Want to Work in Sports? Consider a Career in Sports Social Media

Summary: If you are considering a career in sports, you might want to consider a job in sports social media. It is a blooming industry that has no limits.

Working in sports is no longer limited to being an athlete, an athletic trainer, an agent or a coach. Other positions include front office personnel and traveling secretaries. There is one profession within sports that has taken flight over the past five years and continues to blossom and that is social media. Professional and collegiate sports teams employ social media professionals these days to run their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest accounts daily. We have put together a guide on how to prepare for a career in sports social media.

An Internship is a Must

Internships are important no matter the industry in which you want to work, but they are vital in the sports field. An internship with a sports team, collegiate athletic department or sports broadcasting network not only helps you get a foot in the door, but also aides in networking. You will be able to meet hundreds of people within the entity that might recall your name down the road when a job becomes available.

An internship is an excellent way to find out what you really want to do in the sports industry. For example, you might not enjoy working in sports as an agent, but you might fall in love with the social media aspect of it. Internships let you test different things and find out where you want to take your career.

Learn How to Write for Social Media

The next step in preparing for a job in sports social media is learning how to write for the various networks. Each network is different; Twitter limits you to 140 characters, while Facebook has no limits on what is written. If you become a sports social media professional, you will need to switch between networks throughout the day and publish content that is relevant to that network and its requirements.

Find a Mentor

As with all types of businesses, it is important to find a mentor early in your career. If possible, find a mentor while still in college so he or she can be with you every step of the way. Since you want to work in sports social media, it might be a good idea to find a mentor within this industry. Whether it is a professor, a dean, someone from your internship or your first boss; mentors are very important to the success of your career.

Take Writing Classes in School

Another excellent tip is to take writing classes while still in school. If you want to break into the sports social media profession, you will need to know how to write and write well. It does not matter what the class offers, so long as it is writing intensive. Any writing intensive class will help improve your writing skills and prepare you for a profession that is writing intensive.