You already know and have heard that having internship experience on your resume can help you stand out in the extremely crowded sports industry job market. Even some internships want prior internship experience! And we have provided plenty of tips on how to take advantage of the internship to stand out. You may also be required to do an internship to fulfill college course obligations. But why do we do internships outside of the requirements?
Let’s talk about what is the point of this all – because knowledge is power on this dream career path.
Here are four reasons to complete an internship:
- Do I Even Like This? An internship gives you a few months to dip your toe into the water of the sports industry and find out if this is really a path you want to pursue as your life’s work. We have heard many stories (and there is nothing wrong with this!) of students that decide the time commitment and effort is not in line with what they want to get out of life and they choose a different path. Others revel in the excitement of working in sports and the internship opportunity just solidifies their desire to make their dream career a reality.
- Real-World Experience – You’re no longer in a classroom! It is time to get out into the field and put all those hard-earned study hours to use. You may find that translating what you learned in a book to your actual work experience is a big gap and that’s okay. The end of the classroom is not the end of learning, it is just the beginning.
- Skill Development – An internship can range from a super-focused job (working a gameday press box) to a really broad job (working gamedays for example). No matter what the specifics of the internship are, these are real-life opportunities to hone new skills and develop personally and professionally on your growth path.
- Connections & Networking – This may be the first time you are meeting and connecting with actual professionals who work full-time in the sports industry. This could lead anywhere from a job offer to mentorship to future connections along your pathway. Meet as many people as you can and make connections.
You may have other personal reasons and goals for completing internships beyond this list, which is just a brief overview. Completing an internship will help give you real-life insight into the sports industry and help you understand more about your potential career pathway in a very meaningful way.
