Sports Media – Networking
You could be an excellent writer or sports anchor but what good is it if nobody knows your name or what you look like in front of a camera or how you speak through a microphone.
In this segment of the sports industry, as with all of the others, circulating your name, resume, audition tapes, portfolios, etc. is essential in the active pursuit of employment opportunities and career advancement.
There are many ways to start building your network. Start locally with media professionals in your area. A simple search engine search or a browsing of a corporate website can provide email and contact information for media personnel. Go ahead and shoot a cold email and see if anything comes out of it. Introduce yourself as an aspiring media professional and see if you can schedule an informational interview over the phone or in person.
Usually people enjoy bragging about their own accomplishments so many are receptive to the idea of informational interviews. Furthermore, go out of your way to fit into their schedules and send them follow up emails afterwards thanking them for their insight and time.
Another great way is to investigate professional associations that cater to different segments of sports media. They often organize meetings, events, and conferences that help publicize their industries. Attending one of these events offers opportunities to listen to industry professionals and potentially meet with them too.
Sending out samples of your work to hiring personnel at media outlets is another way of at least getting your name and work out for others to see. Make sure you send it to a specific person within a company and not a general address. Furthermore, try following up afterwards to see if that person has received your work and looked over it.
At this point, you really have nothing to lose.