Pivot (!) in Your Sports Career

Tackling a career change or shifting gears is always daunting, and this week’s question for the WorkInSports Podcast addresses just that. This episode also brings some necessary advice to employers in the industry who have been discussing a potential “Great Resignation” that they feel is approaching.

Corinne from Nevada asks:

“As you touched on in one of your previous podcasts, there are many different areas of specializations in both professional and collegiate sports (i.e., sports reporting, community relations, marketing, business operations, analysts, etc.). What do you think about people who are working in an area but want to pursue a position in a new one? How do you recommend going about it?”

WorkInSports Podcast Host Brian Clapp followed up with Corrine to get a little more detail and discovered that she is currently working in community relations at a major college athletic program, but has learned that she really enjoys the video production part of her job and wants to pivot towards the video/photography/storytelling aspect.

While that is Corinne’s passion, Brian’s advice applies for anyone looking to make a change in their career within the sports industry.

The first thing you need to realize is that everyone pivots.

via GIPHY

We all shift and move in our careers and try different paths. According to multiple studies, people change careers five to seven times over their lifetime. One report from CNN Money said that in the first decade out of college, millennials change employers on average four times, which is a huge change over previous generations.

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Broadly speaking, for any career change, the main takeaway that will set you up perfectly to pivot your sports career to where you want to go is as follows: Don’t let you hold you back. Meaning, don’t let your fear tell you that you can’t do it.

As for Corinne’s question for others who are interested in a similar shift in their career, here are three things that will need to be addressed broadly, and this episode will break them down in-depth:

1.    Your Skills
2.    Your Portfolio
3.    Your Network

Again, check out the full episode and subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!