The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

What if there was a way to use science to figure out the best career path for you? A way to narrow down the many options into a much more manageable choice. Well, Brian got a big hit of inspiration while watching Oppenheimer. He donned his lab coat and pocket protector, got out his calculator, and started testing. I picture Brian as more of a Bill Nye than an Einstein in the lab. Either way, he's giving you a new approach to finding what you are good at and what you will love and thrive in.

Like any good science experiment, you'll have to break a few eggs to make the omelet; you won't always nail your first hypothesis. Still, Brian's idea revolves around eliminating false positives on your way to finding a satisfying line of work. But I'll let Brian explain his stroke of genius and prove that he is no mad scientist.

75% of resumes don't pass through ATS (applicant tracking systems). Recruiters spend an average of 7.6 seconds reading the ones that do. The sports industry is highly competitive because… well, sports.

You need to take every advantage offered, and AI is the quickest way to get your resume into the right hands.

Brian covers 21 ways —that's right, 21 ways—that you can ask Chat GPT, Gemini, Jasper, and all the other robots to not only make your job application materials shine but also do it faster than ever.

Don't want to analyze job descriptions for keywords to stuff into your resume? Copy and paste that thing into a chatbot and ask it to give you a tailored resume. Can't think of any good follow-up questions to ask at the end of an interview? Get the machines to analyze the job description and research the company. They'll even write the questions for you! Feeling stuck in your job search? Skynet can scan your resume and suggest career paths you may have never considered.

That's just a taste of the tips that Brian drops. He also covers how the need to use AI will continue after your job hunt; Brian's ideas will get you reps with the tools employers expect you to be comfortable with.

Now, don't go nuts and start firing off fully AI-generated resumes and cover letters; it isn't that good… yet. But these tools can take so much off your plate and get you very close to a finished product. AI might even be able to write a pretty good podcast description.

But not this one.

Get your portfolios, reels, and certificates ready… As Gangstarr put it, this episode is all about "skills, skills, skills." R.I.P. Guru.

Skills-based hiring is trending in the sports industry, raising the question, "Do you really need a college degree to make it in the sports industry?"

Join Brian as he breaks down the shift happening in sports job hunting. Is it a temporary trend or here to stay? Brian shares tips for job seekers to take advantage of the change, helping you win with employers who value what you can do over your alma mater.

Don't assume that Brian is out here trashing associates and 4-year programs; he explores the advantages a degree can provide you, too. With the right approach, you can break into the sports industry in ways that weren't possible in the past.

Whether you're just starting out or seeking a promotion in the sports industry, Brian Clapp shares the top strategies for advancing your career during this week's WorkInSports Podcast. Calling upon his journey from the video editing room all the way to the director's chair for a sports network, Brian can provide first-hand experience of how to lock down promotions.

It's not always a straight path in the sports biz, and there are simple steps you can take to get your foot in many doors without closing any behind you. From scripts you can use with your boss to general philosophies that put you on the path to advancement, Brian gives you everything you need to take your next step.

Everyone knows that networking is one of the keys to career success. YOU know you have to do it... but, like... HOW DO YOU DO IT? For real, what are you supposed to say? Networking is scary and awkward for many job seekers. Anyone can hit the "connect" button on LinkedIn, but the task is daunting after that.

So Brian is laying out the exact blueprint for you to start building meaningful relationships. It's simple and repeatable, too! His tips aren't a magic pill to make networking suddenly easy, but he gives you exact instructions to make an immediate impact.

How many of your connections do you actually talk to? Hopefully, that number will increase after hearing Brian's strategy.

Join Brian Clapp as he explores three indispensable attributes you need to develop for a thriving career in sports: curiosity, competitiveness, and coachability. Brian breaks down the significance of these traits in the sports industry and offers tips for job seekers aiming to showcase these qualities during the interview process. Discover how curiosity fuels continuous learning, why competitiveness shows employers that you will outwork others, and the pivotal role coachability plays in professional development.

Whether you're an aspiring athlete, sports professional, or someone seeking a career in the industry, Brian's expertise provides actionable insights to propel you toward success in the competitive world of sports.

Sports internships are among the best ways to gain experience, connections, and skills as you build your career. In addition to providing an excellent training ground for you to apply your abilities, they also offer organic opportunities to build a network that can help you get a job. Getting varied experiences through multiple sports internships is one thing; taking advantage of the opportunities they present is another.

