Have you resided to the fact that probably you’re not going to be the next David Beckham who is worth upwards of $200 million or Kobe Bryant who earns a report $30 million per year but still want a career in sport?Finding the combination of something you love and the ability to make a rewarding career, is often very difficult. If your passion is sports, you’re not alone.
Today candidates from across the world are looking to mix their love of sports with a rewarding and successful career.
Careers in Sport
Whilst the sports industry is highly competitive, there’re a wide range of great careers to choose from. If you’re dedicated and build the right qualifications, a career in sport is achievable.Sports Coaches or Personal Instructor’s are often the usual career choices for those wanting a career in sports, but they’re others. Here are ten great career in sport to consider if you really want to get into the sports industry.
Sports Journalist
Sports Journalists report the latest sporting news to the public either by live feeds or through a range of different media to include, print, television and on the radio. Sports Journalists can be specialized to one sport, or cover a wide range of sporting events and disciplines.
If you want to become a sports journalist, you’ll ideally have a degree in journalism. Whilst it’s possible without a degree, it’s much harder and you’ll need to start with your local town and then work your way up. To be successful you’ll need to have exceptional writing skills, superb attention to detail and work hard.
My Advice – Take a Journalism course to build your experience, whilst making sure you’re writing for blogs, applying for internships and offering to work in your local newspaper. This will help you build a portfolio of work which you can use to secure your next role.
Sports Photographer
Sports Photographers take pictures of sporting moments across the world. Sports Photographers can work for large companies; however, most will work freelance, selling their pictures to image sourcing companies all over the world. Whereas sporting journalists will tend to focus on one specific sport, sports photographers will cover a wide range of sporting events and disciplines.
Ideally you will need a degree in Photography, however again it’s not impossible without a degree. Most importantly, you need a flair for photography and serious concentration. Most of sports photography is about watching sports until a memorable moment happens when you take your picture. A split-second to late, the moment has gone, and you have missed your opportunity.
Typically, you can earn around 20K Basic plus commission working for big company, however this varies per image for freelance working. A memorable moment with a famous sporting star and your picture could be worth thousands.
My Advice – Start by taking a photography course and then try to build an online website where you can sell your work. If your selling your photographs on a regular basis then realistically, you will be able to make a career out of it.
Personal Trainer
Personal Trainers work with clients and tailor training programs to suit their needs. A personal trainer will work one-on-one either at a local gym or outside and improve their client’s overall fitness whilst achieving set goals, such as weight loss, speed or strength.
Personal Trainers ideally need a degree in sports science, however given there are no set rules for qualifications, you could effectively just take a personal trainers course and start working. Good Fitness Trainers will earn 20-35K, however if you’re running your own business, you can make much more.
My Advice – Get yourself enrolled on a course tailored to becoming a personal fitness instructor. Once you’ve passed the test, apply to your local gyms and fitness centres to start getting valuable experience.
Sports Advertising
Working in Sport Advertising means that you sell space within sports clubs or publications to a range of different organisations who want to be associated with that brand. The job is a sales job and will usually involve lots of telephone calls trying to sell your space.
Good sales skills are a must, however there’re no set qualifications that you need. There is a lot of space within publications and sports clubs/events, however there are fewer and fewer people who want to advertise and therefore competition is rising fast. Basics are around 20-25K, however if you perform well then, a good bonus is available to you.
My Advice – Sports Advertising is not a job that you want to stay in for very long, however can be an exceptional stepping stone into other parts of the industry. Once you manage to get your foot in the door, start to build up a network of contacts that you can utilise to move into other areas, including marketing for professional sports teams or sports-specific advertising agencies.
Sports Nutritionist
Sports Nutritionists help maximise an athlete’s performance through both their diet and dietary supplements. Sports Nutritionists will either work with a team or one-on-one and provide a specific food, vitamin and supplements plan on a weekly basis depending upon the athlete’s needs.
A degree in Nutritional Science or Dietetics is preferred however you can take courses in nutrition. Given that fact it’s a growing industry and nearly all professional athletes and sports teams will have either a team or personal nutritionist salaries are increasing quickly, however starting salaries are around the 20-35K mark.
My Advice – Sports Nutrition is a great career to pursue if you’re interested in dietetics and its impact on an athlete’s performance. An athlete’s diet can make a huge difference to their performance and could prove to be the difference between winning and losing. Maintain your knowledge by keeping abreast with developments in the field of nutrition, dietetics and exercise physiology.
Sports Psychologist’s
Sports Psychologist’s perform a range of tasks to do with increasing an athlete’s motivation, education and overall performance. Being a successful athlete is as much about fitness and ability as it is about how to keep your mind in the right condition. A Sports Psychologist will students with their focus, concentration or dealing with pressure in pressurised situations.
You’re going to need a range of qualifications to practice sports psychology, however the starting point is a degree in Psychology. To practice professionally you will need a master’s or doctorate degree in clinical or sports psychology and a lot of work experience.
Starting salaries are low at around 20K, however according to the US Department of Labour, the average is around 70K for a well-qualified sports psychologist. This will increase further if you can build your reputation and start you own practice. A few top sports psychologists earn upwards of 250K.
My Advice – If you really want to be a sports psychologist then get prepared to do some serious studying. The rewards are there if you put in the effort and let’s be honest, you’re going to spend your working career talking to famous people. Sounds fun.
Sports Agent
All professional sports athletes have an agent to look after their business needs and ensure they’re looked after. Sports Agents will handle accounting and tax, sponsorship contracts and market or give advice to their client about any potential sponsors. Sports Agents are often self-employed, although some will work for large consulting or sports management firms.
Sports Agents is a highly competitive arena. To find a position, you’ll need a degree in law, finance or sports management, together with a selection of work experience placements. Opportunities do exist in smaller companies however you’ll have to start at the very bottom and work your way up.If you can get yourself into an International sports agency or consulting company, salaries start at around 30K, however it’s not uncommon for graduates to start on minimum wage. If you can set up your own company, get a few key clients who earn million through endorsements and get yourself a percentage, then this can be a very lucrative industry.
My Advice – Sports Agents is a very competitive industry that consists of a lot of ex-professional sports people and their family. Yes, you can break into this industry but it’s going to take some luck, hard work and more hard work.
Sports Event Planners
Sports Event Planners exists to satisfy the huge numbers of sports fans that turn up to events. Organising an event is a major task that can take months if not years to complete. Sport Event Planners organise these events and make sure they run smoothly to schedule.
Technically you do not require any qualifications to get a job in sports event planning, however to get into one the top companies in a good job, you will need a degree in hospitality management, hotel management or business administration, together with a few internships completed. Starting salaries are between 15-18K, however salaries can increase into six figures when you have a good few years of experience and a selection of relevant qualifications.
My Advice – Being a Sports Event Planner is a good fun job, however when events need to start on time and you are running late with your preparation, they can be very stressful. If you are good at dealing with pressure and are a very organised person, this will be a great career.
Final Thoughts
Sports Careers can be a fantastic career for the right person, however as with all careers, to get a job in sport you will need to make sure that you have a great resume that stands out from the crowd, you prepare for your interviews and build rapport with your interviewer so that you are liked as both a person and a candidate.
Nick Jones
Latest posts by Nick Jones (see all)
- What Job Should I Do? It Depends on Whether You’re An Introvert Or An Extrovert - November 17, 2021
- Ten Ways to Unplug and Recharge During The Holiday Season - November 3, 2021
- 10 Jobs for Teenagers to Earn Extra Money - October 13, 2021