How To Land A Career In The Sports Industry

A career in sports is one of those things that a lot of people dream about but only a select few actually pursue. There are so many people that give up on their hopes of making a career in the sports industry because they just don’t think it’s realistic. They bow to outside pressure to go for a safe career rather than shoot for something they’re really passionate about. But the truth is, there’s no reason why you can’t have a career in sports if you really want it. The first thing to remember is that you don’t have to be a player to work in sports. Not everybody will make it as the next superstar but there are all sorts of other jobs you can look for in the sports industry. Another big misconception that people have about the sports industry is that people get into it after one lucky break. Not everybody that works in sports was picked up by a scout at a college game. For some people, it does work that way but not always. There are plenty of people that got into the sports industry later in life after years of hard work. If you’re considering pursuing a career in sports but you don’t really know where to start, here are some handy tips.

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Study Your Chosen Sport

Studying your chosen sport is important and there are a few different ways to do it. Firstly, you need to make sure that you’re watching games regularly and analysing them properly. It’s also important that you’re playing as much as you can and keeping up to date with any developments in strategies and rules in your chosen sport.

Living and breathing you sport is one way to study it, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that you can study a lot of sports in the more traditional sense. Did you realize, for example, that there are a lot of great golf schools out there where you can get professional tutorage and learn how to be a better player? That’s just one example and you might not be able to find schools for every sport but it’s definitely worth looking into.

Volunteer

You’re not going to land a job in the sports industry without any experience which is why volunteering is so important. It’s the best way to get experience and it’ll also help you to make valuable connections which can help you later on in your career when you start looking for paid positions. There are plenty of local sports organizations and leagues that are always looking for a bit of extra help. If you get in touch and let them know that you’re interested in volunteering, they’ll be happy to accommodate you.

Highlight Your Skills

Now that you’ve got some good experience and you’ve taken any relevant courses that you can find, it’s time to start looking for positions if you’re not going to pursue a career as a player. When you’re applying, it’s important that you highlight your skills as well as your experience. Think about what you learned while you were volunteering and focus your applications around that.

Finding work in the sports industry is difficult but it is possible for you to find your dream career if you’re willing to put the work in.

Sys Admin Or Software Developer - What's the Better Study Choice?

It is an age-old debate in the IT structure, which is the better career to aim for, that of Systems Administrator or Software Developer? It is not an easy question to answer, it really depends on your personal preferences and on your own set of circumstances. Have a look through our guide as a comparison of both careers and see if it can help you decide where to aim your talents.

Systems Administrator

1. Work 24/7

A Systems Administrator is responsible for ensuring that their employer's IT infrastructure is operating at all times. This often means that they have to perform work outside of the normal 9-5 hours and that they often have to be on call at all times. Some jobs can mean that there has to be an administrator actually in the office at all times, which usually means you will be working on a rota. In some jobs, it is permissible for an employee to be on call on a rota basis. This type of work suits some people because it fits in with their lifestyle. For others who like to know where they are every day, it is not so good. Check out the advantages and disadvantages of working on a rota basis here.

2. Less Salary

There's no getting away from the fact that Software Developers are paid more than Systems Administrators. It could be argued that this is because their role demands more creativity but I have known some System Administrators who have had to be pretty creative to fix issues. You only have to check NetworkProGuide to see how creative those offering IT services have to be.

3. Full Flexibility in Shifts

When you have to cover the office 24/7 it means that there is a degree of flexibility in when you work. If you want a big night out, for instance, you could always organise to work a late shift so you can have a lie-in. There are benefits to shift working.

Software Developer

1. More Salary in Short Time

Software Developers are paid more, simply because they have to be more creative and put a lot of thought into their designs. It is hard work, but you do get paid for it. If you are not sure whether this is your dream job and whether it's worth all the effort you would have to put in to be worth this large salary why not take a look at my blog post on finding your dream career.

2. No need to work 24/7 shifts

Some people just like a routine, they like to know the hours that they are working every day and for these to be consistent. This is one of the reasons why the 9-5 day is so popular, it just works for a lot of people. As a Software Developer, you too will be able to make the most out of the 9-5 day.

