Our software partner Résunate, continues to provide important information for candidates seeking Sports Industry employment opportunities. This submission was prepared by Kat Krull, the Marketing Manager for Careerimp Inc.

NOTE: Join us, The Sports Résume and Résunate on Tuesday 2.7.12 from 8-9PM for a chat discussing what content should be present on the Résume of a Sports Industry employment candidate: http://twebevent.com/MyCR. We look forward to your presence and do invite any friends and associates.

Remember to use the FREE Résunate software platform to receive your Résume/CV/Job Description analysis. Your goal should be in planning a strategy for integrating an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

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Many colleges and universities offer sports management degrees for students dreaming to work for ESPN or becoming major sports talents managers. A once seemingly recession proof market, has now seen a decline. There have been several job cuts within the sports industry across every sport.

As Real Clear Sports found in an interview last year with Chuck Todd, NBC political director and a man with years of sports media industry experience, that there are some sports that will survive better than others. Football looks the most solid avenue, but there are others that may be good to look at as well such as college sports positions.

With that said, the sports industry has become more competitive. An employment candidate will need to stand out from the competition. How? Let’s look at some tactics:

Figure out what types of jobs you want within the sports industry. The best way to be proactive in doing this is to look at all types of jobs within the industry and hone in on those making the best connection.

Familiarize yourself with what exactly it entails to be a marketing coordinator, general manager, or a group sales manager so you understand what will be expected of you on a daily basis. You will be most if you correctly match your skill set, wants and desires to the internship or job you set forth to obtain.

Network often. Building a great network is really a time tested means of getting the desired position. Get to know people in the industry by joining social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and by following various sports blogs. Don’t be afraid to comment on things that you are knowledgeable about and mark your calendar for events advertised through these mediums.

Thoroughly educate yourself about the desired job sector. Any sports statistic, news article, and other helpful information can be accessed so find them! This is also a great way to figure out what parts of the industry interest you the most. Furthermore, if you are conducting research, you will also gain an understanding of how the sports industry works.

Secure an internship to get your foot in the door. Most sports management degrees end with an internship so choose well and make the most of it. Internships.com says that if you are going to succeed in the world of sports you must have some hands on training and it is a great way to meet and train with real industry professionals and identify different opportunities that are available to you. You will start building your network of people in the industry which is a vital part of sports industry survival. Hopefully you are in a position to secure an internship out of or during college to give yourself the best chance.

Write a cover letter and Résumé that reflects your passion and core competencies. If you were able to complete an internship, you probably recognized your strengths and weaknesses. Use your strengths to define your core competencies on your Résumé. It is important to convey what value you can add to the organization through your cover letter and Résumé. Résunate can help you create a tailored and powerful Résumé. Always have a 3rd party review the finished product. Then start self-marketing.

Are you ready for a sports career? Do you have some other great ways to get into the sports industry?

CANDIDATES,
Our current focus is in preparing you [And your application materials] for effective application within the Applicant Tracking Systems now used by Sports Industry employers to screen candidate submissions. These systems scan and look for matching KEYWORDS within your Résumé/CV and the job description.

It is critical that you tailor and design your application materials for “each” position (Including the Cover Letter) you intend to apply for. Never create or forward a “standard” Résumé/CV or Cover Letter. Applicant Tracking Systems are designed to help hiring managers analyze a candidates credentials with the criteria listed within the job description. Unqualified applicant submissions are usually discarded.

TSR has partnered with Resunate, a software platform that uses Semantic Intelligence to match the contents of a candidates Résumé/CV to a job description. This helps increase the likelihood that a candidate will receive an interview.

There has been a pattern among Sports Industry candidates noticed over the past months in the development of the Cover Letter (Research comes from the analysis of FREE review services).

Most candidates are using their Cover Letter to repeat information located on the Résumé. This is the wrong approach. Remember what the purpose the Cover Letter serves: to introduce your candidacy to Hiring Managers, forwarding their attention to your Résumé/CV (The 30-second time table). Noticeable repetitive information can be a hindrance to securing the Hiring Manager’s attention, which heavily depends on your content (This is especially true if the information is not related to the employer’s needs).

Always remember that employers are flooded with Résumé/CV submissions (Which is why most are using electronic Applicant Tracking Systems [ATS]).

The Correct Approach in writing a Cover Letter: Address HOW you meet the minimum requirements listed within the job description. Why? This removes your candidacy from the “Unqualified Applicant” submissions.