The Top 3 Entry Level Jobs in Sports

I’m asked on a daily basis by job hopefuls on how to break into the sports industry.  Sports barely suffered during the recession of 2008-2009, which is surprising given the cost cutting and budget tightening that occurred, and has persisted.  Most medium sized and major universities offer majors in sports marketing or sports management - in fact there are 300 universities in the US currently offering this major with tens of thousands of graduates each year.  The problem is that the amount of people who want to work in sports, does not equal the amount of opportunities.  It’s simple economics.  For example, in my organization, it’s not uncommon for a job opening to be posted for a week or two, and for us to receive thousands of applications.  This includes both entry level, and more niche roles.  I've worked in other industries, and I'll tell you there's definitely something special about working sports, and apparently, tons of job applicants know it.  The competition is fierce, as anyone trying to break into the industry already knows.

As I opened my email on Monday morning, I had an astounding 11 inquiries via LinkedIn, just from the weekend all asking a different version of the same question, “How can I get my foot in the door in sports?”  I plan to release a special report later this year with in-depth details about the roles I'm going to describe, and further, how to position yourself for such opportunities and to get your foot in the door with a sports team.  However, for today, I wanted to give you a preview and list the top 3 entry level jobs in sports.

1. Sales.  I know this is not what many young graduates and early career professionals want to hear, but sales is where the jobs are, and ultimately where some of the best careers are built. 
2. Customer Service.  Most sports teams find that great customer service is (or should be) one of their core competencies.  This ranges from the front lines all the way to the top of the organization.
3. Public Relations.  Most teams, particularly large market teams, maintain significant staff to handle public relations matters, with high exposure even for entry level staff.

While my perspective is primarily from a baseball standpoint, I’m confident you’ll find similar entry level roles within other sports and within most pro teams.  In the upcoming special report, I plan to give you information and tools to help you increase the odds of landing your dream job in the sports industry, without the over-emphasized internship and networking tips that most experts provide.  

Stay tuned, and comment here or tweet me (@CatapultHR) to let me know of any specifics you'd like me to write about and I'll try to include them in the published report!

Note:  I am unable to respond to every job inquiry, so please reference the Cubs Careers Page for more information on job opportunities with the Cubs.