If You Need a Sport Industry Refresher, This is It!

BY: JULIA MARTINEZ, LIVING SPORT GLASGOW ‘19 ALUMNA & CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

In college, the sports industry was a sector of the events industry that immediately sparked my interest. This was due to not only my love for athletics but also the diversity in the experiences the industry allows. I was able to explore these options through a variety of volunteer opportunities and professional internships that I felt would make me a competitive candidate during my full-time job search. However, with graduation complete and many full-time job application submissions later, I eventually felt burnt out and slightly discouraged. Therefore, I altered my approach and instead began looking for opportunities that would allow for a competitive edge in a sea of job applications.

After a great deal of reflection on my career goals and even more research into what was available to recent graduates like myself, I eventually discovered Living Sport. I reviewed the official website and connected with Living Sport alumni to better understand what the program had to offer, which encouraged me to immediately apply, interview, and accept a spot with the 2019 Glasgow team. In no time, I was at the departure gate in Newark, New Jersey with 22 other sports industry students and professionals from around the United States eagerly waiting for what had become an opportunity of a lifetime.

Read Julia’s full blog here.

Changing Your Mindset May Get You that Job in Sport

By: jennifer wunder, Living Sport hamburg ‘19 Alumna & Director of Promotions and Fan Engagement at the Gateway Grizzlies

Growing up, I always found excitement and adventure in travel. Watching the world on TV or reading
about it, is never the same as actually experiencing it. Along with traveling, I have always felt a united community in a sports arena, making many of my travels around sporting events or sport experiences. It took me little to no time in school to realize I wanted to work for the National Hockey League. I knew I wanted to be part of a Promotions and/or Event Management department.  When I found Living Sport, I saw an exciting opportunity to develop and experience my two favorite things; travel and managing sport events.

I use to think that working in the Big Four was the only way to make a career in the sports industry. Yes, I knew there were the minor leagues, and I even interned for an independent league one summer. Those are fun, and it sparked my passion in sports. Nothing is like the Big Four where all the teams have massive fan loyalty with excitement and energy for their  team. During my time in Hamburg, Germany with Living Sport, it hit me that I was keeping myself in such a small, sports industry box back home. There are so many more opportunities to get involved in sports outside of the Big Four, even in my own hometown.

Read Jennifer’s full blog here.

An Alumni Trip to the NHL All-Star Game

BY: SAM CLARK, LIVING SPORT BARCELONA ‘17 ALUMNA

I am excited that I kicked off 2020 with a bang. Living Sport has done it again with providing amazing opportunities to those who want to pursue a career in the sports industry. This time was no exception as it was an exclusive opportunity to those program alumni that have traveled with Living Sport as part of the International Sport Business Program.

Back in December, Alicia (the Founder & President of Living Sport) reached out to the alumni group about an opportunity to work the Fan Fair at the 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend in St. Louis, Missouri. I jumped at the chance.

In order to make this trip happen a fellow Living Sport Alum, Maryssa Bridges (a Dublin ‘19 alum who I didn’t travel with but met at another Living Sport function) and I drove from Colorado Springs, Colorado to St. Louis, Missouri. I haven't had to do a cross country road trip in a while so I forgot what the journey was about, seeing different bits of the states as we drove through. We of course experienced what you may expect on a road trip, a small patch of rough weather while driving through Kansas that was a little hairy for a minute. 

Read Sam’s full blog here.

How I Mastered the Dreaded Interview Questions

By: Taylor James, Living Sport Hamburg 2019 Alumni

THE QUESTION: TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF? 

The most common interview question. No matter how many times I had practiced this question, I hated answering it. I never had confidence in my answer and it always sounded rehearsed and robotic. Because it was. There was not much I could say to make me sound unique and stand out among hundreds of applicants. Or so I thought. Why should anyone believe you have any valuable experience when you do not have confidence in yourself to express the experience you do have?

After returning home from Hamburg, Germany with Living Sport, this all changed. I had experiences I loved to talk about and felt much more confident in all of the skills I could bring to an organization. 

When I talk about my experience during my international journey, I can tell the difference in my demeanor and tone. I now have a non-robotic answer that is natural and conversational. Based on my Living Sport experience, my advice when answering this type of question is to NOT write it out word for word and recite the same information for each position. Instead, tailor your answer to the specific job you are interviewing for and say every word with confidence that your experience will add to their organization. The more experience you have to talk about, the easier it is to prove your knowledge and skills. 

