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Top five tips that you must be doing to get a job in sports marketing

  • Writer: WP
    WP
  • Jul 12, 2020
  • 7 min read

Updated: Aug 28, 2023



So you want a job in sports marketing? You fancy turning a passion into a writing, content creation or social media career?



Sure, meeting and interviewing the stars is a thrill, and getting a seat at a major event makes for a likeable Instagram post and a great story for your friends... But regularly working into the night, travelling non-first class around the country at late notice, being expected to hit unreasonable deadlines, constantly pivoting to cover new unplanned events while your already sizeable workload continues to pile up and having to spend more and more time, including at weekends, away from your loved ones in return for a limited salary… It takes its toll. That’s the truth. I’ve worked in this industry for a decade and there’s no sugar coating it – it’s a tough gig. But I wouldn’t change it for the world.


The most exhilarating hours of my professional life have been while working in sports media. I’ve been fortunate enough to cover a number of major events in my career so far from Formula One to Premier League football, Champions League football, the Rugby World Cup, Six Nations, Athletics World Championship, London Marathon and so on. Wonderful sporting events and great career memories.


But here’s some facts.


When I first graduated from University, I applied to as many media and marketing jobs as I could. I was interviewed for a handful of positions, picked up a few freelance shifts here and there, agreed to work shifts for free in exchange for valuable CV experience but couldn't find any full-time opportunities. Nothing. Eventually, I was resigned to taking a job at the local Wetherspoons as a barman and I worked there for 9 months after graduation while freelancing for local newspapers and radio stations. Most of my peers now working in this field will I’m sure have similar tales to tell. It’s part of the process. It’s the reality of breaking into marketing. And there are no guarantees that you’ll even break through. You need to know this.



Today, I’m proud to work as Head of Content for Aston Martin Formula One team, having previously held positions as Senior Content Manager at Chelsea Football Club and Video Producer & Editor at West Ham United.

So, here’s the question - are you tired of spending time writing and submitting job applications and getting no reply or receiving generic rejection emails? If so, these are my top five tips that you must be doing to get a job in marketing, all of which I have done myself...

Please note that all of the below should be done while attending or having recently graduated from University where you will have studied a journalism, marketing or media-related course.


1. Build your own professional website


What tools do I need?

Tips on how to build a website: https://amzn.to/2DyB7ZW

WiFi dongle for remote working: https://amzn.to/2D8rq4y


This is one of the most important things I have ever done.


Suggested to me by my tutors at University, I built my own professional website where I detailed my skills, listed my work experiences and uploaded some of the content that I had created at University.


I used Blogger as the publishing platform because it was free and easy to use. Others used WordPress for the same reason. I used it as a space to highlight what I can do and wrote about my passion to break into the industry and what I hoped to achieve, but also to detail what equipment I had used at University – cameras, tripods, lighting, memory cards, audio recorders, editing software, microphones, CMS systems – and upon graduation I included a link to that website in every application that I submitted. It became an online portfolio or CV for me to share with recruiters and employers.


In the first full-time job I was ever offered in media, the hiring manager told me that he had been impressed with my website and it was one of the reasons that they hired me as it demonstrated my proactiveness. It helped me to break into the industry.


If there’s one thing that you do today, I would suggest that it be creating your own personal website and regularly updating it from this point on.



2. Create your own media content


What tools do I need?

Video camera for vlogging: https://amzn.to/2DyDtrK

Vlogging camera tripod: https://amzn.to/31fwlIF

Vlogging camera light: https://amzn.to/30nJK25

Vlogging camera microphone: https://amzn.to/33lypBH

Video editing software: https://amzn.to/2DrdXV8


What are you passionate about? What do you love to watch or do or spend time on?


Are you an expert at playing FIFA? Do you enjoy listening to new music from emerging artists? Are you an untapped masterchef?


The digital media landscape has changed drastically in the decade that I’ve been working in the field. Those that play video games to a high level have become overnight YouTube sensations. Those that have excellent charisma and presenting skills have become podcast stars. People that have a niche, like fitness or cleaning or DIY or product selling, are now professional content creators.