Today’s guest on the WorkInSports Podcast is Alana Meraz, MLB International Partnership Activation Coordinator. Meraz graduated from Arizona State University in 2019 with a Business Sports and Media degree. Meraz’s proactive embrace of sports internships and building her network played a big role in getting her a job in MLB within three years of earning her degree.

With only four prominent leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL) comprising around 30 teams each, jobs in professional sports are highly competitive and, therefore, notoriously difficult to obtain. From 2017-20, Meraz took five internships to establish herself and form a community of professional advocates. Those experiences included:

• Phoenix Rising (Community Relations/Sponsorship Activation Intern)

• Arizona State Athletics (Game Day Intern)

• Arizona Public Services (Events Intern)

• Sports as a Job (Social Media Marketing Intern)

• ISL (Sponsorship and Tours Coordinator)

Additionally, Meraz spent a year as a part-time game operations assistant with the Arizona Diamondbacks. While the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 provided an obstacle to getting her career started in earnest due to canceled events, she founded Latinx in Sports to build a community of professionals looking to break into the industry, which she still runs today. Her efforts landed her a Fan Experience Coordinator position with the US Soccer Federation in 2021, and she has been with MLB since 2022. On today’s episode, Meraz and VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp discuss:

• How Meraz’s sports internships set her up to get where she is now

• What her day-to-day role as International Partnership Activation Coordinator consists of

• Why Meraz founded Latinx in Sport

• How important networking was for Meraz’s career growth

• What sports career advice she has for aspiring professionals looking to enter the industry

Enjoy the full episode to learn how to get a job in professional sports. Also, subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice, and catch additional content on our YouTube Channel!

If you type “job search advice” into Google, you’ll come up with nearly endless results that cover the gamut. But there is one aspect of the job searching process that is often overlooked – the toll it takes on mental health. Brian not only provides practical tips for managing the stress and exhaustion of job hunting but also empathizes with long-term job seekers. Job search fatigue is a real challenge, and it is ok to feel lost. Whether you’re actively seeking employment or supporting someone in their job search, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the competitive landscape of the job market.

Emerging sports outside the big four of football, basketball, baseball, and hockey can face an uphill climb in gaining participants and a fan base. Leagues such as Fan Controlled Football and the World Surf League must get creative to find their niche among sports fans in a market saturated with options.

However, when a sport catches on, it can grow rapidly. That’s the case with pickleball, which entered 2023 enjoying a three-year stretch as America’s fastest-growing sport. A 2022 survey by the Association of Pickleball Professionals estimates that there are 36.5 million pickleball players in the US, making it the third-most popular sport/activity in the country behind only biking and running and ahead of established stalwarts like basketball, baseball, and soccer. Moreover, the sport is popular across age brackets and even has a multi-year distribution deal with streaming giant Amazon Prime, which will broadcast four tournaments per year.

Today’s guest on the WorkInSports Podcast, USA Pickleball Director of Communications and Content Melissa Zhang, joined the organization in late 2022 and is channeling the sport’s explosive growth in popularity. Zhang specialized in growing Olympic sports through her time with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (stints in 2018– 19 and 2020– 21) and USA Handball (2019– 21). She also spent a year doing internal communications with PointsBet (2022) during its growth period after sports betting became legal in more states. On today’s episode, Zhang and WorkInSports VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp discuss:

• How Zhang got into the sports industry as a political science/psychology double major at UCLA

• How she approaches USA Pickleball’s content strategy to continue the sport’s growth

• How she has grown as a leader in her Director role

• How aspiring sports professionals can forge their path in the sports industry

Enjoy the full episode for all of Zhang’s sports career advice, and subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast to catch every episode when it gets published. You can also check out additional content on our YouTube channel!

Daily fantasy sports is booming. More customers = more money = more JOBS. The best part is that the competition for jobs in the industry is less fierce than in traditional sports because there is so much untapped potential.

That's why we're speaking with our guest, Dylan Cooper, Senior VP of Revenue at PrizePicks, a rapidly growing daily fantasy platform. Dylan's unexpected journey into the industry started as a daily fantasy junkie, tracking every stat of every game like all good sports nerds do. While in college, he took on a side gig as a fantasy sportswriter that didn't break the bank, but it opened up relationships that helped steer his career.

Dylan's current (very full-time) gig is a far stretch from his days as a fan and daily fantasy player. He started at PrizePicks in 2017 as an analyst when it was a true start-up. Dylan worked his way up through various roles as the company needed him to grow, and now, he's able to share his wisdom and strategies that can help others break into the fantasy sports field.