CANDIDATES, begin this employment season (2012) by conducting an initial assessment of your areas of expertise. What superior qualities do you have to offer to a Sports Industry employer:
- Expertise in Sales and Marketing
- Public Speaking
- Oral and Written Communications
- Proficiency with certain Software Packages (Custom Software included)

Once the assessment is complete, take each quality and place in your Candidate Profile, using bullet points to separate each category.

Next, use the Résunate software platform (Get a FREE Premium Account Upgrade) and take the Myers – Briggs test, which will produce a create a personality profile. The test results will assist with your job search by providing charts of comparable personality profiles within the same industry as the selected job description. NOTE: This information will also assist with job interview preparation.

Register for your FREE Résunate account (& Premium Account upgrade). Offer expires on 2.21.12.

TSR members conducted a study during the week of September 26 – September 30, 2011. The focus of our study was to analyze whether technological innovations could possibly eliminate some employment positions within the sports industry, specifically the Ticket Sales position (Ex. Pacolian and StubHub).

We noticed a significant increase in Technology-Specific positions provided by Sports Industry employers. We usually post many of these positions during the Daily Job Blitzes on the Facebook page. This trend in tech-specific positions appeared to increase daily. This trend is what moved the TSR staff to conduct this research. As a company, we want to make sure all clients and inquirers are adequately prepared for the next generation of employment opportunities.

Here are the results, names of participating employers and employment websites:

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Adidas, NCAA, Madison Square Garden, StubHub, ESPN, TeamWorkOnline.com, Sports Recruitment International and Global Sports Jobs [IMPORTANT: Over 90% of the positions listed by StubHub were technology focused,no surprise].

September 26: Tech Jobs (4) Other (45)
September 27: Tech Jobs (8) Other (63)
September 28: Tech Jobs (10) Other (56)
September 29: Tech Jobs (15) Other (74)
September 30: Tech Jobs (10) Other (69)

This research shows a slight increase in the number of Technology-Focused employment positions posted daily. As a candidate, especially students, consider seeking a Minor is some Science/Technical discipline. This may strengthen your candidacy when applying for Sports Industry employment opportunities and definitely within other employment sectors.

TSR’s next research project will produce more detailed results, highlighting the frequency of “specific” employment positions.

Applicant Tracking System – a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs.

Sports Industry candidates are up against a large number of competitors when applying for employment positions. As mentioned on multiple occasions, it is not unusual for an employer to receive over 100 applicants per position, which includes entry-level ticket sales positions.

There is now a new competitor facing today’s job seekers, a competitor which is invisible to the eye and does not attend Sports Industry Career Fairs.

The invisible competitor is called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS): see definition above. Any candidate applying for a position with a large sports organization (Pro-Sports Franchises, ESPN, FoxSports, SKY, etc…NOTE: An ESPN recruiter personally told me they use ATS software for their department) will have their Résumé/CV and Cover Letter immediately forwarded to an electronic database [NOTE: Small Companies are taking advantage of ATS Software as well].

Once in the database, HR managers and hiring personnel use various methods (Depends on the features of their unique ATS system) to “screen” potential candidates. Features for tracking candidates include location, experience, level of education, academic achievements, and years of employment within an individual sector. The ATS systems main purpose is to provide an easier method of finding “qualified” employees. Long gone are the days of sorting through hundreds of Résumés and CV’s of unqualified candidates.

As a candidate, your job is to figure out the best method in having your application materials appear visible. Going forward, it is probably best to have your Résumé and CV designed for a specific position. Each employer will have certain criteria they look for when selecting candidates for an interview. Most of the criteria will be contained within the job description. Therefore, tailor your Résumé/CV for each individual position you apply for. If the ATS system allows the submission of one Résumé/CV, then design for a “specific department” (Ex. Sales, TV Production, New Media, etc….).

Be prepared for the new era in Human Resource Recruitment! -TSR Staff

Employment Position: Account Executive
Employer: National Football League (NFL)

Job Seekers,
We wanted to let you know that TSR has just entered a partnership with Sport Jobs Ireland. Sport Jobs Ireland (SJI) is a web platform which provides Sports-Industry employment opportunities located in Ireland and the surrounding areas (United Kingdom, etc…).

Sport Jobs Ireland does not charge a fee for access to the jobs. There is also a section providing insights from current employees working within various sectors.

New positions are constantly uploaded.