As the academic year nears its end, many rising junior and seniors should be thinking about how to secure an internship. SAU sport management majors are required to complete three credit hours of internship experience (150 supervised work hours). In an effort to prepare them for the search, I met face-to-face with several outstanding sport organizations to gather advice, including Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer, the Utah Warriors of Major League Rugby, and the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, a minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros.
Here were the most common tips I received:
- Be willing to relocate. Recently, one of our young alums moved to Minnesota to work for an independent league baseball team.
- Be willing to do anything. In my conversation with the Woodpeckers, many of the employees wore the mascot costume during a game in a pinch, even a ticket sales rep!
Think outside the sport you know best. Many students want to work in a specific sport industry like the NFL, but several professionals I met worked for a variety of leagues before landing that dream opportunity – industry skills are transferable across many sports.
