How to Prepare for a Career in Sport Management
Is a career in sport management right for you? Whether you want to work as a sports agent, player or arena manager, in sports marketing, or any number of related careers, you first need to know how to prepare. There are several different ways to get into the field, but all share a similar trajectory, leading up your dream job. After all, if you love sports and want a job that doesn’t require you to be on the field playing, you can find other ways to express your enjoyment of the game as well as play a role in making it all happen.
Start With a Love for Sports
A career in sport management, obviously, starts with the sports themselves. Do you enjoy watching hockey or baseball? Can you repeat the stats for your favorite basketball or football players? Are your weekends taken up by attending sporting events in person or watching them on television? If you answered yes to all of those questions, then you’re on the right track for a career in sport management. When your entire world revolves around sports, you’ll enjoy being a part of the action, behind the scenes, of course.
Consider Getting a College Degree
Although you may not need a college degree for every type of sport management job, it certainly helps if you have one. Attending a school that offers a sport management degree program that includes courses in sports law, sports ethics, arena management and more will help you get started in the field. You’ll have all of the knowledge that you need to apply for jobs, as well as some of the connections that make getting work possible.
Spend Time Interning for Real World Experience
On top of a degree in sport management, you’ll also need some hands-on experience. While you’ll learn a lot inside of the classroom, the time spent outside of it, in an internship position, can be invaluable as well. Plus, some schools, like Dean College, offer course credits in their sport management degree programs, allowing students get plenty of experience in the field at the same time. Internships at nearby arenas, with sports agencies, and with sports marketing departments can all help students learn more about the field and gain those valuable connections at the same time. It all adds up to one thing: a successful career in sport management.
Keep an Eye on Various Sports Stats
Finally, you’ll want to keep an eye on various sports statistics. This is something that may come naturally to you if you truly love the game, but if it doesn’t, choose a few up-and-coming players who are signed to the team that you want to work for and be prepared to discuss their work on the field during your interview. Doing so proves that you don’t just love sports, but you also track statistics and want to be a part of things as well. It also helps you relate to your interviewers.
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