How sport management students can score big in the world of sports PR
It ushered LeBron from “The Traitor” to “The King Returns”.
It composed the indelible “MJ All Day”, “This is Sports Center”, and ”Just Do It”.
It’s PR and marketing in the world of sports. It’s strategy and identity — making a new name or redeeming an old one. It’s telling the story of sports and bringing in the crowds.
Whether you dream of helping an organization find its voice or filling every stadium seat for your favorite team, here are three tips for scoring your dream job on the communications side of sports management:
- Beef up your writing skills
Great writing skills are essential in any public relations job, and the more examples of good writing you have to add to your professional portfolio, the better. “Writing samples are a big differentiator,” explains Mike Soltys, Senior Vice President of Communications at ESPN, in an Ad Week article. “A very small percentage of applicants have good writing samples to present beyond history term papers.”
Bachelors in sports management students can practice their writing skills through a variety of William Woods communications-based student organizations, such as Writer’s Ink, Green Owl Productions, The Hoot Campus Magazine, or by pursuing a communications minor with their sports management degree.
- Gain your balance in task management
Working in sports PR or marketing, you will always be juggling multiple tasks — whether you’re working for an agency, balancing several different projects between various clients, or whether you work for a sports team and are responsible for everything from their advertising, printing and promotional material to event planning, social media and more.
When it comes time to interview for a job or internship, be sure to have a real-life example of a time you had to juggle multiple responsibilities at once — how did you prioritize? How did you contribute and how did you delegate? And reflect on the success or failure of that effort and what you learned.
In addition, take advantage of opportunities to step into leadership roles — in group projects, team sports and student organizations — where you can put your task management, delegation and organizations skills to the test.
- Score the internship with the most to offer
In any sports-related job it can be tempting to go for the position offered by your favorite team or the biggest brands, and if that is your dream job it may be in your best interest to get your foot in the door there, even if it means starting in a position that doesn’t quite match your aspirations.
But Soltys recommends a different approach. “Getting quality work experience with a smaller company can be just as beneficial for some. [I’ve heard] lots of stories about people going to high-profile internships that don’t serve them well.”
Sports management degree students can pursue internships with various athletic facilities in Fulton, Columbia and other surrounding Missouri areas through William Woods NAIA Athletic Program or you can speak with your advisor to learn about other internship opportunities available to you.