3. Enjoy all Government Holidays

As a Software Developer, there is no need for you to work on public holidays. You can enjoy spending time with your friends and family who are also not at work instead of facing the prospect of having to go into the office while everyone else has fun.

5 Things You Need to Know Before Starting Your Own Business

Who hasn't dreamed of getting away from the wage-earner's grind and working for themselves? Unfortunately, for every person who starts a successful business, there are at least ten who end up crawling meekly back to a 9-to-5 job after an unhappy experience with trying to go it alone.

People say some are born to be entrepreneurs, while others are more suited to the regularity of a steady job with a salary. This isn't the case. Anyone can succeed in business provided they have a marketable product and the right approach to working for themselves. Once you have people beating the proverbial path to your door for what you're selling, you've made it.

Here are five essential tips for anyone who intends to go into business.

Focus on the customer and fully understand the market

However wonderful your product is, it has no chance of success until you have a web marketing program that reaches out to potential customers. A company like SMR Digital can be the link between you and your market. Their expert staff will guide you through the process of choosing and utilizing SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Link Outreach, and PPC (Pay Per Click) to maximize customer awareness. Without expert guidance, no start-up can exploit the full potential of the Internet and social media.

Understand your own your own strengths, skills, and time available

Choose a field in which you excel, and one that doesn't demand more time than you can devote to it. Don't follow the example of others who have been successful, if they are of a different temperament from you.

Surround yourself with advisors and mentors

Talk to as many experts in your chosen field as you can. If possible, talk to people who have already made it in your line of business. See if you can find people who have been successful entrepreneurs. If you don't know any such people personally, look up interviews with them in business publications.

Write a business plan

No business can succeed without a coherent plan covering all aspects of the enterprise - time needed, costs, sources of funding, etc. There is no magic formula for success, but at the very minimum you need something that has been realistically planned with all foreseeable problems covered. Don't dive in with your eyes closed.

Have a passion for what you are doing. Pick something you could enjoy doing for the rest of your life. To be a true success in business you need to follow your own path, doing something that really interests and motivates you.

How to Find Your Dream Career

Millions of people make a decision every year trying to find out what they would like to do for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, jobs for life are getting rarer every year, and industries change faster than any other time before, due to the speed of communication and computer technology, you can reduce your risks and make better decisions about your future if you test drive some of the programs and look through your strengths and weaknesses. Find a few tips below.

Image via Wikipedia

Consider Your Interests

The first thing you will need to take into consideration is your interest. If you love animals, a related course will make you happy and improve your work-life balance. In case you are a people person, you might consider studying at the best hospitality management school and finding your true calling dealing with customers and tourists.

Check Out Industry Growth

It is also crucial that you check out the industry statistics and predictions. If you don’t want to change your career in a couple of years and waste time and money on your education, you will need to know that there will be a demand for your skills and knowledge in the industry by the time you finish your education. There are plenty of great statistical sites and government publications that will tell you about your potential earnings after graduation and your long term prospects, too.

Focus On Jobs AI Can’t Replace

Many jobs are threatened by the development of artificial intelligence technology. If you are looking to make sure that robots will not replace you, it is important that you choose your future career accordingly. Nurses, doctors, or creative professionals, teachers are less in danger from technology. At the same time, you are going to have a job as a game developer for a long time to come.  

Test Drive Courses

In case you are still sitting on the fence and can’t decide which career path to go down on or which college or university to choose, you might want to test drive courses. There are plenty of opportunities online and at the campus to get insider information on open days and special events, so you can see what the institution has to offer.

Shadow People Already In the Job

Image via of Kadena Air Base

Sometimes you love the course, but you are not happy doing the job after you graduate, To avoid this problem, you might want to shadow people who are already working in the field, so you can make an informed decision before you would pay your college fees and spend years of your time. There are plenty of volunteering or apprenticeship programs that don’t require a degree, so you can see the potential jobs you will be doing after graduation.

