Michael Jordan is the epitome of sports career success. Not only is he one of the all-time greats on the court, he wields even more power off of it. In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 20th “Most Powerful Celebrity in the World,” with $55 million earned. (10 years after his…
Archive | Sports Jobs
Good News and Bad News About Working in Sports
If you want to work in sports, and I think most of you do, I have a question for you: What do you plan on doing in the sports industry? What company, if they hired you, would be a dream come true? The New York Jets? New York Yankees? San Francisco Giants? How about Adidas? Or…
5 Golden Rules Following a Downsize
Before starting my company, Winning Proof, I had been downsized three times in nine years. As far as I can tell that makes me a downsized diva and qualifies me to write the golden rules. Kidding aside, I am familiar with the situation and I’ve made a few mental rules of what to do during…
Interview with Brock Huard of ESPN on Sports Media Careers
Voice of the Box recently sat down with Brock Huard, the co-host of ESPN Radio’s Brock and Salk show and a familar face on ESPN TV. Not only is Brock one of the best at what he does, he is also a former all Pac 10 QB and enjoyed a 6 year NFL career too….
3 Ways To Guarantee Your Sports Job Success in 2011
If your goal for 2011 is to break into the sports industry, there are three things that will guarantee your success. (And it won’t cost you a dime!)
Now Hiring: National Football League Head Coaches
The unemployment line continues to grow for NFL fired coaches this season. Locker room epitaphs might read something like, “his players gave up on him”, “he took the hit that player personnel should have taken”, or maybe even, “he deserved it.” With the firing of Brad Childress, Wade Phillips, Josh McDaniel, and most recently, Mike…
Interview With Darren Rovell: Sports Business Man of The Year!
We recently hosted a poll for the top sports social media professional and sports business resource of 2010, and the winner of both went to CNBC’s sports business reporter Darren Rovell! I was extremely impressed with the amount of dedicated fans Darren actually had when he tweeted out the link to the poll to his…
Networking in Business Beyond Social Media
The explosion of social media has expanded our sphere of influence and connections to the farthest parts of the world. We’re able to do business with anyone in any country with the click of a button and a twist of the mouse. PayPal has made it possible to receive payment and pay our vendors within…
How to Gain an Edge Over Your Competition
Every athlete knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that daily practice of his/her craft is essential to gain a winning edge over the competition. Just as important though, is mental toughness; the ability to overcome challenges and setbacks. Having a psychological edge that enables you to cope with higher-than-average demands from team owners, coaches,…
Top Five Sports Jobs
If you’ve ever attended a live sporting event, you’ve seen all types of entry-level sports jobs; from ball boy to towel boy to mascot, but there are some sports jobs that require more skill, education, and passion than a dusty ball boy or a sweaty mascot. While these entry-level sports jobs can open the door…
Who Ya NOT Gonna Call?
Pro football offensive line players know which opposing team defensive guard will clobber them with a vengeance on every play. They know the dirty players with intentions of delivering late hits or even career-ending blows.
Pro players also know who their ‘go-to’ people are – the ones who have their back. The teammate who will defend them with everything they’ve got. The coach who guides, instructs, and corrects. The family member who is at every game, cheering them on.
Entrepreneurs, much like pro players, know who their “go-to” people are; the friends who will give us a verbal shot-in-the arm. We gravitate to people who share our extreme need for continual motivation. It’s important to know who to call for guidance, instruction, and correction along our path to success.
What’s even more important is who we DON’T call in times of discouragement, distress, or failure.
We’re all familiar with the famous question in the Ghostbusters movie…”Who Ya Gonna Call?” I propose to ask the question differently…Who Ya NOT Gonna Call?
10 Tips to Help You Land Your First Sports Job
1. Network, Network, Network
Have you heard the adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” Well, in sports, it’s more like “who knows you” or “who is familiar with your work”. The key to getting your first job (or any job) is networking. You need to get out there in front of the decision makers who have the power to hire you, whether that’s the head of the sales department, box office or the general manager.
Attending networking functions is a great idea. Most teams and leagues either run their own career fair or attend sports related fairs every year. For example, job seekers interested in a career in Minor League Baseball should attend the annual PBEO Conference (the same “Winter Meetings” where players are traded and the Rule V draft are held ever year) and network with as many people as possible.