The world of Sports Management continues to grow in new and exciting ways. With the expansion of collegiate-level and professional sports programs in new markets and construction of sporting venues around the country, there is no end in sight for the need for properly equipped sports managers. A great program to pursue while trying to balance education and a career in this exciting field is an online Bachelor's in Sports Management. This degree not only will expose the student to the specific components of what Sports Management entails, it will also lay a foundation for business principle-comprehension that will serve the business professional for the rest of her career, regardless of what focus she seeks in the future.
An online program not only delivers a high-quality curriculum with an added convenience, it also will give online students multiple opportunities to build their resumes as undergraduates seeking to be equipped as Sports Managers. Here are just a couple of ways that can happen.
Sports Management Undergrads Can Seek Internships
Nothing makes a candidate stand out quite like a resume teeming with experience. Internship opportunities serve a number of functions: employers benefit from inexpensive labor, students get beyond the classroom experience to see what a particular industry is really like, and both organizations and interns have the chance to see if they are a good match for each other. Often times, some of a corporations most loyal and high-quality employees got their start as interns within the organization years ago.
While interns do not get the benefit of high pay and are often asked to work many hours, they often have the opportunity to network with professionals higher up the employment food chain who may have the influence to open many doors for the intern once they complete their degree.
Online Bachelor's in Sports Management students have the added benefit of managing a more-flexible schedule that may result in a greater chance at landing those highly-sought after internship positions. While traditional students may be limited to only seek summer internship positions because of bust fall and spring semesters, online students can seek positions throughout the calendar year.
Sports Management Undergrads Can Seek Volunteer Opportunities
The beauty of taking courses from one of the nation's best business schools offering an online degree in Sports Management, is that a student does not have to move to a new region or state in order to attend that particular school. Many students however, do live in or near cities that contain professional or collegiate-level sports programs. While these organizations pay staff workers at all levels, from high-level VPs and CEOs to concession-stand employees, there are still many opportunities available for volunteers in those communities to contribute in some way. These volunteer opportunities can look like field maintenance during the week or during the off-season to handing out programs on game day or cleaning the facility after games. Though these jobs may seem menial, they will show an employer that you possess willingness to serve in less-than-glamorous ways for the betterment of the organization. Volunteering is another great way to network and can open doors to meet and connect with higher-ups in an organization.
Besides competence in a given field, one of the most important qualities that employers look for in a new hire is initiative. Organizations need leaders who will go beyond simply doing what is being asked of them. The most successful Sports Managers are those who can constantly operate as problem solvers and decision makers. Initiative, however, is not a quality only to be captured once a position in Sports Management has been attained. It takes a certain level of initiative to pursue an online Bachelor's in Sports Management and going the step further in seeking internship and volunteering opportunities while in school can open many doors in the future.