I recently watched an interview, "How to Beat the Hiring Reject Machine" by J.T. O'Donnell and thought there were many takeaways that appeal to my audience of those seeking opportunities in the sports field.
A sports organization may receive applications from people using AI to apply to dozens—or hundreds—of jobs. Employers may use software to sort applications and spot certain skills or qualifications. Then applicants use more tools to tailor their resumes to those systems.
The result can feel like an arms race. But the first screen isn’t always AI, and not every employer uses the same process. The practical lesson is simple: make it easy for both the software and the person reviewing your application to see why you fit.
That matters in sports, where one job posting can attract applicants with very different backgrounds: college athletics, pro or amateur sports, campus recreation, sports media, ticketing, marketing, facilities, coaching, compliance and event operations.
People sometimes assume they were passed over because they were overqualified, too experienced or the wrong age. Bias can happen. But sometimes the application simply didn’t make the person’s value clear enough.
That part is worth working on.
My own career move taught me something
I know what it feels like to make a career move when the timing isn’t perfect.
In December 2010, I left Texas A&M University-Commerce—now East Texas A&M—for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. December is a hard time to change jobs in college sports. The season is underway, the work keeps coming, and a move means stepping into a new place while leaving people and routines behind.
I went in thinking about the job and the department. I came away learning more about myself.
The change showed me that I could walk into a new setting, listen, adjust and keep learning. It made me think about what I needed from my work beyond a title or a school name: a chance to contribute, room to grow and people I could learn from. I was learning how I respond when the familiar parts of a job disappear and I have to find my footing again.
That move became one part of a career that has taken me through different schools, levels and communities in college sports. Looking back, the job taught me about the department. The transition taught me about the kind of professional I wanted to become.
So as you apply for sports jobs, don’t only ask, “Can I get this job?” Ask, “What might this role ask of me—and what could I learn about myself by taking it?”
How to improve your chances of getting an interview
1. Apply with a plan, not a numbers goal.
Sending 50 applications in a day can feel productive. But if the same resume goes to every opening, you may be spending time without showing why you fit each role.
Choose jobs that match your experience and goals. Read the posting closely. Then adjust your resume and cover letter to show how your background connects to the work.
In sports, be ready to explain practical details too: your schedule flexibility, willingness to travel, comfort with nights and weekends, and experience working events—when those things matter for the job.
2. Make your resume easy to scan.
Your resume needs to make sense to the employer’s system and to a person who may be reviewing many applications.
Use a clear headline or summary that fits the role. Include relevant skills near the top, using the same language as the job posting when it accurately describes your experience. Then show what you accomplished.
Sports work produces strong examples:
• How many events or teams did you support?
• How quickly did you publish results, stories or social content?
• Did you grow attendance, engagement, revenue or participation?
• Did you manage budgets, schedules, credentials or sponsor commitments?
• What did your work help a team, department or organization do better?
Use numbers when you have them. If you don’t, describe the scale and result clearly. “Covered home events” is less useful than explaining which teams you supported, what you handled and how your work helped the department.
3. Show your work.
A resume can tell an employer what you did. A portfolio can help them see how you did it.
For sports communications, that might include writing samples, game notes, statistics work, graphics, video, social content or a website you helped maintain. For marketing, ticketing or sponsorship roles, include campaigns, event plans, sales results or examples of sponsor activations. For operations roles, show the events, schedules, systems or logistics you managed.
Keep it organized. Choose examples that match the job. Don’t make a hiring manager hunt for your best work.
4. Help the right people find you.
Recruiters, athletic directors, hiring managers and search committees may look at LinkedIn as part of the hiring process. Make sure your profile says what kind of work you do and what you can help an organization accomplish.
Use clear job titles and skills. Keep your profile consistent with your resume. Add examples of your work where you can.
A strong profile won’t guarantee an interview, but it gives people a better chance to understand your experience when they look you up.
5. Build real connections in the sports industry.
Sports is a relationship-driven field. That doesn’t mean you need to know someone on every campus or in every front office. It means you should take time to learn about the people and organizations you’re interested in.
Follow athletic departments, teams, conferences and industry groups. Join conversations when you have something useful to add. Send a short, thoughtful note when you have a clear reason to connect. Ask a specific question—not for a job or a favor right away.
A relationship may help someone understand your work or point you toward an opportunity. It can’t replace the qualifications the role requires, but it can help your application get a closer look.
6. Make your online presence support your application.
When an employer searches your name, what will they find? Your LinkedIn profile, portfolio and public posts should give a consistent picture of your experience and judgment.
You don’t need to post every day. Share useful work, explain what you learned from an event or project, or add thoughtful comments to conversations in your field. Give people a reason to see you as someone who understands the work.
The advice has to fit the person
A recent graduate looking for a first sports information role needs a different plan from a ticket sales professional moving into college athletics. Someone who can relocate has different options from someone who needs to stay near family. And a person who has been searching for a year may need to rethink their target roles, resume or approach—not simply send more applications.
Your experience matters. Your location matters. The kind of sports work you want matters. So does what you’ve already tried.
Use general job-search advice as a starting point, then make it fit the role you want and the experience you bring. The goal isn’t to trick a system. It’s to make your fit clear enough that the right person wants to learn more.
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