The sports world is gigantic. It is also very competitive.
You may have all of the top education and know more about statistical analysis than some of the “big wigs” on television, but that just isn’t enough.
It’s all about connections. Connecting with the right people in the right field can lead to opportunity. An opportunity that can land you your dream sports job where you can showcase your high-end education and statistical analysis skills.
There are tons of ways to make connections in the sports world. Sports Networker, for instance, is one of them.
LinkedIn has an abundance of sports executives on the site, who will gladly take a moment to chat with you if approached properly. Even Facebook and Twitter have proven beneficial in the past for networking.
But, there is only so much you can do via the web or social media and nothing beats a face-to-face connection with a contact. In-person meetings really allow your personality to shine. We’re not always the same in-person as we are behind a keyboard, so executives looking to hire their next bright star will want a face-to-face meeting before even considering you.
Getting this face-to-face meeting is harder than you think. It takes more then an email with a flashy resume attached. Executives have thousands of these passed along their desks daily and frankly, they have more important things to do then look at resumes all day.
Sports conferences are a great way to make connections throughout several different sports outlets, one of which can hopefully lead you in the right direction towards your dream job. Sports conferences are becoming more and more popular and are popping up weekly. Find the right conference and you can make a slew of quick and reliable connections if you’re willing to be a social butterfly and talk to people.
The website SIRC is an outstanding sports resource that also provides a calendar that lists all of the upcoming sports conferences and provides links to their sites, where registration is possible. Conferences coming up in April range from sports chiropractic to sports business conferences to leadership and literary conferences. The conference world is booming and they allow and create a great atmosphere for networking to occur.
Now, just because you attend the conference doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be landing your dream job right away. It’s going to take some work and you’re going to have to know what to do and how to present yourself when you attend.
The website Kristi’s Blog has some interesting reads on how to handle yourself at conferences and Chris McKinney wrote a piece for Sports Networker in October of 2012 that includes some other great tips, so check out both resources for their advice. Conference season is approaching, so get out there, make connections and start on your path towards the sports job of your dreams because only you can make this dream a reality and networking is an outstanding first step in doing so.
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