Not all awesome sports jobs fall into the nine-to-five office lifestyle. In fact, freelance work is growing in popularity. Intuit’s survey from August 2015 estimates freelancers could make up 43 percent of the workforce by 2020.
There are a lot of great benefits to working as a freelancer. You can be more selective with who you work for, manage a flexible work schedule, and choose what projects you work on. For example, if you’re interested in writing for sports publications, you can choose which outlets you want to submit to and what topics to cover.
Your earning potential is also higher because, typically, freelance opportunities pay more per project. As you pick up more gigs, you meet more people, which is a great way to expand your professional network.
And people are excited about the growing demand for freelance work. ReportLinker’s December 2016 survey showed they would consider exiting the traditional workplace to work as a freelancer or independent contractor, with nearly half of them saying they would do so within three years.
So what’s stopping you? Let’s take a look at the best freelance sports jobs and how to get them:
Best Freelance Sports Jobs
Sports Writing
If you have writing skills, you have a lot of great freelance opportunities. You can start writing for specific sports blogs, cover events of all kinds, like high school games or training camps, and take assignments on sites like Upwork and Freelancer.
Use these opportunities to build your portfolio and gain experience. This also helps you meet other writers and editors within your industry, who you may earn referrals from.
Additionally, you can start your own blog to write about what you’re passionate about. Use this to market yourself when you apply for freelance writing jobs. By creating original content, you’re proving you possess the skills most writers need to succeed. Show off your creativity and writing, and communication skills, and demonstrate your strong understanding of language and the subject matter.
Breaking into Sports Writing Jobs: Guest Post by Sports Writer Matt Musico… Read Article
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Video Production
There are several sports jobs that require video production experience, thanks in large part to the growth of digital media. You can help companies tackle marketing projects, produce video content for successful blogs, and help sports teams record practices and games for scouting purposes.
Organizations need freelancers to edit videos, shoot videos, or create other visual projects. First, make sure you have the tools you need. To start, you’ll need supplies like cameras, lenses, a computer, editing software, and external hard drives to manage your own video production business.
Once you have all you need and establish a comfortable home office, you need to network and market your services. Build a professional website through a service like Squarespace and share an editing reel, which is a compilation of some of your best work. This way, you can attract clients and start to bid for gigs that are posted online.
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Coaching
Athletes of all ages sometimes need one-on-one training. Are you a skilled golfer who wants to educate and instruct young talent on the importance of the short game? Perhaps you’ve played basketball for more than a decade and want to help others hone their shooting skills.
No matter your passion, there are coaching jobs everywhere. Join CoachUp, a new company that is changing the coaching game. You simply apply, share what your athletic achievements are, take a quiz about how to use the platform, then pass a background check.
From there, you can set your rates and look for opportunities to train in one-on-one sessions as well as group sessions, online training, clinics, and camps.
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Sports Photography
Photographers are very similar to video producers and writers because they share a purpose — they’re telling a story. Photography is among one of the most competitive sports jobs available, so you need to stand out.
Continue to educate yourself on the intricacies of each sporting event, then focus on what sports you want to cover the most. Become the best of the best in baseball photography, for example. The more you focus on a niche, the better you can stand out in that industry. Again, your website is the best place to flex your muscles and promote your skills in photography.
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Sports Consulting
You can be a consultant in several areas. First, you need to find your niche — let’s say it’s PR and marketing. From there, you need to learn how to target your potential clients and promote to them. If you’re appealing to marketing professionals who need help with their campaign strategy, engage with them through professional organizations.
Attend networking events and share your expertise with them. Make sure you set clear rates on your website so you can refer them to your services if they’re interested. Stay focused on a specific niche and continue to earn referrals and testimonials to stand out in your industry.
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