans work, you have got to be committed to
following the rules now that your back may be against the wall. If you are wanting to make this work, you
can no longer afford to pretend to yourself or others that you know what to do to get your career started.
Now is the time to start listening to advice that others who made the transition from student to
professional have to offer.
The advice I have to offer is only one perspective. I stand by what I say, and I believe if you
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3. follow my advice, you should start to get some traction in your job search. However, I am a firm believer
that you need to be specific with whom you receive your advice, and that you need to invest time in
learning everything you can about the biographies of people who are doing the very jobs that you say you
would like to do. Once you evaluate the steps that others have taken, you will begin to understand the
type of activities you need to be involved to earn similar credits on your resume. However, you may also
learn that your pedigree, background, or degree may exclude you from ever earning the position that until
this point you thought would be ideal.
There are five specific strategies I believe ever sport management graduate needs to employ as a means to
support his/her effort in solidifying a permanent position within the sport industry.
Take Inventory of Your Skills
Most problems I see with new graduate resumes is that they do not tell me anything about the skills you
acquired as a student and what you can actually do. Revisit the assignments you completed as a student
and identify the skills that you used or acquired to complete your assignments. Once you identify the
skills that you used to complete the assignments, really study the job announcements for the positions you
are applying and communicate that you have the skills that are needed to complete the job. Employers
want to know that if they have to bring someone in, an unknown person from the outside, they will have
to do as little training as possible. Most graduates indicate in their cover letters enthusiasm for an
opportunity, but few indicate what comes with that enthusiasm.
Invest in crafting your resume language so that it truly demonstrates what you know and what you know
how to do. And to go further, craft the resume to highlight your skills as they correlate to the position that
you are applying. For example, if you are interested in a position within marketing, it would be mandatory
to discuss how you have conducted a SWOT analysis, studied XYZ demographic in a research paper or
thesis project. Speak the language of your industry, and tell them that you have the foundational skills to
be successful in the position.
Identify What It Is You Are Trying To Do
Another problem that I encounter time and time again with sport management students, but especially
with sport management graduates, is their non-commitment to identifying 2-3 realistic entry-level career
objectives. Rather, I have watched individuals remain committed to working to the goal of working in
sports, but not really communicating to outsiders what that truly means. As a result, all positions are fair
game, and he/she applies blindly to everything under the sun, and either gets burned out by the lack
interviews for a quality position, or becomes frustrated by the job(s) they do accept but clearly they have
no interest.
When you know what you ultimately want to do (at least at this point and time), you can become more
directed in a job search that can include positions both within and outside of sport, that will all result in
meeting your goal. When you get specific, when you know what they end result should look
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4. like, you will begin to understand some of the steps that you need to take in the present. For example, if
you are interested in working in sport marketing, but you are not locating job announcements to apply,
then open up your search to general marketing positions. Your ultimate goal does not have to change, and
the position(s) you may accept in the interim of earning an actual sport marketing position, will provide
you with skills that will ultimately make you qualified for sport marketing positions you may pursue at a
different point in your future professional life. This makes more sense then taking a job as a receptionist
with a law firm. Although it is a legitimate experience, statistically the odds of you learning more about
the craft you claim you are interested is unlikely. However, please understand that if you need to accept
the job as the receptionist to pay the bills, then do so, and also understand why you are accepting the
position, and that you will ultimately need to determine a point where you will change paths to get
yourself back on track. You will also need to find additional avenues to continue to develop your
expertise and skill development when pursuing non-related positions.
As stated earlier, when you begin solidifying where you are trying to go, you need to make sure your
resume and cover letter communicate specific information, rather than summerizing where you have
been. Highlighting your skills that matter to employers within the field demonstrates your potential. I
cannot stress enough the value to ensuring your cover letter and resume express what you can offer, rather
than highlight the stops you had along the way.
And once again, do an inventory check in regards to the positions that you say you would like to acquire.
If you are interested in sport marketing, but your experience is limited to only completing one class in it,
then you will need to figure out what you need to do to advance your marketing competencies. You need
to realize you may have a degree, but in all reality you have no experience, so what do you need to do to
change that?
Use Your Network
Most articles written on finding a job discuss the concept of networking. Once again, many students fail
to spend their time as students uncovering the networks that exist for potential professional opportunities.
Instead many students choose to view him- or herself as an independent contractor that can figure it all
out later, only to find out or never find out that their former classmates had the exact connection that
could have helped them find opportunities that matter.
More and more graduates are contacting me for both advice and recommendation on what they should be
doing now that they have earned their sport management degree. After my initial reaction of “Didn’t you
read my book? Did you not understand what I was trying to tell you about maximizing your student status
and internships?” I am often left having to ask the graduate specific questions related to their job search,
which is a true indicator to me if they are continuing to try to dictate how the sport industry job game is
played, and whether or not he/she still has not learned to accept how the game is played.
