How To Land Your Dream Job In Sports

— Caitlin Kelly, Managing Editor, VICE Sports

“The work is what I am judged on. I have to deliver. To do that I have to be arrogant and know I have the talent to kill it. But I also have to be motivated by the fear of not delivering. You can never walk around like you have “made it.” The second you get complacent, you lose that edge. But you also have to believe you belong right in the spot you are.”

— Ramona Shelburne, Senior Writer, ESPN

“Maintain the long view. Young Michael Smith wanted it all and wanted it all like yesterday. I was very impatient. Could not see the forest for the trees. Didn’t embrace every experience. Thought I needed to make moves when in actuality I was right where I was supposed to be. So, I would tell younger me to chill. You will get there. Don’t stress. Don’t strive so much. It is OK to be driven just do not drive yourself up a wall.”

— Michael Smith, ESPN commentator; Co-Host of ESPN’s “His & Hers”

“The biggest unexpected challenge for me has been learning not to try and win every fight — with bosses, with readers, with people I write about. Sometimes, you get outranked. Sometimes, you get outnumbered. Sometimes, you’re wrong. It’s OK to accept those things and move on more wisely. Picking your battles is a learned skill, and I think an important one, or else you set yourself up for frustration and endless conflict. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stand up for yourself or your ideas, often, and occasionally forcefully, but you also have to appreciate differing views and contrasting outlooks.”

— Pat Forde, National College Columnist, Yahoo! Sports

“I think it is essential to be willing to take risks in this industry and that sometimes means being willing to move; being willing to take salary cuts; and sometimes taking jobs that you know may have a definitive end date; it is all a matter of determining if the experience is worth the risk.”

— Michael Kelly, Chief Operating Officer, College Football Playoff

“I’m really happy with how things worked out, so I’m not sure I’d really change anything. But I spent a lot of time looking at other writers who were my age from similar backgrounds and wondering why they were all (it seemed like) at bigger papers in bigger markets with better jobs. I felt like I started a lot lower — covering HS field hockey games for no money — than they did and I paid for it. I never had a big newspaper internship in college, and I think that hurt me. Reality is, everyone ends up wherever they end up. There is no set path, no right way to do it, and everyone gets where they should be anyway. I probably wasted a lot of time looking at other people in frustrating. I’d probably tell myself, eyes forward!”

— Ian Rapoport, Insider, NFL Network

“Introduce yourself to everyone and shake everybody’s hand. It’s a small, small world and a tiny industry and it’s hard to realize that when you’re starting out. I run into people all the time now that I worked alongside years ago. As a pup, I was too shy to walk up to well-known on-air talent or even athletes to say hello. It doesn’t cost a thing and could go a long way later.”

— Julia Morales, Houston Astros Field Reporter, ROOT Sports Host/Reporter

“If I could go back to when I started in the business, I’d tell myself to stop overthinking things, to trust my instincts and be myself.”

— Jim Trotter, NFL Reporter, ESPN

“I’d probably remind myself to be my own biggest advocate, because no one else cares about your career as much as you do. So I’d want to remind myself to always fight for what I want and learn from every experience. When you’re just starting out, no one is going to notice your work unless you’re out there showing it to people, asking how you can get better and trying new things. I was timid when I was starting out, hoping if I did good work it would get noticed and speak for itself, but in reality you have to advocate for your work and not be afraid to put yourself out there — take meetings, ask for feedback, learn from critiques.”

— Kristen Balboni, Host, The Buzzer for FOX Sports

“You might not be able to keep up with your friends who have more conventional jobs. Don’t try to. There’s a lot of self-denial you have to get used to in terms of the things you can’t do, cars you can’t drive, restaurants you can’t go to and places you can’t visit or live. Don’t kick rocks about it.”

— Thomas Edward Curran, Patriots Insider, Comcast Sportsnet New England

“The most challenging part of my career path was absolutely attempting to get that first TV job in Redding. The number of doors figuratively slammed in my face — and in the cast of a start-up all-news TV outlet in Albany, NY that eventually never got off the ground, literally slammed in my face — were too numerous to count. Many, many news directors told me ‘no’ with one telling me to try news instead of sports. It proved quite difficult at times to stay confident in my abilities and dreams, which is what I always tell those asking me how to break into the business: stay true to yourself and never take ‘no’ for an answer.”

