There are a variety of options available for students who want to turn their love of sports into a full-time career. For those who enjoy writing, creating videos, and taking photos, majoring in media and communication can be a great option. A bachelor’s degree in media and communication can provide a young professional with in-demand skills. A media and communication degree prepares students with critical thinking, leadership and problem-solving abilities that can be applied to a variety of careers. This type of degree program also gives students a chance to develop strong writing, photography, and video skills.
Prepare for Success
For students who want to find careers that link the sports and media industries, hands-on experience is essential. Students who wish to pursue a media and communication degree should find a program that allows them to gain hands-on, real-world experience before graduation. By interning and completing real projects in college, students can build up a portfolio to show to potential employers. Internships give students experience that they can talk about when they apply for jobs after graduation. For media and communication majors, it is especially important to intern because entry-level positions are often looking for internship experience.
Where to Gain Experience
Students who want to combine their love of sports with their media and communication degree can gain experience working for local publications and media outlets, assisting sports information directors at colleges and universities, and by applying for internships with professional athletic teams.
Career Options
Students who choose to major in media and communication can prepare for careers as sports information directors for colleges and universities, or, as public relations professionals for athletic teams. They can also pursue careers in journalism.
Choosing the Right Career Path
Students should also consider the type of lifestyle they want to have when choosing a career. Being a sports information director, for example, requires long, sometimes unpredictable hours. People who cover sports for a living have to be willing to work hard and put in hours outside of a typical 9 to 5 schedule. Responsibilities, such as covering games, are also likely to fall on nights and weekends. Interning can give as a student a taste of the type of lifestyle they might expect to have if they took on the responsibility of being a sports information director.
Turning a Passion into a Career
No day covering sports will be the same. While these types of positions often require hard work, they offer excitement and variety. For students who truly love sports, careers in journalism and sports information can provide a chance to turn something they enjoy into a full-time job. Students can capture exciting moments in games, highlight athletes’ personal stories, and get outside by combining sports and media and communication. Careers highlighting stories related to athletics can be very rewarding for passionate sports fans. These types of jobs provide excitement, a chance to meet and interact with a variety of people, and the opportunity to share information with an engaged audience of sports fans.
About the Author
Annmarie Ely, Media Relations and publications Coordinator, Delaware Valley University, is leading the institute’s media section for more than four years. Prior to this, she has served the institute as its writer in the marketing and communication sections. She has earned degrees in Journalism, Bachelor of Arts in English, and Masters in Business Administration. In her extraordinary career, she has majorly contributed to various renowned organizations including University Business, The Intelligencer and Millersville University.
