Wouldn’t it be great to land a sports administration internship with the PGA, the NFL, or with the U.S. Olympic Committee? You can add a prestigious internship to your graduation resume if your timing is right, if you know how to apply, and if you’re prepared.
Many sports organizations from a wide range of industry segments seek interns to help with their programs. The secret is that many of those organizations look at colleges to help fill those intern slots because many colleges require students to participate in an internship to graduate from sports administration programs.
Many sports management program directors and counselors encourage their students to actively volunteer with organizations or events to identify areas of interest and create professional relationships with potential employers. The possibilities for landing a career after graduation are increased with that internship, especially when building networks within organizations that hold those internship possibilities.
Learn how you can increase your chances of obtaining an internship now, so you’ll be prepared.
Increasing your chances of landing a sports administration internship
School requirements
Many sports organizations do not offer internships on their sites, and few offer those opportunities in job listings. From local to regional and from national to international levels, sports organizations often seek interns through school programs focused on sports management. This way, many sports organizations can get some assurance from colleges that the students hired have been vetted by the college program.
In situations where colleges and universities offer internship relationships with sports organizations, the student must complete a certain number of credit hours to obtain a certain number of credit hours for an internship. Also, many schools ask students to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA (grade point average).
Often, colleges offer internships only to students who are in the final year of their undergraduate education to supplement their graduate years and fulfill program requirements. Check with your school counselor or with your department head to learn more about your particular school’s requirements for a sports management internship.
Most internship opportunities are individualized and provide students with the real-time, hands-on, challenging experience to further develop professional sports management skills. Students usually get direction from experienced mentors who teach them how to apply their learned knowledge. Students also enhance latent skills and critical thinking and gain new knowledge while working alongside their mentors.
Interns may have the chance to learn practical planning and organization and finish their college careers with a clear idea about their abilities and career potential.
An internship also can provide a student with networking possibilities and a chance to gain a letter of recommendation from a prestigious athletic organization.
Your responsibilities
As mentioned previously, you need to learn more about internship possibilities through job boards and through your school. If you’ve been an upstanding student, it might help to have your school stand behind you when applying for sports management internship jobs. Other than great grades, you also might think about developing the following traits:
• Personable: Interactions with management, sports figures, and consumers is a daily part of sports management. Your ability to communicate effectively and in a tactful and helpful manner is appreciated.
• Works Well with Others: Teamwork is essential in a career that emphasizes teams and organization. Working toward the organization’s goal is your goal as well.
• Leadership: Your ability to take on assignments and seek out opportunities can help you with job assignments after you graduate. Show confidence in your abilities and in your willingness to learn.
• Motivation: Have a passion for this career. An internship may reveal aspects that you wouldn’t encounter at school. You may even learn that sports management is not what you thought, but if you love this career, show it. Be on time, be enthusiastic, and look for ways to help the organization.
You must also be prepared for an interview. Learning how to dress, eat properly, and conduct manners in public are part of the resources you’ll need in sports administration. Etiquette, along with other traits listed above, is a crucial skill in a career that calls for management and fundraising abilities.
The characteristics listed above pertain to any career, but they especially pertain to careers that encounter the public on a daily basis. If you have some business management and computer skills under your belt, as well as sports management theory, you’re well on your way to developing a path for a stellar career in sports administration.
This blog post was originally posted on Mastersinsportsadministration.com, which is a complete resource guide for up-and-coming students to find the best Sports Administration program. Here you will find all the information you need for career advice, school requirements, and options you can explore once you have your degree.
