Featured Image Caption: Sports Media Industry & Job Career
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Sports Media is that industry so many young people want to get into. The work is exciting, the pay is great, and you get to travel. What’s not to like, you might ask?
However, with a growing number of young people trying to get into this industry, the competition grows. And to make it as a successful sports journalist, you need to outperform thousands of other talented young people.
Feeling worried already?
It’s only natural. But do not worry: there is a way to outperform those also majoring in Journalism.
Save our tips to see how they can transform your writing about sports into impressive coverages.
Things to Remember when Composing Excellent Pieces about Sports:
Choose the Right Location:
Where you live is extremely important. If you want to become successful in this industry, you need to step out of the comfort zone and move to the area with more jobs open and greater opportunities for sports reporters available.
Thus, according to the Balance, the best cities to live in for the reporters include:
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Washington DC
- Atlanta
- and Des Moines
People familiar with the matter state that living in either one of these places will open many doors for you, as you will live among the major book and magazine publishers. In New York alone you will have access to industry leaders like “Sports Illustrated”, “Associated Press”, “NBC Universal”, “MTV, “Wenner Media” etc.
Close proximity to these big names allows you to achieve more in this industry.
Choose a Correct Role:
There are plenty of opportunities for young people to pick in the sports industry. They do not necessarily have to be reporters to enter the market. There are tons of other jobs out there they can opt for.
For starters, they can promote Odds Digger and offer people a chance to bet and make money on their expertise in the area.
Also, they can write about sports in the social media. The Social Media Today reports that 30% of all time people spend online “is allocated to social media interaction.” While youngsters might spend up to nine hours a day chatting with their friends in the social network, adults spend less time there and yet they visit their profiles daily. Therefore, writing about sports for the social media is a great way to offer your expertise, make your name known and build up a positive reputation in sports journalism using available tools.
Another great thing young people can opt for is being a freelance sports writer. Composing news or conducting interviews has never been easier. And if those who do not live in your area need to talk to a celebrity or compose an article about the game without having to travel from afar, you can offer your services. Isn’t it great?
Finally, if you are the one with the words, and have nothing against improvising, you can search for jobs on the radio. You might comment on the game on air, or simply collect news and present them to the audience. Whichever you like the best. But, honestly, this career is absolutely fantastic. So, don’t lose your chance!
Be There:
This might sound odd, but to make it as a thriving sports journalist, you need to actually be there, on site. No matter where the game is taking place, go there, take your camera with you, watch the emotions of the fans, talk to them, and try to get in touch with the players.
To have all the accesses you need to register for them long in advance. The procedure might be different, so read the guidelines for the press carefully. But as long as you are a licensed reporter, you should have no problem getting close to the game.
Be Open for New Opportunities:
To make it to the top of this career ladder, you need to expand your resume. And for that, never turn down an opportunity to try something new.
If someone is offering you a chance to conduct an interview, go for it. If they ask you to substitute the commentator during the game, just do it. And as you seize such opportunities, you will enrich your experience and add new fresh perspectives and dimensions to your CV.
The Network is the King:
We know they say it about the content. But in our case, we believe that network can really do wonders.
You need to build connections because one day they will either get you the job or make your name known.
Since the competition in the industry is crazy, you need to have some advantages over other competitors. And strong connections can do that!
So, visit the events, give out your business cards, send follow-up letters, and work hard to enter the “privileged” circles out there. And if one day an excellent job opportunity opens up, your connection will play a major role of who will be chosen over whom.
So, invest time and resource into building a strong network.
Enter an Internship:
You might think that entering an internship is for freshmen. And if you do think so, then you could not be more wrong. An internship is a perfect chance for you to land a job in sports media.
It gets so many doors open before you that you would not believe. Especially if you crack your way into a high-profile university, its name on your resume can be your winning ticket to a successful career in this industry.
There are not as many openings and jobs in sports. So, you need to use every possible way to get into them. And if you are ready for that, then consider checking out possible open internships in schools like University of Missouri, Northwestern University, and Columbia University. They all have Journalism Schools you can apply for as well as post-graduate programs to consider. This will a huge benefit for you. So, don’t miss out on this chance!
Sports is an evergreen industry. There is no chance people will lose interest to sports. At least, we do not see this happening anytime soon. So, if you want to make it as a professional sports media, you are on the right way. However, you need to better than thousands of other young talents who want to get into this industry too.
And to be a few steps ahead of them, you need to consider our recommendations. They will make you noticeable on the market with a crazy competition and no leeway whatsoever.
By Jake Lester
,is a professional blogger and writer who contributes to a number of online media outlets and sports news sources such as OddsDigger. A graduate of the University of Chicago with bachelor’s degrees in Linguistics, he still lives in Chicago as a full-time freelance writer and an entrepreneur. Also, he writes mainly on sports, careers, and education.
Member since August, 2017
View all the articles of Jake Lester.
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