Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Sports Partnerships Specialists
Breanna highlights the importance of volunteer experience, citing "volunteer experiences" with organizations like the US Open, as crucial for entry-level sports careers. The interviewee also emphasizes exploring "coordinator roles, specialist roles" and "sports adjacent roles" in fields like tech or finance to gain experience and build networks within the competitive sports industry.
Volunteer Experience, Networking, Entry-Level Positions, Sports Partnerships, Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Breanna Barksdale
Specialist, Member and Donor Relations - Corporate Partnerships
Pro Football Retired Players
Auburn University (2017)
UCLA FEMBA
Marketing
Sports & Fitness
Sales and Client Management
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Volunteer experience is crucial for entry-level positions in competitive fields like sports; it provides valuable experience and networking opportunities.
2. Entry-level roles often include coordinator or specialist positions in areas such as strategic partnerships, member relations, or donor relations.
3. Consider "sports-adjacent" roles in companies like Meta or American Express, which offer sports partnerships and marketing opportunities, even if not directly in the sports industry itself
Transcript
What entry-level positions in this field might an undergraduate college student consider?
I think especially in sports where it's highly competitive, gaining volunteer experience is super important. I'm always looking at different opportunities, whether that's with LA SEC. I've volunteered for the US Open and the Colonial Athletic Association when I was out in D.C.
Just keep yourself open to volunteer experiences. I know that the majority of them, of course, you're not getting paid, but it provides valuable experience. You're also connecting with people, which can help you in the future.
Along the lines of actual full-time entry-level positions, there are different coordinator and specialist roles that you should be open to. Within strategic partnerships, like for me, member and donor relations, I'm a specialist right now.
At the AVP, I'm a strategic partnerships MBA intern. So, just keep in mind the different opportunities, especially within sports. You can be in a sports-adjacent role, working within tech but in sports partnerships. You can work at Meta in sports partnerships or for American Express in a financial services company and work in sports, like WNBA and NBA experimental marketing partnerships.
Just being open to different sports-adjacent roles and volunteer opportunities is very important.