If you’ve ever watched your team score a last-minute goal or have won a championship with your friends, you already know how exciting sports can be. When there’s so much glory to go around, it’s not surprising that many people want a career in sports in Australia.
Unfortunately, we can’t all be superstar athletes. However, with a huge number of interesting jobs and careers to explore, anyone can find employment in the sports industry.
There are a few things you can do to get ahead in this exciting area, and some might surprise you! Read on to find out how to start a career in the Australian sports industry.
Networking
You may have heard the saying, “it’s not what you know but who you know.” This couldn’t be more true for the sports industry.
In fact, 85% of jobs are filled primarily through networking, and 70% of jobs are never even publicly advertised, so having connections is more important than ever.
If you’re looking for a sports career pathway, consider seeking an internship first. Internships are a great way to break into the industry, make connections with the people you work with and build your experience by tackling a range of different responsibilities. You might even be offered ongoing work after your internship!
If you’re looking to establish more connections, you can also attend networking events for the sports industry. Industry networking events are a great way to get out there and meet your peers face-to-face.
It might seem scary at first, but everyone is there for the same reasons: to meet like-minded people and to build their careers. The 10times directory is a great resource for finding sports networking events near you.
Read more: How to Build a Network in The Sports Industry
Become an expert on sports
Being a sports fan isn’t always enough. Doing your own research and being knowledgeable about what’s going on in the world of sports will help you stand out and build rapport with others in the industry.
In particular, it can help to have an understanding of the commitment and passion that drives the players, teams, and sports organisations. It will also be useful to you to develop a practical understanding of sports businesses and any recent changes and trends in the industry.
You can familiarise yourself with the sports industry by listening to sports podcasts, watching press conferences and interviews, reading autobiographies and staying up-to-date on sports-related news.
You might also want to find a mentor who will guide you. A mentorship can happen organically, but you can always ask people you respect if they’d be happy to teach you or give you advice. You can also look to join a mentoring program, like the one offered by Women Sport Australia.
You could also consider doing some further study or short courses through University or TAFE to expand your knowledge and gain more relevant qualifications to launch your sports career.
Identify your strengths
As with any career, finding a job that fits your strengths is key. That’s not to say that you won’t develop skills and learn on the job, but finding a role that will allow you to show off what you’re good at will help you get noticed and move up the ranks.
For instance, if you’re really good at working with numbers and data, a sports analyst role will see you examine pages of data and use that to offer insight into ways your team can improve.
If you’re a natural-born leader with a history of achieving results, maybe you could look into sports management, either on the field or the business operations side.
These are just some examples. With the wide range of roles available in the sports industry, anyone can find a role that suits them—you just have to be prepared to put yourself out there!
Where to look for jobs in sport
If you’re looking for a job in sports, check out Sportspeople, a dedicated careers website specifically for the sports industry. Here, you can find a range of sporting jobs from around Australia. The Australian Sports Commission also has great resources to help launch your career.
