Creative people stand out among the crowd, and they’re perfect fits for a variety of sports jobs. They know how to ask the right questions, they’re adaptable to changing priorities and environments, and they find unique solutions to all kinds of problems.
Are you a keen observer? Do you seek out new experiences and challenges and use this openness for creative output? Are you motivated by an internal desire for self-expression, as opposed to external rewards?
Your creativity is a strength to many potential employers. In fact, a 2016 report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that nearly one in four employers say creativity is what they look for in new college graduates.
Regardless of where you are in your career, if you’re new to the workforce and lack experience, or if you are in the middle of a major career change, your ability to imagine and develop new ideas can be your ticket to success.
Let’s take a look at the best sports jobs for creative people like you:
Public Relations
The field of PR is vast and offers several opportunities. For example, sports jobs like event marketing, sports agents, and PR representatives fall under this umbrella.
This profession gives you the unique challenge of building and maintaining beneficial relationships between organizations or people and the public. This is accomplished through strategic communication, but this strategy requires quick thinking and innovation.
Creatives thrive in PR because they are typically excellent communicators and can develop unique ideas on how to brand their clients and tailor their messaging. However, sometimes professionals are tasked with managing ongoing PR nightmares.
For example, after years of pressure from fans and lawmakers, the NFL announced late last year they are investing $100 million to develop new technology and research the effects of head injuries.
PR professionals help with these major announcements, including Commissioner Roger Goodell’s open letter, where he addressed the league’s commitment to the health and safety of their players.
Media Production
This area of sports jobs centers on creative storytelling. Media is where consumers and fans go to engage with brands, teams, and athletes, and messaging carries a lot of weight in this exchange.
Creative people can tell stories in a provocative, exciting way that connects audiences on a deep level. The career options in media production include sound engineer technician, film editor, and producer/director.
Higher-level positions, like the latter, require professionals to take on talent management, budgeting, and overall coordination of several moving parts. Those who are especially talented at telling stories in a visual medium can pursue a career in videography and photography.
Writers
A day in the life of sports writers is varied and requires adaptability, and creative types are the perfect fit for this. Writers often focus on a specific industry or type of writing they want to do.
For example, sports journalists work for news organizations and present the facts about new trends and developing stories. They also research and compile information, then create a full report out of it.
Sporting goods companies and the like often hire copywriters to help them write text, specifically regarding products and services available to the public. For mass media, screenwriters are the ones who develop narratives, write scripts, and oversee the creative direction behind the finished product.
Marketing
This is a great field for creatives who want to explore their unique skill sets. For those who are excellent at analyzing numbers, research analyst positions are the perfect fit. They conduct research and gather data based on focus groups, surveys, interviews, and more to get a better understanding of their target markets.
Media buying is another great career option. It requires creative strategizing and negotiating. Buyers often consider marketing goals, the products being promoted, and the cost of advertisement placements.
Other sports jobs in marketing include digital marketing managers, brand managers, and marketing representatives. Regardless of the position, creative types thrive in marketing because they know how to deliver narratives and strong messaging that connects big brands with people on an emotional level.
How to Prove Your Creativity
Prove yourself by building your own website. As a 2015 report from Pew Research Center found, 74 percent of 2,001 respondents said it would be easy to highlight all their employment skills using a personal website.
As you pursue your passions outside of your career, document and share them with the public. Let’s say you love photography and hiking. Start a photo blog and post your latest adventures.
If you’re an avid baseball fan and embark on a tour of local ballparks, write about your experiences in a blog and share that on your website.
The more present you are in the industry, the better equipped you are to earn referrals. People will vouch for your creative abilities if you share what you can do and build a sizable professional network.
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