Adam White started Front Office Sports when he was a sophomore at the University of Miami, and now in three years, has grown into a premiere website for sports career advice and employment. White discusses the role of Front Office Sports in engaging current sports business executives and getting them to agree to be interviewed for the blog as a way of paying it forward to young professionals. White talks about the challenges of playing a long game, especially with having enough content, and with coordinating with dozens of young professionals without ever meeting them in person. Twitter: @FOSAdam
The ability to go online, look at a job listing, submit a resume, and potentially work in sports didn't start with Teamwork Online, but they have gotten a pretty good marketshare of the folks interested in applying for jobs in the sports industry. Chief Operating Officer Matt Kittle says that there are over 3.5 million users in the industry, and that the website has helped motivate a ton of applicants in a focused effort toward the sports job field. Kittle discusses some of the issues around working in sports, as well as the ability to avoid looking as if the website is taking advantage of their users, which is a notorious issue that plagues the sports industry as a whole. Kittle talks about some of the ways in which the website has grown, including networking event functions prior to games for multiple teams. Twitter: @MattKittle
The role of sports management education is changing, but that also requires a lot from its student base, especially as the amount of programs offered throughout the country expand to over 300 with options for actual jobs somewhat limited. Indiana State Professor Matthew Blaszka discusses some of the perils of the industry, especially with students who believe that achievements earned in the classroom will translate to avoiding certain jobs or duties in the sports industry. Blaszka expands his view on the Paid Spectator issue, where students believe that they are merely going to be at the centerpiece of the action, rather than just helping put it on. Twitter: @Mblaszka
Understanding the sports hiring realm only works if you've really been in the game for a long time. Luckily for young professionals, M3W's Michael Warren has served in multiple capacities with professional teams, including his current stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates' spring training home, working in Ticket Operations. Warren discusses the playing field in terms of sports hiring, especially on how candidates coming into the field can hurt themselves by not understanding exactly how a search is undertaken. Warren describes the industry as a whole, then dissects specific areas where job candidates can separate themselves when launching into their sports career. Twitter: @M3WSports
Chad Collins has worked on both sides of the sports hiring industry; as a recruiter and as a ticket seller. That is a key component when attempting to diagnose what a franchise executive wants when filling positions. Collins shares his experience of selling in the NBA, MiLB and ECHL, as well as how he interacts with potential job candidates, developing the best possible recruiting tool for franchises. Collins has now struck out on his own, starting Legacy Sports Search in Boise, Idaho, and talks about some of the reasons why LSS was necessary for his growth, as well as the potential of sports hiring recruitment overall. Twitter: @ChadCollins20
While a lot of folks talk about how to break into sports, few have the amount of experience that Steve Masterson has. Masterson has helped place 1,000s of young professionals in the business, through various ventures including GameFace Sports Jobs and Learfield Sports. Masterson’s podcast is unique as well, so you’ll have to consider it a “double-album” where one part was recorded in October 2013 and the other part was recorded in March 2014. It helps provide perspective on what Masterson has learned along the way in terms of what candidates, hiring supervisors and the overall industry is looking for. If you’re looking at breaking into the sports industry, Masterson touches on every facet of the job search. Twitter: @NotStephen0
Getting that first job in sports isn't easy, but WorkInSports.com has a few answers on how to do it. Since 2000, company president John Mellor has helped found one of the largest online sports job employment boards in the world. Mellor talks about what it takes to get into the industry, including some of tips on resume, grooming skills and even expectations of the "hockey stick" model. Twitter: @JohnMellor
Jeff Yocom leads a staff division focused on finding the next best sports executives in the country for his pro team clients. GameFace, Inc.’s legendary status as a pioneer of training and executive search has created an environment of trust with clients during the placement process. Yocom talks about some of the various models for success, especially good career development and how to ensure sports executives are moving to the right job and not jumping too quick.