Now, my new response would look a little like this: 

Read Taylor’s full blog here.

Take the Risk. Live the Adventure.

By: Hayden Weaver, Living Sport Glasgow 2019 Alumni

From a young age I was blessed with the opportunity to travel frequently but I never realized just how lucky this made me. My travel adventures as a child instilled a passion for learning new cultures, trying new things and exploring unknown places. I would see pictures of places and either cut them out of magazines or pin a memory in the back of my head to later come back to. It was only a matter of time before those memories became a reality. I knew that this is exactly what I wanted to do with my life just for the simple freedom and joy you can obtain from traveling, and knew I was destined for it later in life. 

My Living Sport adventure all started when I applied for the International Sport Business Program in Scotland. I never thought I actually had a chance of being selected for the position because it sounded too good to be true; it was a 10 day work trip overseas in Scotland. Sounds like a great time, right? 

Read Hayden’s full blog here.

Top 4 Reasons You Must Work Game Days

By: Sean Montgomery, Living Sport Dublin 2019 Alumni & Student at DePaul University

Having a part-time job while in school is a convenient way to maximize your time by gaining real- world experience as well as keep your wallet happy. For students pursuing a career in sports, working game days is not only a great way to get your foot in the door, but it is also an excellent supplement to what you learn in the classroom. Writing papers, passing exams, and working on group projects are all important elements of a college education, but hands-on work experience in the industry is invaluable. 

Working as a part-time associate on game days is also a great way to prove that you are motivated about your career path and that you are willing to start at the bottom. In my experience working for the Chicago Bears, Cubs, and White Sox, I have learned and grown both personally and professionally. Here are a few ways that you too can benefit from working game days for a sports organization while being a full-time student. 

Read Sean’s full blog here.

Life on Two Wheels

By: Cal Weisman, Living Sport Milan 2018 Participant & Student at Bradley University

“Move, Move, Move. Get out of the way,” ​I hear Kacey hollering at the top of her lungs to the cyclists looking for their starting grid positions. Subconsciously I immediately follow her lead, not sure what’s going on. Soon, I see. The race had just started and like dominos, a mass of cyclists in the middle of the pack crashed to the ground, tumbling on top of one another. The crowd is gasping. We are sprinting onto the course only to turn our heads and see in the distance behind us, the front group of riders, zooming around the corner at more than 35 MPH into the straightaway to end their first lap – right where we are standing. The race had been called for a restart, but the riders rode through the stoppage warnings.

Read Cal’s full blog here.

A Royal Adventure

By: Kristina Hart, Living Sport London 2018 Participant & Media Relations Intern at the University of Maryland Athletic Department

We walked up to a majestic building, standing tall and wide with pointed tips on the roof. It towered over us, looking very similar to a castle. This we were told, was our home for the next nine days. The Royal Holloway University was nothing like I had ever seen before. It was in fact, the very opposite of what I had come to know as a typical college dormitory in the United States. In that moment, I have to admit, I felt a little bit like royalty. After a 3,500-mile journey, with 27 strangers, to a country I had never been, I couldn’t have been more excited for what was ahead in my Living Sport experience.

Read Kristina’s full blog here.

Social Media: Today’s International Language

By: Karina Vicente, Living Sport Milan 2018 Participant & University of California Santa Barbara Graduate

I imagine that when people hear the words “social media,” - especially in generations preceding mine - a certain stigma arises about what exactly that means, and what it’s being used for. Most probably assume my use of social media is just that, social. Previously…. it was.

Read Karina’s full bog here.

A Step Closer to Finding My Million-Dollar Answer

By: Tina Schirmeister, Living Sport London 2018 Participant & student at California State University Fresno

What do you want to do for the rest of your life? That is the million-dollar question many search daily to answer. All I knew about my answer was something involving sports. Over time I have been given the same pieces of advice to help me succeed in this competitive environment: gain experience in your field, network with current professionals, and find multiple opportunities that will set yourself apart from everyone else. I along with 25 other undergraduates or recent graduates from around the country found our opportunity through Living Sport.

Read Tina’s full blog here.