If you waste time and money enrolling to the wrong course, you will find it hard to come to terms with the change and the disappointment. It is always better to plan ahead and do your research, so you can be sure that your chosen career path is in line with your personal mission.

Your Career Is a Journey, Not Just a Job

Far too many people assume that their careers are just a collection of jobs they work at. For instance, they might start as a regular office worker doing miscellaneous tasks, and then they’ll upgrade to a senior member in the future and take on different responsibilities. It’s the typical way to approach your career and, understandably, it’s popular because it provides job security and an aim. However, most people get into this mentality of their careers becoming just a job and nothing more, and we believe it’s a poor way to approach your life.

Careers should be thought of as more than just jobs. Careers should ideally be based on what you love or feel passionate about, and you should approach them with the love and attention you would expect for something that is going to take up a major part of your life. If you think about it, people can work in their careers for well over 40 years before they retire. If your job is going to take up over half of your lifespan, then it might as well be something you truly connect with.

Source: Pexels

Careers are learning experiences

An excellent way to approach your career is to consider it a huge learning lesson. For instance, people don’t realize that oil water separators are essential for various kinds of industries and they’re crucial to the operation of many different factories and manufacturing plants. It’s not just about learning about your job either. There are many life lessons you can learn from embarking your career of choice, and there are countless ways to experience new things. You’ll learn from the people you work with, you’ll pick up life tips from the way you interact with others, and through adversities, you’ll learn how to recuperate and get your life back on track.

Careers take up most of your life

As mentioned at the start, careers typically take up over half of our lives, hence why we need to ensure that they naturally become a part of our lives. This is something that we can start learning from millennials; they approach their work with a very loose mindset. They’re not afraid of hopping between jobs because they’re searching for a workplace that can be integrated with their lifestyles. They want to work hard and have aims, which is why they approach their careers differently to other generations. Always look for a career that resonates with you. Something that makes you happy and something that puts you on a path to learn new things.

Summary

Hopefully, this article has put things into perspective and has given you an idea of how you can approach your career in the future. Don’t think of it as a job–think of your career as a part of your life that you can benefit from in many different ways. Otherwise, you could end up despising your job and hating your choice of career which could ultimately turn into regret for the rest of your life.

Why It Pays To Be A Geek Later On In Life

“Blessed are the geeks, for they shall inherit the earth.” It’s a slogan you’ll find on many t-shirts or kitchen item, and never has it been more true. You might have felt like being the class geek or school nerd was a bad thing in high school, but once you’ve left school and gym class is far behind you - there’s a whole world out there for you. Being a geek in later life is no bad thing, and could help you to push yourself further than you could imagine.

Image: Pexels

Learn a language, enjoy better career success

Learning a language will benefit you for many reasons, and one of the most important could be your career. Did you know that Mark Zuckerberg has been learning Mandarin? He’s just one example of the many successful businessmen who are bilingual. Learning a second language could boost your career and open up a whole new set of doors for you. As something you can do at any age to widen your prospects, why not take some time each day during your morning commute or lunch break to start learning another language?

Making the most of that thick-skin

If you were a geek in high school, you might look back on your younger years as some of the worst of your life - and who can blame you? From being rejected by the opposite sex to verbal taunts - you were probably counting down the days until school was over. A lot of what we go through as kids can help shape who we are as adults, and if you had a particularly tough time then it’s likely you’ve developed a great thick-skin. Being able to rise up against the setbacks and the rejection will make you more determined to succeed in your endeavors, an important quality to have when setting out to achieve your goals.

Achieve your career goals

If you want to go far in life, you’re going to need to keep learning new things. You may not be ready to complete a masters degree at 22, but these days it’s never too late or too difficult to start learning again. You could decide to master lean manufacturing at any age if you feel that it’s the next step in your career by completing an online degree. Being able to continue to learn and push yourself to achieve new things will help you to achieve your career goals and put you ahead of the rest.

Having interests that make you happy

A lot of being a geek is having interests in things that others might not understand or find bewildering, but embracing these things will make you a much happier person. Whether you love to watch geeky TV shows or have a favorite computer game, having a passion and an interest in something will make your life much more fulfilled.

