The writers at TSR recommend all College Freshman and Sophomores start early if you intend to work in the Sports Industry. When conducting your search keep in mind that you will “probably” have more internship than permanent placement opportunities. This is due to the nature of your status (College Student) and economics (Free labor for the employer).

First, contact any local sports organizations (Major/Minor League franchises, Sports Radio stations, etc…). If there are no immediate openings on their websites or posted in the newspaper, send an inquiry letter to the staff member in charge of ticket sales and sponsorships. The letter should inform this person of your interest in “volunteering.” If  you do volunteer, contact your school counselor/advisor and see if you can receive academic credit while working. You should seek permission to receive academic credit the semester prior to working for the organization.

Second, contact the Athletic Director (AD) at your university. Express your interest in selling season tickets and sponsorships for the athletic programs (Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, both revenue generating sports). If you are enrolled at one of the smaller (student body population) schools, the athletic department will probably not have a sales staff. Your help would be appreciated and necessary. The benefit in working for the university is that you gain experience during the school semesters and have the ability to seek an internship from a separate organization during the summer months.

Important:Keep a record of all transactions ($ amount of ticket sales/sponsorships, % gain in sales/revenue attributable to your work, number of new accounts). This information will then be transferred to your Resume/CV. Imagine how your candidacy would look to a Sports-Industry employer with this experience upon graduation. You will be in a far superior position than your competition.

The writers of TSR are please to introduce the KEYWORD BOX. The Keyword Box is placed to assist those Sports Industry job seekers who place their Resume/CV and Cover Letters on various online recruitment sites.

What we do is analyze the most frequently posted job descriptions of Sports Industry employers. Next we look at what the employers are looking for in a potential employee and what goals the position will provide to the organization.

Last, we document the most “beneficial” terms one should use on his/her Resume/CV when applying for that particular position. Only a small percentage of candidates will be able to use every term. However, we place as many terms as possible to encompass the various backgrounds of candidates.  TSR is here to cultivate the candidates experiences and tailor the Resume/CV to match at least the minimal requirements necessary for the particular position.

The location of Keywords will help those employers using the “Resume/CV electronic scan-method” to locate you. The goal is to give you an advantage when placing your credentials amongst  the millions of candidates seeking Sports Industry employment.

TSR will place a new position in the KEYWORD BOX daily.

-noun.  a word or phrase, often sounding authoritative or technical, that is a vogue term in a particular profession, field of study, popular culture, etc.

Random House Dictionary

Buzzwords are very important for today’s Sports Job seeker. With the proliferation of Sports employment websites, the shortage of opportunities, and the large number of applicants, having the appropriate Buzzwords on the resume will provide a needed advantage.

Online employment databases contain hundreds, if not thousands of resumes. With such large numbers, hiring managers use electronic scanning methods to locate the resume containing the most “relevant” terminology applicable for the particular job opening. The resumes containing the greatest number of relevant words and terms will receive the most attention. Relevant words and terms include but are not limited to the Undergraduate Major/Minor course of study. 

Your duty as a job candidate is to read and analyze the job description and tailor the resume accordingly. Anyone reading this blog story should know what a synonym is. If the job description contains terms not specifically listed on your resume but having similar meanings, then make the necessary adjustments on the resume. 

Look at a few BUZZWORDS one could use for this position:

INSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE (Ticket Sales) - Cold Calling, Prospecting, Customer Sales/Service, Communication and Interpersonal skills, Attention to detail, Proactive, Negotiating, Presentation skills, Industry knowledge, Flexibility (work hours), New Business (ability to generate new business), Multi-task, Up-sell, Cross-sell, Sales goals (monthly, weekly).