The Work in Sports Podcast – Insider Advice for Sports Careers

On the first episode of the Work in Sports podcast, Carl Manteau of the Milwaukee Bucks said, “I’ve always enjoyed sharing insight into working in the sports industry, the things I wish I knew when I was starting out. I love the idea of this podcast, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”

That summarized this whole project beautifully.

I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and the host of the Work in Sports podcast. I’m sharing all of my best career advice gathered over 25 years in the sports industry, and I’m bringing in a bunch of old and new friends to do that same.

We’re sharing our knowledge with you, so that you can be better prepared to make your mark in the sports industry. Friends like Colleen Scoles, Philadelphia Eagles, Talent Acquisition Manager (episode 5), Mark Crepeau, Basketball Hall of Fame VP of Marketing (episode 8), Josh Rawitch, Arizona Diamondbacks Sr. VP of Content and Communication (episode 18), Chris Fritzsching, Detroit Lions Director of Football Education and many more.

Every Wednesday I bring in a special sports industry guest, like the names listed above. And every Monday and Friday I go solo, digging deep into a fan question related to working in the sports industry. Topics like, are sports conferences worth attending (episode 22)? What are the best entry level sports jobs (episode 17)? How do I prepare for a sports interview (episode 14)?

We’re covering everything related to sports careers, so if you want to make your love of sports more than just a hobby or escape, this is the place to learn more! Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… As I talk to young people across the country, there is an undercurrent of panic in their collective voices. It sounds a lot like pressure and fear. I’m no neuroscientist, but anecdotally is sure seems negative news accumulates in our brains much faster than positive. Using myself as an example, I’ll remember the one review giving one star and commenting that the “host has a weird voice and delivery. His questions meander and lack any interesting quality.” That will stick in my brain FOREVER. It comes up in my subconscious as I write questions, it comes up live during interviews, it comes up during the editing process where I wonder if this person isn’t right. The hundreds of positive reviews lack the power to cut through this dissenting voice. Now let’s spin this to your existence. Dot com Headline: Unemployment is High! Sports Hiring Manager: We get 400 applicants for each job! Podcast host: If you don’t get the right experience, you won’t get noticed! The data you have coming at you is discouraging, panic inducing and amounts to pressure. I can hear the message you are giving yourself, “if I don’t choose everything perfect, from internships to majors to skill development to networking to interviewing technique…I’ll be lost and I will fail.” Wow. That’s heavy. But again, that’s the voice I hear coming from the young people I speak with today. I did a little analysis with this thought in mind. I went through our podcast guests, who as you know are amazing people in the sports industry…and around 37% of them started their careers elsewhere other than sports. Even more than that, around 47% majored in something completely unrelated to their current career. All of this is to say, take it easy on yourself. Your career is not a straight line, it is not something you can plan out perfectly, it is organic and takes shape as you live through it. Have a plan, have goals, have accomplishments in mind like building your network and gaining the experience that matches industry demand…but don’t be rigid. Today’s guest is a shining example of this pattern. Michelle Andres was a political science major. In fact, she so loved politics she received her Master’s in Political Science – Campaign Management. But then, she didn’t love the work itself. I’ll let her give you the details…but think about that a second. She didn’t do 7 sports internships. She didn’t have a vast network of sports connections. But she landed a job with the Orlando Magic as the Assistant Director of Interactive Marketing, and her career has grown rapidly ever since, where she is now the SVP f Ravens Media with the Baltimore Ravens. Why? She will explain that, and a whole lot more… here’s Michelle Andres.