Wanting to better yourself through learning is a fantastic way to help you progress in your career and fulfill your ambitions. Even if you’re not your typical geek, it’s not a bad personality trait to have to help you reach your goals. What do you want to achieve in life? Geek out and go get it.

Geeky Degrees That Will Let You Lavish in Luxury

If you’re in the midst of choosing your major in university, you might want to ask yourself one question. What will give me the best quality of life? Sure, you can choose a degree based on a passion, but a passion won’t always get you a career. For instance, you might decide to study philosophy. Now, this is still a prestigious degree to have under your belt. But try asking anyone what a philosophy degree is for and what careers it can be used in. No one will be able to tell you, except of course, for teaching philosophy. That narrows the playing field a little doesn’t it? This is why philosophy degrees are often paired with something else that are - dare we say it - more useful.

Still, there are plenty of nerdy, awesome degrees you can consider that will get you the lifestyle you want in a few years. Let’s look at some of the possibilities.

Have You Tried Turning It Off And ON?

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Information Technology, the degree that is essentially the nerd's handbook. Here you will learn various skills and knowledge that could earn you a fortune in the future including coding. If you don’t know what coding is, you might want to learn. Coding will allow you to create your own website, software and in general, develop programs or apps. So, once you know how to code you could create the next Candy Crush and let’s face it, that was essentially Tetris and a hole host of other column games combined into one. It wasn’t exactly a new idea which shows you just how easy it is to make millions.

Of course, there’s another reason why an IT degree could put you in such a great position for the future. With a degree in IT, you will be primed to provide support to the multitude of businesses that are going to need it in the future. Almost every business you can think of is in some way dependant on IT, so the demand is certainly there.

Mad Men

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Alternatively, you could think about entering into marketing. Is marketing nerdy? When you think about it, marketing is a lot like mind control, pushing the audience to believe what you want them to about a product or service. In fact, if you take a marketing course you will almost certainly learn a little something about subliminal messaging. If you know nothing about this, we suggest you go check out Fight Club. But just how much money could you make as a marketer? Well, with an AASCB accredited online MBA program in marketing, you could easily rake in a salary over 100K. Particularly, if you are picked up by one of the larger businesses on the market today.

Space - The Final Frontier

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Lastly, you might be disappointed with how little NASA has accomplished lately. Admittedly, most people are. We haven’t come very far since a man first walked on the moon. But that might be about to change, and weirdly, it’s thanks to Hollywood. Supposedly, after the success of the Martian, the US government were so enthralled by its popularity that they pushed more funding in the direction of NASA. Now, whether that’s true or still on the table with Trump in power is debatable, but it’s curious nevertheless.

As for what you can study, a degree in physics or specializing in astrophysics will put you on the path to greatness here. Who knows, one day you could be in charge of the next rocket launch and earning a fortune. You’ll need to have an IQ that rivals Einstein though.

Book Review: Real Artists Have Day Jobs

"The biggest myth we are fed as artists is that we need to sustain ourselves solely on our art."

I finished reading Real Artists Have Day Jobs recently, and it was a fun romp through various short essays on art, love, and life written by comedian Sara Benincasa.

Sara has a unique outlook on the world, which I appreciated. It's empathetic, social justice oriented, but also funny, relevant, and her writing easy to read. She writes in a conversational tone and explores a lot of her own story through the book. Everything from her struggles with her body, issues with anxiety, and journey with her career. All delivered in bite sized morsels. I really enjoyed that I could pick up the book and read a chapter or two then put it down. I tend to only have brief periods of time or so much attention to give so it worked out well that way.

The stories shared in this book are very genuine and aren't done in a way of sharing expertise on any topic; just one's person's experiences and what they think about them. It's a great way to go in the world that leaves room for growth, acknowledges shortcomings, and is more relatable. Someone who is so sure of themselves to ignore any new information is going to limit themselves to many possibilities to learn and do the best they can with whatever they're working on. Being open to a good, new story change create positive change in anyone. This book achieves just that.

