Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Directors Of Business Development In Sport
Mariah, a Director of Business Development at Exos, suggests entry-level candidates explore "coordinator roles" within athletic departments for valuable, varied experience, noting that these roles differ greatly depending on the team. For those interested in project management, she emphasizes the importance of finding a company with a large PMO team for mentorship and learning, advising against solely responsible project manager roles early in a career because they "won't learn".
Project Management, Business Development, Sales, Teamwork, Entry-Level
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Mariah Martin
Director of Business Development, Sport
Exos
University of Arizona, 2014
N/A
Business Management & Admin
Sports & Fitness
Business Strategy
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Look for coordinator roles within athletic departments; these entry-level positions offer diverse tasks and valuable learning opportunities.
2. Seek project manager roles within organizations with established PMO teams to facilitate learning and collaboration.
3. Consider sales associate positions to develop skills in engaging clients, promoting products, and understanding customer needs.
Transcript
What entry-level positions in this field might an undergraduate college student consider?
I'm going to go into three different categories. For the sports side, if someone really wants to get in with a team or athletic department, look for coordinator roles. Many entry-level jobs are recruiting coordinator or operations coordinator.
The term "coordinator" can be very different with every team because the roles are based on the coach and staff. It's probably not the same, but definitely look for those coordinator roles as they are entry-level. You will learn a lot and have a variety of tasks coming your way, which is huge.
For project management, there is a lot of groundwork and certifications required. You usually want to start in a project manager role with a large PMO team on staff, so you have people to learn from. If you are the sole project manager, you won't learn and it will be difficult.
This has probably been one of the hardest transitions I've had, being a project manager without someone to bounce ideas off of. So definitely find a company with a PMO team to learn from.
On the business development side, any type of sales associate role is good. I do think there is a level of sales you need to know, like creative ways to engage people and promote something. You also need to be close enough to the people and the product to understand what they need and how you could evolve a product.
All of these components are important when looking for jobs. Start with a team, somewhere where there's a team you can learn from.
Advizer Personal Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinmariah/, @exossports