Jersey area offers plenty of opportunities to find jobs in sports

BY JOE FAVORITO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

ON N.J. MARKETING

Even in a down economy, the idea of working in sports remains a very attractive idea to people, from those in high school and college to established people looking to make a transition from other fields and now follow what they believe their "dreams" have been.

Today there are over 300 schools in the United States that offer some form of undergraduate or graduate program in sports management. And in New York City, two high schools, the new Business of Sports School in Manhattan and the High School for Sports Management (now in its fifth year) in Brooklyn offer full programs to introduce various areas of sports opportunities to young people.

That being said, the competition to find a sustainable career path in sports, whether it is law, marketing, branding, communications, sales, writing, or even event planning, is now more fierce than ever. And those looking to make career changes into the field can find the task as daunting as trying to get an effective job in any elite field, whether it is sports, medicine, law, or accounting.

So what is a person to do?

Luckily the tri-state area remains loaded with opportunities for those looking to find out what path to take, and probably has more opportunity for both the entry level job seeker or the seasoned veteran, than any other place in the world.

This fall, there are events almost on a weekly basis for those looking for opportunities to make the transition or get started. For example, two weeks ago at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Little Falls, the group from Diamond Sports Careers hosted a panel for about 50 prospective job seekers with senior executives from Sports Illustrated (writer Richard Deitsch), the New York Giants (head of media Don Sperling), ESPN (senior editor Gary Hoenig) and others. And on December 4, Princeton University will host a day long symposium on the sports industry (free to college and high school students and only $50 for professionals) with executives like former head of Anheuser Busch sports marketing Tony Ponturo, IMG's Barry Frank, former Orioles General Manager Roland Hemond, World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and over 40 others speaking on various topics. ( Check out www.sportssymposium.org/ for all the details on the event)

Those are just two examples of how to make connections and get started for those looking for a career in sports.

Sports and entertainment remain very social businesses, and those who are able to build careers in those fields usually do so from the people they meet and the skills they build along the way. It is a business of networking that remains very fertile, and we in the tri-state area are lucky to have virtually every league, over 60 professional sports franchises, over 100 events, and thousands of brands and agencies involved in some area of sports or entertainment marketing located in the corridor from Philadelphia to New York. In my very small, two-mile long Bergen county town, I have neighbors who write for four different publications and others who work in at least six or seven sports related businesses — from golf and tennis to pharmaceuticals and physical therapy, just to name a few. That example is not uncommon in New Jersey, and if one wants to start in the business, one probably would not have to look far to get advice on how to adapt a skill and find the opportunity for a position - or at least get the answers to the right questions.

Now has sports been affected by the economy in terms of jobs? Yes. However, the need for effective professionals is probably more important today than ever before, and the ability to bring a unique skill set — good writing, expert legal advice, a multilingual background, accomplished sales skills, a solid background in finance to "sports" either in a full time or consulting capacity is still a very real possibility.

It all comes down to networking and being available when opportunities arise. For those starting out, that means quality internships and volunteering — an event like the ING New York City Marathon had thousands of volunteers for example.

And for those with existing careers it means thinking about what skills you have that can translate from an existing business into the business of sports. Is it easy? No. Is it worthwhile? Can be.

The opportunities exist, and in New Jersey the ability to easily meet with elite executives over the coming months at events to see if those opportunities match a skill set you possess is probably higher than anywhere else at this time of year.

It's all about timing and who you know, and asking the right questions.

Joe Favorito has over 23 years of strategic communications/marketing, business development and public relations expertise in sports, entertainment, brand building, media training, television, athletic administration and business. Visit him at JoeFavorito.com.