I love reading books. The one I’m currently reading is the second time I’ve read it: The Last Coach. It’s a biography about Bear Bryant.
Another book I just read for the second time is one of my all time favorites, When Pride Still Mattered, by David Maraniss. It’s a fabulously researched biography about Vince Lombardi. And another I recently read — even though I’m a Kansas State Wildcat and this is a KU book — Phog, about the legendary coach Phog Allen. Fabulous book.
My favorite books are usually recommended to me.
Do you know what? It’s the same in the job market. The best opportunities will often be recommended to you.
Here are seven tips for finding sports broadcasting opportunities.
The first involves having them recommended to you.
1. Tell everyone you’re looking
It’s the equivalent of my favorite books being recommended to me. People can’t help you if they don’t know you need it. When you tell people you’re looking for a job, they can recommend opportunities that will be a good fit.
2. Check STAA’s job leads
If you’re an STAA member, of course, check the job leads. You receive many each week. If you’re not a member, check our public job board.
3. Watch talent turnover
When somebody leaves a station, don’t wait for a position to be published. Contact the hiring manager right away to express your interest.
4. Watch management turnover
When a new news director takes over at a TV station, or a program director at a sports radio station, they usually take a couple months to evaluate the talent they’ve inherited before bringing in some of their own people. Reach out to new managers when it gets close to that two-month mark.
5. Contact local schools
This is a fabulous tip for play-by-play broadcasters. There’s a proliferation of internet play-by-play opportunities, and they extend beyond football and basketball. Contact local schools to ask if they need someone to help with streaming broadcasts.
6. Contact local internet broadcasters
Contact streaming companies in your area that are already doing college or high school games. Let them know of your interest and availability.
7. The Referral Request Email
I will explain the details of this in our next post.
For further tips on finding sportscasting opportunities, download our e-guide, Mining the Hidden Job Market below. It features four suggestions for finding unadvertised sports broadcasting job opportunities that are not included in this post.
