If your dream is to have a sports career, but have no idea where to start, you’re not alone. I get a ton of email from college students and recent grads telling me they would love a career in sports, but don’t have a clue how to get started. So I ask them: “What do…
Chris McKinney
Author Archive | Chris McKinney
Before You Set Your Sports Career Goals for 2012 — Read This First!
If you’re smart—and I know you are—you’re going to set sports career goals for 2012. But before you do, read this first: The key to achieving your sports career goals is to know exactly where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Generic goals such as, “I want to work in…
The 2 Toughest Interview Questions in Sports (And How to Answer Them)
The toughest interview questions in sports are the two open-ended questions listed below. 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Tell me why I should hire you. Having the opportunity to tell the employer—in your words—who you are and why they should hire you is the perfect opportunity to place yourself head and shoulders above the…
Thirty Under 30 Awards- Are You a Rising Star in the Sports Industry?
Thirty Under 30 Awards If you’re a rising star in the sports industry – or know someone who is – it’s time to make your nomination for the inaugural Thirty Under 30 Awards brought to you by SPORTS LAUNCH – The Magazine. The Thirty Under 30 Awards have been established to recognize college students and young…
3 Ways to Attack Your Sports Career
When you begin to develop your strategy for breaking into sports, there are three good ways to attack it. However, the most effective way — one that leads to landing your first job in sports — is to combine all three into one unified plan. Below I’ve outlined each angle of attack. 1. Your Sport…
How to Maximize Your Sports Job Board Subscription
Anyone who’s ever had a subscription to an online job board will tell you the same thing: “I sent my resume to everyone, but didn’t hear back from anyone!” To be fair to the online job boards, most students that send out resumes and cover letters—and that’s all they do—don’t have a clue about what…
The Most Powerful Networking Tactic for the Sports Industry
Social media can be a beautiful thing for your sports career. Especially when you learn how to leverage it in a way that leads to a job offer from your favorite sports team or sports brand. However, as great as social media is for networking yourself into a cool job, there’s an even more powerful…
What Harvard Business School Can Teach You About Breaking Into Sports
Harvard Business School teaches a very simple concept. It goes like this: “Identify your unique competence and match it to a larger opportunity.” While intended for Harvard business students, that message transcends the classroom and could serve a mantra for living a productive life. Today I’m going to show you how to leverage that idea…
Jay-Z’s Guide to Personal Branding (For the Sports Executive)
I cover personal branding in more detail in my book, How to Land Your First Job in Sports: 7 Simple Steps (September 2011), but it’s an important subject to tackle for both aspiring sports execs and those that want to take their career to the next level. Look what Jay-Z, the Grammy Award-winning business mogul,…
What Dirk Can Teach You About Grit, Guts, and Personal Resolve
Want to work in sports? You better be one tough cookie. When you make the bold decision to pursue a career in sports, what you’ve really done—at least initially—is sign up for heartache and rejection. Doors will slam in your face. You will hear the word no. And at some make-or-break point, you’ll have a…
5 Ways to Deal With the Frustration of Breaking Into Sports
Trying to land a job – any job – can be a challenging experience. And when it comes to the sports industry, that challenge can easily turn into frustration. I get a lot of emails that express that frustration such as, “I feel like I can’t break into sports because there’s nowhere to go!” Or,…
The “Should I Pursue a Sports Career” Test
I don’t know about you, but taking tests in school wasn’t one of my favorite college pastimes. However, tests are important because they let you know where you are in terms of your mastery of the subject you’re studying. Plus, some tests can also help you make educated decisions. If you’re considering a career in…