3 cheers to standing out in the crowd of sports career prospects
The future looks bright for those pursuing their B.S. in Sport Management, with many sports management jobs expected to grow faster than average in the next five to ten years. For example, jobs in coaching and scouting are projected to grow 15 percent by 2022.
Although job growth looks promising, the sports industry can be competitive, making it important to make special efforts to set yourself apart from the crowd.
When it comes to the job search, one thing that can help you stand out to employers, along with an impressive resume, is a well-put together portfolio. Here are a few tips for creating a professional portfolio:
Go big!
An impressive portfolio is more than just a new, clean binder filled with your resume and work samples. Here are other valuable assets that can spice up your portfolio and should be tailored to the company and position you are applying to:
- A personal mission statement
- Accomplishments, awards, licenses and certifications you’ve earned
- Volunteer or community service work (if applicable)
- List of references
- Letters of recommendations
Go broad!
Show you have a multi-faceted skill set and variety of experience. Pull work samples of presentations, marketing/business plans, sample budgets, or other applicable work you’ve done through classes, internships, jobs or volunteer experiences that highlight not only the depth of your experience, but also the width.
Go digital!
It is helpful to have a digital version of your portfolio, especially for those looking to get into coaching or other sports management professions where showing video or photo samples may be appropriate. Sites like WordPress or Blogger are good for creating digital portfolios, and you can add this website URL to your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Students pursuing their Bachelor’s in Sports Management will have the opportunity to better prepare for a career in their field and develop their own portfolio through William Woods University courses such as SMG180 Portfolio Development.