If you have a burning passion about something, then you can guarantee that someone else does too and they'll likely be wanting to consume content about it. So start your own social media channel and build up your audience, start vlogging on YouTube, start recording audio for podcasts, write a blog.


Look on TikTok to learn how others are already succeeding at this in their own fields, take those lessons and, where relevant, apply them to your own situation. It’s about getting your name known, and if you can pick up some income on the side by doing that, then great.


The more niche your idea the better – general rule of thumb in media, if you can find a niche then that is your ‘in’. Read about how I found my niche which kickstarted my career, here: XXX



3. Produce content and get it published on the University news outlet


What tools do I need?

Video editing software: https://amzn.to/2DrdXV8

Journalists notepad: https://amzn.to/30tf7bX


If you’re not doing this already then you need to start today.


Almost every University that offers a journalism or media-related course will have a television news outlet, student radio station or student-managed newspaper. Staffordshire University have StaffsLive, Nottingham Trent run Notts TV, the University of Glasgow power GUST TV, York Student Television is ran by the University of York etc. Many more Universities also publish student-managed websites.


This is the easiest way to get your name or byline into the public domain and thus known by other journalists in the local area, but it’s also invaluable practice and experience. While at University, I produced a radio show with my friends for two years, wrote countless articles on the University news outlet’s website and was also the Editor for the television news programme.


By investing so much time and effort and attending so many media events, I was able to network and become friendly with other local journalists and that then gave me key opportunities that drastically propelled my career forward in the early days – I interviewed World Cup winning footballers, professional WWE wrestlers, popstar musicians, Members of Parliament, all while still a student - and having that on my CV for future job interviews was invaluable.


Speak to your tutors about how you can get involved in creating content for the various University media outlets and start finding stories today.



4. Find your own news story and sell it


What tools do I need?

Journalists notepad: https://amzn.to/30tf7bX


Some of the journalism greats started out by selling news stories to their local newspaper. It’s an excellent opportunity to get your name known by the Editor and that turns into a great way to ask for work experience.


Being a journalist and hunting for stories requires an ‘always on’ mentality. Drive, focus and determination. When you’re next on the tube or stood at the bus stop or walking around the supermarket, take your headphones off and listen to what people are discussing.


If there’s something interesting there then say hello, introduce yourself, identify yourself as a freelance journalist and ask questions. Ask for a formal interview. Ask for photographs if relevant.


One of the first stories that I took to my local newspaper was about a boy who was friends with my brother, and his sister had won a prize to be the mascot for an England football match. My brother said it as a passing comment to my Mum at the dinner table, and that was my scoop.


I was on the phone to his friend immediately, spoke to the sister, got the quotes, wrote the story and I took that to the local newspaper. They sent me back out with the staff photographer to get the pictures and the story ran as the front-page lead. That was a huge moment for me in starting out my career – a physical front page with my byline on that I could present to recruiters and employers. That’s journalism, that’s the game you’re in.


So join a Facebook group made up of residents that live in your town, visit a privately owned pub and make friends with the barmen (they’ve always got all the stories), go onto TripAdvisor or Yelp and look out for overly negative reviews of local businesses and get in touch with the author to find out more. Be a journalist. Stories are everywhere.





5. Hospital radio or community radio stations


What tools do I need?

Audio editing software: https://amzn.to/3gBoxaA


Unquestionably the most tried and tested method of all of my above suggestions.


Some of the most well-known journalists and presenters in the UK started out their careers by volunteering at community or hospital radio stations – Greg James, Chris Moyles, Gabby Logan, Dan Walker, Jason Mohammad etc.


In short, this works and this gets you opportunities. Regardless of whether you’re seeking a career in radio production or not, having your name linked to an established and listened to radio station that isn’t under the University umbrella opens doors. Competition for places is tough as many others are vying for similar opportunities but these radio stations are always looking for volunteers, so register your interest as soon as possible.


Listen to the shows that the station are already broadcasting and try to find something unique. If there’s already a show on the local well-known football team then why not look at doing an hour long round-up of the local non-league clubs. If there’s already a Top 40 chart show, then why not look at producing a show identifying the most promising young bands coming out of the local area.


Find something unique, present that idea to the station, get yourself on-air. Record your shows and add that to your personal website and CV. Get your name known.


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