7 Most Sought-After Jobs In Football

If you are passionate about football, there are many ways to be involved in the sport other than as a player. A spectrum of exciting jobs in football is available for people with diverse skill sets.

Jobs In Football You’ll Want to Pursue

1. Sports Announcer

If you are obsessed with sports, are personable, and have a pleasing voice, you could make a strong football announcer. Typically, these careers in football will progress in the same manner as those of athletes or coaches, working up from high school to college games. Announcers ultimately work for pro teams, college media departments, and TV/radio stations.

Experience playing football can improve the quality of announcing. Toward the end of college, get an internship; one for a pro team’s PR department or a college’s athletic department is great, but it is even better if you can work directly with sports announcers.

Volunteer to cover local teams or for other assignments. Keep audio and video recordings of any airtime you get. Send out to organizations that hire for these jobs in football, combining the clips with your resume and writing samples.

2. Sports Agent

Being a sports agent can be a roller coaster, as noted by former NFL agent Andrew Brandt. For instance, you might lose a player to another agent for inexplicable reasons. You might simply lose out on a recruit, but after months of work to land them. However, these jobs in football can be extremely exciting when you sign an A-list player.

Agents must have master’s degrees in order to be certified by the NFL Players Association as agents. They also have to pass a test that is given each July.

Be certain that you are interested in the recruiting piece if you pursue these sports jobs: recruiting will take up much more of your time than will negotiating for your current players, per Brandt.

3. Scout

In order to be a great scout, you must have strong integrity and character since you are acting on behalf of the coach and team/school. To excel at these jobs in football, you need to be able to manage your time effectively as you split it between helping current athletes handle offers and identifying additional talent.

It can be hard work to scout for NCAA football, explained Larry Perrin, the director of expansion for the National Scouting Report. You cannot simply attend games as you can when scouting for other sports. To succeed in these football careers, you also have to assess player athleticism at practices.

4. Coach

Typically coaches will work their way up from high school to college and possibly the pro level. Getting a job as a high school coach helps to be well-networked locally. A college degree improves your odds of obtaining these football jobs, as does experience either on the field or on the sideline.

It is smart to get a college degree and get certified to teach if you want these careers in football, according to NFL veteran coach Tom Bass. Teaching is a gateway to becoming a head coach of a high school team that lacks the budget to hire full-time coaching staff.

5. Journalist

To become a football journalist, you will first want to earn a bachelor’s degree in communications, English, or journalism. During college, get an internship for your first experience in the field. You can also write for college newspapers or other publications to gain background for these jobs in football.

Through that initial experience, you get into college and put together a portfolio that can showcase your skills as you try to get jobs. You may need to start in a small town and work your way into larger markets.

To increase your chances of getting these jobs in football, extend your education with a master’s in journalism so that it is clear you have specialized knowledge.

6. Athletic Trainer

Athletic training is growing fast as a field. In fact, these sports jobs will increase by 21 percent by 2022, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). More schools are hiring athletic trainers as administrators, parents, athletes, and coaches become increasingly concerned with the long-term impacts of injuries such as concussions.

Get a bachelor’s degree in athletic training. Be certain that the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education has accredited the program. To qualify for the most sought-after positions in athletic training, you will need a post-professional (rather than entry-level) master’s degree.

7. Security Officer

Another way to get close to the action in football is by working in security. In this position, you ensure that overly aggressive fans do not get out of control. You make sure everyone stays safe, from the fans to the players, coaches, referees, and stadium personnel.

If you get a degree in criminal justice, you will be well-positioned to land an NFL security specialist position. These football jobs are available through companies that work with NFL teams. NFL security specialists can be especially valuable to athletes when they are playing out of town in rival cities.

Connecting for Football Careers

Often the key ingredient to scoring competitive football jobs is connections. How do you meet more people in football? At JobsInSports.com, our network connects you with top sports industry professionals, companies, and schools. Join our network today and land your dream job!