Pursuing a career in the sport industry is an exciting endeavor and one that is often filled with passion. We love sports, and sports play a pivotal role in our culture. Because of that fact, the sport industry can be one of the most competitive industries to work in, making it difficult to land a full-time job as a young professional. The key to being successful in the sport industry is by building authentic relationships that can help carry you into a full-time role. In this blog, we will discuss why it is so essential to build relationships in sports and how to go about the process.
The Value of Relationships in Sports
The ‘secret sauce’ to getting your foot in the door within the college and professional sport industry is a robust network of established industry professionals. Building relationships in sports can help you along in your career in two different ways.
The first is by allowing you to learn from present leaders within the sport industry. The more relationships you build, the more opportunities you will have to gain hands-on experience in different departments within the industry and the more opportunities you will have to ask questions about various roles. Professional mentorship is significantly undervalued in today’s fast-paced world, but it can be a game-changer for those that take advantage of it.
The second way that building authentic connections in sports can help you in your career is by making you aware of job opportunities. Long before many jobs are ever posted, some of the most promising candidates have already been made aware of the open position. Business Insider notes that nearly 85 percent of jobs are filled through networking, and there are strong reasons to believe that that figure is even higher within the sport industry. If you have a robust network, you are more likely to be made aware of job openings before they are posted to a job board, which gives you a much higher chance of landing a full-time role in the sport industry.
The Keys to Building Relationships in the Sport Industry
If you aren’t an extrovert by nature, it can be extra challenging to build relationships. However, there are a variety of strategies that make building your network much more effective and natural.
One of the best ways to build your network is by attending industry events. Throughout the year, plenty of conferences and events relating to various sectors of the sport industry are happening. It is vital for young professionals to take advantage of these opportunities and use them as a staging ground for relationship building. Uncommon Sports Group recognizes the importance of industry events and the challenge of young professionals being able to afford the travel and registration costs related to them. For that reason, Uncommon Sports Group offers its members fully-funded access to a wide range of sport industry events and conferences. If this benefit interests you, find out how to gain membership access with USG by clicking here.
Another great way to build relationships in sports is through volunteer opportunities and internships within the sport industry. Not only will you gain experience through volunteering and internships, but you will be able to meet a plethora of established sport industry professionals who work within the organization or team that you are a part of. You can find volunteer opportunities or internships in sports through job boards, like TeamWork Online, or by simply asking a professional within the industry if they are willing to let you job shadow or volunteer for the season.
Finally, a great way to build relationships in the sport industry is through professional development organizations, like Uncommon Sports Group, which exist to help you navigate the challenges of sport industry. Organizations like Uncommon Sports Group offer ways to stay informed about job opportunities and industry events that can benefit your career journey. Secondly, organizations like Uncommon Sports Group offer access to present leaders within sports who are eager to help young professionals succeed in their career journeys.
Conclusion
Networking within the sport industry may not seem all that important, but it can be the difference between landing a full-time job and being stuck without one. Our mission at Uncommon Sports Group is to help young professionals within the college and professional sport industry navigate the unique challenges, temptations, and pressures that come with a career in sports. If you are looking for an organization that seeks to help you grow, look no further than Uncommon Sports Group. Learn more about who we are, apply to join, or contact a staff member!
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