— Rich Eisen, Host, The Rich Eisen Show

“Say yes till you can afford to say no. Take every job that you think you can reliably execute if it has a good carrot at the end. I know most people say not to take non-paying jobs, but I’ve taken a few of them along the way, and I’ve taken some really terribly-paying jobs along the way, and it worked for me. The key is to identify a non-monetary benefit from the job — exposure, for one — or part ownership of the thing you are creating.”

— Eno Sarris, Columnist/Editor, FanGraphs.com

“Do your homework about the company you want to work for, and the people you may be working with. Be prepared with specific questions that show an understanding of their business and the greater industry. And, do things professionally that differentiate you from other candidates, that make you a more compelling person that they will want to hire.”

— Cory Schwartz, Vice President, Stats, MLB.com

“I would tell myself to stop worrying so much. It’s useless. But I still do it. And I would encourage myself to keep chasing my goals and to do what excites me, even if it seems scary or like it’s a detour.”

— Hannah Storm, Host, SportsCenter

“Really listening to other people — no matter who they were and how I met them, or what “level” they were at when I did. I’d be nowhere without the ability to build and maintain relationships from a place of genuine connection, which starts with understanding the other person’s needs, desires, and interests first.”

— Rebecca Feferman, Head of SXSports

“As a college student, the most important courses were those that allowed me to get out of the classroom and work on my craft. My advice to students and young broadcasters is to start shooting shows! Learn to write, shoot and edit your own material; it pays huge dividends moving forward into the industry.”

— Kristen Ledlow, Co-Host, ‘Inside Stuff’ on NBA TV

“I’d say the long path from being a hobbyist to a full-time professional was the most challenging aspect. A lot of young people start out red hot in the NFL Draft world but then burn out quickly if they don’t “make it” right away. Just being willing to keep working and keep pushing through rejections and dead-ends was the biggest challenge. But I always viewed working in sports media as a dream job and less of a reality, so I didn’t get discouraged early on because I wasn’t paying the bills solely off of football. Having a day job while I was learning the business and building a brand really helped me avoid burnout.”

— Matt Miller, NFL Draft Lead Writer, Bleacher Report

“Really make sure to enjoy the moment while you’re working hard trying to impress those around you. Try to learn even more outside of what you know or your comfort zone.”

— Todd Fritz, Executive Producer, The Dan Patrick Show

“If I could tell young women one thing about this industry it would be: Don’t sacrifice who you are or put yourself in a compromising situation just to please someone else. There will always be someone who does, and yes, they may get paid more for a short while or they may get the gig you want, but let me tell you — there is nothing like the beautiful feeling of knowing you have worked hard and earned every single opportunity in your life. People do notice the respectable and honorable choices you make. Those knowledgeable employees who grind day in and day out will always rise to the top. And you’ll actually learn so many valuable lessons and skills along the way!”

— Megan Olivi, Host/Correspondent, UFC

“I do think all aspiring journalists have to be flexible enough to be on camera, behind the camera, comfortable with a microphone and a recorder, with a keyboard and maybe even with a stop-watch and radar gun. Just be ready for anything and have nothing be beneath you.”

— John Manuel, Editor-in-Chief, Baseball America

“One piece of advice that I would give to my younger self is to truly stay humble. I was thrust into some important roles at a young age and probably did not handle it as humbly as I could have. I have learned success is very fleeting; the key is having sustainability over the long-term. I tell young people to find out what their “special sauce” is; what separates them from the crowd, and to nurture that and never take it for granted.”

— Andrew Brandt, Columnist, Sports Illustrated/MMQB

“Not to worry so much. I was so high-strung and career driven that I felt like if I did not have a job lined up the day I graduated from college, I would spontaneously combust. And then as soon as you get that job, you start obsessing over taking the next step after that. Life is short, but it’s not that short. I wish I’d taken more time to enjoy and appreciate the ride.”

— Stewart Mandel, Senior Columnist, FOX Sports

“When I was first starting out I was really wrapped up in all of the competition. I didn’t think there was enough room for everybody and spent a lot of energy thinking about other people’s careers. I compared myself to them and was disappointed if I hadn’t done something they had or if they were “ahead” of me. I wish I knew that all I needed to worry about was myself and what other people did or didn’t do was none of my business.”

— Taylor Stern, Social Media Coordinator, Dallas Cowboys

Mark works in Talent Marketing at Atlanta-based sports and entertainment marketing agency, CSE. Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkJBurns88. He can be reached at mburns@groupcse.com.