Tips for getting into the game

As professional sports teams are playing again, questions have started to arise about working in professional sports. Let’s be honest. Who wouldn’t want to get up and go to work for their favorite sports franchise? Every day would be fun and exciting — and we might even meet a few of the players. It sounds amazing, right?

Over the years, I’ve met a number of folks who’ve spent the majority of their career in professional sports, whether it was the NBA, PGA or MLB. I noticed common themes among those people. They all work extremely hard. They all travel — a lot. And, they’re all thrilled to be working in pro sports. It was a life dream that they each worked on for many years.

UCLA’s Director of Alumni Career Resources, David E. Cooley, shared his insights into breaking into the sports industry. As a long time Los Angeles resident and career coach, David has often worked with clients who also have an interest breaking into sports. His advice was simple. First, your love of sports alone will never get you the job. In fact, it may be looked at as a negative at times. Next, get as much education and experience as you can in the sports arena. Then, be prepared to work your way up from the bottom.

This point regarding working your way up in professional sports is welltaken. A Memphis Grizzlies alumnus shared that everyone he’d met in a senior leadership position in professional sports had started at the bottom. They often started as interns.

If you’re a recent college graduate, this is probably great news. But, if you’re more seasoned and have commitments like a mortgage or a family, it can be trickier. If you have a lifestyle you need to maintain, you’ll want to do diligent research into pay. Positions in pro sports often pay less than equivalent positions in other industries.

You may wonder why this is the case. It’s because many people want these jobs. Candidates will take less money to get them, which means that in order to be competitive, you likely will have to do the same.

Keep in mind too that your perfect job in professional sports may not be in your city, so you’ll want to be open to moving — and to working for another team. The last key to finding a job in pro sports is networking. Your reputation and who you know will help you to bypass the piles of applicant resumes in front of yours.

Keep in mind that this foot-in-the-door approach is not for every industry. In fact, I’d rarely recommend it for any other situation. But, with so many applicants for these positions, you often have to be more flexible in order to be competitive.

Don’t get me wrong. My intention isn’t to detour you from your sports career. It’s to provide guidance on where to begin and what expectations to set.

Keep in mind too that your perfect job in professional sports may not be in your city.

Angela Copeland, a career expert and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.