Not everyone is in a position where they can afford to take on an unpaid internship, especially for a long period of time such as a summer break. We don’t believe anyone should be left behind just because of their inability to pay their own way through an internship/work experience, so we have an idea: apply to work game days.
There are a lot of leagues that play only during summer months or overlap during the summer period. It takes an army to run a stadium or venue, manage the event, and oversee team or player operations, which means a lot of opportunity for part-time, paid positions. With most sporting events on nights and weekends, it will still give you plenty of free time for other pursuits during the summer.
Here are three ways a game-day role can add value to your career:
- Adding important skills to your resume [Experience/Growth]
Customer service, teamwork, and conflict management are just a few of the skills you may hone with a game-day role. These skills will stay with you for life and be valuable resume-enhancers to help you stand out in a crowd or students vying for sports jobs. - Giving you an opportunity to meet individuals that already work for the team or organization [Networking]
Networking is cited as one of the most important elements in developing a sports career. It may just be ‘who you know’. Give yourself a head start and meet folks working with sports organizations. Maybe you missed out on an internship with them this time around but letting them know you are ready next semester can put you ahead of the pack. - Learning that sports is typically not a 9-to-5 job! [Learning/Awareness]
Getting right into the mix will help give you perspective on what it is really like to work in the sports industry. Many students do not fully understand the time commitment that can come with a job in sports. You likely won’t get to clock out on Friday and show back up on Monday morning. Giving yourself an opportunity to experience this prior to taking on a full-time job may help paint the direction you want to go with your career before you feel stuck later.
Internships are about gaining experience. There’s no reason why any part-time job could not also serve the same function as long as you are proactive and willing to put in the work (we know you are because you are here reading this and trying to maximize your pathway to a career in sports!).