When you choose to reach out to former professors or individuals you may have worked or known in the
past, particularly as a student, you need to be as specific as possible in what you are asking for, so that
people can truly help you out. It is unfair for you to expect for people to spend time in helping you figure
out your career, as well as help you uncover the perfect opportunity, just because you have graduated. If
you are looking for a job in marketing, then say exactly that. Specifics can aid your
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5. network so they can truly be in your corner and help you out. They can connect you to people they know
in marketing, they can forward positions they hear about in marketing. But if you choose to do the
opposite, and only talk about your desire to work in “sports” and leave it at that, you may get a few leads
about positions that are open, but your network will soon abandon you because of your lack of
preparation to provide guidance on what it is you are trying to do.
It is also vital that you remind members of your network exactly who you are, what you have
accomplished, and what you have to offer. Just as you may have had to brainstorm to identify people to
contact to ask for assistance, the person on the receiving end may have to brainstorm to remember exactly
who you are. It is your responsibility to help members of your network remember you and all the fantastic
things about you so they will want to invest the time and energy to help you.
And once you have placed a great memory of yourself with them, bring them up to speed on all the
wonderful things you have accomplished (that are related to what you are trying to do). You want to show
that you are taking steps, no matter how small, to making your dream career real. Are you a member of a
professional association? Are you writing a blog that relates to the profession? Have you published
articles on the subject? Outside of earning your degree in sport management, what contributions are you
making to the field to gain entry?
Use Digital and Social Media to Extend Your Network
Jumping off of the previous section, I think it is crucial for graduates to consider how he/she could be
using digital and social media to both demonstrate what they know, gain additional skills, and extend
their professional network. First things first, as a new graduate in the field, have you done an internet
search to identify professional organizations to join and participate? Outside of attending the conferences
and reading the journals and newsletters, and having possible access to job boards, membership in
associations communicates to professionals and your network that you are invested in your field and that
you find the value with being connected with others involved in the field. Although your degree should
indicate this, to many it just means you took classes that related to a topical area, however professional
membership shows that you are committed at a different level to your craft, even if only informally.
Finding the right group to participate in that exist for the sport industry may take a little digging, but the
message it sends when you communicate your involvement is huge.
Since 2008 I have tried to help my students understand the value of having a presence as a pre-
professional on the internet. I believed then, as I do now, you can communicate exactly who you are and
what you know, and with persistence (and a little luck), you can make direct contact with someone or an
organization that will find value in what you have to offer. My recommendation would be to create a blog
that relates to your area of interest, with a focused vision. See if you can create content that is not only
valuable, but interesting enough to attract likeminded individuals that want to interact with you live or
virtually. As well, read blogs that relate to you professionally, and offer comments to the authors of those
blogs. You never know if your comments could turn you into someone that others feel they should know.
Additionally use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ to interact directly with people of influence
within your industry. And remember, all of this is
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6. searchable on the internet, which will help future employers learn more about you before, during or after
they interview you.
And take advantage of the sport industry job boards. I remember when I was a sport management student,
I blindly sent out letters to organizations to learn about their internship opportunities. Thanks to today’s
technology, you have at your finger tips actual job announcements for sport related jobs. Not only can
you search for jobs to apply for in the present, you can do your research to understand the type of skills
you will need to apply for higher level positions in the future. I fully understand the the sport industry
continues to be an industry where the premier positions are not announced, however for the positions that
are announced, you can get a really good grasp on who is hiring and what skills are necessary to have.
Regain Your Student Status
This is probably the part you are going to have the hardest time reading. However, if your job search is
stalling, and you truly are committed to working in the sport industry, then you need to give serious
consideration to extending your student status and returning to school. As a student you are awarded with
the opportunity to apply for experiences and opportunities that are reserved only for students. As well,
you are also given a second chance to maximize your student status, and do things right the second time
around.
In addition to gaining the internship that matters because it is in your area of interest, you can also utilize
your time in school completing assignments that relate to areas that employers would like to know you
have expertise. Many sport management students write papers that interest them or they think will
impress their professors, but they really should be researching topics that will demonstrate to future
employers they understand specific information related to a subject area within the field, and if possible
demonstrate theoretically how an organization can make money or save money as a result of the
information they are presenting.
And finally, I would advise that you do not officially graduate if you are returning to school to extend
your student status, if you have not solidified an internship or opportunity that has the potential to turn
into a position. The goal the second time around should not be on completing degree requirements (even
though it is part of the process), the goal the second time around is about securing a position. If you
choose to graduate the second time without a position secured, you have lost all the leverage you had as a
student. Outsiders will not understand why you are delaying your graduation, even with explanation, but
it could turn out to be the key decision you make in ensuring your are able to take advantage of a real
opportunity that could turn into something you truly desire.
Conclusion
By no means am I trying to put a damper on anyone’s parade with this essay. I am a firm believer that we
only get one shot at life and you should clearly do everything within your power to put yourself in
position to experience opportunities you believe are valuable. But you must also come to realize, to break
into the sport industry, with little or few connections, it is a very hard feat to accomplish. The sport
industry job market is saturated, most entry positions involve sales or community relations, and the
changing world around us makes a once achievable professional dream, seem like just that a dream, and
unattainable.
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