March Madness is contagious. Capitalize on the thrills of this month's mania for tournament-style college hoops by pursuing a career that could put you in the middle of the Madness to come. Or simply give yourself a much-needed lifestyle change come spring with one of the jobs below.
Creating the Excitement through Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing
Sports lovers alone can't create the hoopla surrounding March Madness. Skilled advertising, public relations, and Marketing specialists promote the play-offs, selling expensive TV and radio air time to companies. Web-based streaming broadcasts of the play-offs online have also generated additional advertising opportunities.
- Advertising
Pursuing a career in advertising means entering the fast-paced world of big city, big time New York or Los Angeles-based ad agencies. If you have a creative side, your talents are in high demand at advertising agencies, where employees create artwork, graphics, and catchy slogans for campaigns. Other jobs in the industry involve selling ad space to companies, and require fine-tuned business and negotiating skills. To gain a leg up on the competition, a degree in advertising is highly recommended. - Public Relations
The PR business in sports revolves around advancing a team's public image, whether to sell the image, increasing viewer turnout, or influencing the politics of sports negotiations. PR managers often implement public exposure strategies for teams and players, by writing press releases, helping athletes with appropriate dress standards and speaking publicly, and dealing with any public image crises that may suddenly emerge. Entry into this hot field begins with the educational training in advertising or public relations. - Marketing
Marketing specialists find new markets and work with existing markets to develop promotions, produce brochures, and license team logos. Marketing is often a year-round job that requires working specific duties routinely. A degree in business with an emphasis in marketing will get your foot in the door.
The competition for jobs is stiff for careers in advertising, PR, and marketing, but employment in the industry is expected to grow by 22 percent from the 2004 to 2014 period, according to the BLS. Soon, you could be responsible for generating buzz about March Madness.
Health Careers: Helping Athletes Recover, Stay Healthy,
and Feel Their Best with Physical Therapy
Even the world's top athletes fall victim to common sports injuries, and they need help from physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, and massage therapists to perform their best.
- Physical Therapist: Calling the Shots
As a physical therapist, you could be the one to get fallen players back on the court after surgery or an injury. Physical therapists help relieve pain, improve mobility, slowly restore a body to its pre-injury condition, and minimize the long-term effects of physical trauma. A physical therapist devises a plan for a patient that typically includes exercises to increase flexibility and strength in specific muscle groups. They may also prescribe massage therapy or equipment like braces and cooling splints to help patients recover. Most collegiate and professional sports teams keep one or more physical therapists on duty throughout the year.
You will need to attend an accredited physical therapist education program and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination before you can be licensed to soothe sore muscles and help today's brightest hoops stars recover from torn ligaments.
The job outlook for physical therapists is extremely promising. Experts at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimate that employment for physical therapists will increase much faster than the national average through 2014. The average salary of a physical therapist in the U.S. is $60,180. - Physical Therapist Assistant: Ready to Relieve
Many professional therapists start their careers as physical therapist assistants. Under the supervision of a physical therapist, you could be helping athletes directly to perform their rehabilitation exercises, administer electrical stimulation or ultrasound, and apply hot and cold packs. You may also gain experience with clerical and insurance work. The physical therapist assistant's job, in a nutshell, is to make the physical therapist more productive.
Physical therapist assistants are generally trained on the job, but they also typically earn as associate degree with academic courses in anatomy, physiology, biology, and psychology from an accredited physical therapist assistant program. Many states require licensure or registration to practice.
The job outlook for physical therapist assistants is rosy: The BLS projects employment of physical therapy assistants to grow much faster than average through 2014. Median annual earnings for this job were $37,890 in 2004. - Massage Therapist: Muscles on the Rebound
Physicians have been recommending massage therapy for almost 2,400 years, going back to the Greek physician Hippocrates. After all, someone had to help the original Olympians. Now, massage therapists work with athletes' muscles to decompress them and help remove waste products. Many athletes consider massage therapy crucial for their recovery from daily workouts and rehabilitation exercises.
Training standards for massage therapists vary widely across the country, but it's likely that you'll be required to complete a formal education program and pass the national certification examination or a State exam in order to practice in your area.
The BLS projects employment for massage therapists to increase faster than average through 2014 because more people are learning about the benefits of massage therapy. The median earnings for massage therapists were $15.36 per hour in 2004.
Communications: Getting in on the Action through a Broadcasting or Journalism Career
There's no better way to watch sports than front and center from a press box or right on the sidelines. A variety of occupations in broadcasting put you in charge of writing, shooting, and producing sports content to air on TV or radio stations.
- Producers
Producers are in charge of planning live or taped segments. They oversee the script, the setting, arrange for any necessary filming permits, and direct other production staff. Producers need to have high attention to detail and work well under stress. - Video Editors and Engineers
For the more technologically oriented, a variety of jobs such as video editor, sound engineer, and audio equipment technician can also put you where the action is. As a cameraperson, you could be capturing the games for others to see at home. If you didn't major in film or broadcast journalism in college, a host of associate programs offer training in technical fields. Experience is highly valued in the sports broadcast industry, so learning the trade through an internship or apprenticeship is ideal. - Journalists
Many people capture the action through the written word, working as journalists for newspapers and magazines. Sports writers are expected to establish their credibility with editors and readers through strong research and reporting skills. As a sports writer you'll need to be at the games and talking to the athletes to get their stories. When you're back in the office, chances are that you'll be on the phone following up on facts to report to your readers. Most sports writers have degrees in communications, journalism or English--along with a healthy love of sports.
Taking Care of Business with Sports Finance
Most teams need business mangers to handle contracts for services such as hotels, insurance, travel, and training supplies.
- Sports Administration
Teams always have bills to pay and arrangements to make for training camps, rookie tryouts, and drafts. Most business managers start out as assistants, often through internship programs. The most popular educational background is a four-year business administration degree, although marketing, finance, and even liberal arts majors have all succeeded as business managers.
Whatever Your Strength, Get in on the Action!
Even if you're not a star athlete, you can still be a part of the action with a career in the sports industry--helping athletes with physical therapy; promoting teams with advertising; PR, and marketing; bringing the action to everyone through the media; or running the show from the back office. If you have a passion for sports, look beyond the court for a career that allows you to showcase your strong points--and be part of the Madness.