What Should you Know When Applying for Sports Jobs?

Dan Gold asked:

Because of the booming demand for sports events in the world, the sports industry presently offers more than 5 million positions for employment. Not all those positions have been filled to date, so maybe you should apply for at least one of those sports jobs.

Here are some things you ought to know when applying for sports jobs:

1.Professional job listings – There are some websites which are devoted purely to posting types of sports jobs that are available for people to apply for. You just need to type in the search term “sports jobs” to find these websites. Some websites will charge a commission, though, for getting jobseekers in touch with sports jobs employers so you need to ask before answering an ad at such websites, or posting your own ad.

2.Narrow down what types of sports jobs you have in mind before you even start searching. This means knowing what qualifications you may have that would make you ideal for a sports job. Contrary to what people may think, you do not necessarily need to be an athlete to qualify for sports jobs. There are many types of jobs that require people of average physical abilities rather than super athletes. For example, you might be qualified to be a ticket seller at a sports venue. Or perhaps you could be a grounds maintenance personnel. Even sports venues need to be manned and maintained. It would be nice if you could match your present skills to those needed for the sports industry.

3.How long do you want to work at your sports job? There are sports jobs which pay different rates, depending on what type of job you require. You also need to find out if the job will last for six months, a year, and so on. You have to inquire how long the contract will last. Even a well-paying job becomes less attractive if it will only last a very short time.

4.Would you be willing to relocate to accept the new sports job? There are really very many sports organizations and leagues out there, so it is quite likely that you get lucky and find a dream sports job – in another state. So ask yourself if you can stand being uprooted just to pursue your type of sports job.

5.Is the job an Equal Opportunity job? Equal Opportunity employers are those who do not discriminate as to your race, or age, or gender. In the US, the law requires employers to be Equal Opportunity employers (though unfortunately not all employers follow this law.) The same goes for Canada. Employers for sports jobs in other countries may not even have an Equal Opportunity law, so you need to be more careful about foreign employers. The Equal Opportunity stipulation helps people who would be discriminated against (such as African Americans, Asian Americans, the elderly, or women) get the same chance at applying for and working at the sports job in question.

These are just some of the requirements you may run into in your search for sports jobs. But these alone may help you get the right type of sports job for your qualifications.