As the title implies, the book emphasizes the idea that we can create and be artists without going headlong into trying to be an "artist" who lives off their creations. We can live in the world, work a "day job" and pursue our creative endeavors just the same as anyone else. It may even work better than way. This sentiment makes me think of another great book I've read, Steal Like an Artist.

I've seen a lot of people talk about this book online and I'm glad I finally got around to checking it out. I recommend you do too. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Turn These Geek Skills Into Job Opportunities

Just a few years ago, no one wanted to be labeled a ‘geek’. However, these days lots of people are proud to be called a geek. And you shouldn’t just be a geek in your personal time either. In fact, all of those geeky skills and talents that you have could translate very nicely into your full-time job. Want to know which skills it’s a good idea to try and cultivate in your geeky hobbies? Here are some of the best.

Photo: Pixabay

Tinkering With Hard Drives

Lots of geeks are very good with their hands. They use them to play around with hard drives and other hardware. But you shouldn’t leave this as just a hobby. In fact, there are now lots of companies who are desperately searching for IT workers who have practical skills in building computers and other machinery. To take this skill further, sign up for a college or night school course in computers and hardware.

Exceptional Knowledge

Lots of geeks are highly knowledgeable and have an incredible amount of information stored away in their brains! And, more often than not, all of this knowledge can be very much focused on one very unique subject. Why not use this to your advantage? It can certainly help you get some well-paid, niche work. For instance, if you know a whole lot about biology and the human body, you might want to start the Ultimate Medical Academy's Health and Human Services Program. Or, for example, if you are well-versed in the economy and finances, then you might want to join an economics program and become a financial advisor.

Photo: Pixabay

Computer Data Whizz

Geeks often know about common computer data and software. As a result of this knowledge, they are often highly skilled in wiping computer data and protecting it from potential hackers and virus attacks. This is another skill that many companies now want their employees to have. As hackers and other online security threats are becoming a lot more sophisticated, businesses want to hire people who are always one step ahead and can help to protect their computer networks. You might be surprised to see just how much this knowledge can raise your salary by!

Developing Apps

Quite a few people have now taught themselves the skills that they need to develop their own apps. For many people, this is just a hobby that they do in their spare time. If this sounds like something you do in your free time, have you ever thought about making more of a go of it and carving out your very own career in software development? You could start off as a freelancer first and then, once you have gained some experience, could start to apply for full-time work with a company.

As you can see, your geeky skills and talents don’t have to be something that you keep to your spare time. There are plenty of chances you can turn them into a very lucrative career! Got any more ideas? Let us know!

Learning On Your Time with Online Learning Platforms

* A version of this post was originally featured on the OOHLALA Blog and on the Nerd for a Living blog.

I have been fortunate to work in student affairs for the past several years. It has been a fun and transformative experience for me. But lately, I’ve been starting to feel as though I’m in a rut. I’m ready for a change, perhaps into a new career field. I’m interested in getting into marketing, but I don’t feel like I have all the necessary skills and experiences yet to be a competitive candidate.

Wanting a more formal basis for this career shift, and not having the time to return to life as a full-time student, I began to look into different online learning platforms. Here’s what I discovered:

Online Learning Platforms – edX, Coursera, and Udacity

The promise of sites like edX, Coursera, and Udacity is that you can partake in, (often free), courses on all sorts of topics, (usually), on your own schedule. Think of these tools as webinars, but better in pretty much every way—and about stuff that you’re actually interested in. There are presentations, videos, and resources around specific learning outcomes and topics. The instruction is a bit longer than your typical webinar, but the end result is a wonderful handcrafted course that teaches you about a practical skill you can use.

The Sky’s the Limit

The breadth of content on these platforms is impressive. A simple search reveals courses on everything from game design to fantasy literature, superhero culture to programming.While some of these offerings can be fulfilling on a personal level, there are also many options to further yourself professionally. For example, I enjoyed taking some courses from the "Career Success" specialization offered by the University of California at Irvine. There are even connections to universities for many of the courses. This means they may also give you credit towards a degree.

All these online learning platforms offer a simple and accessible way to learn whatever you want on your time at whatever pace, (and cost), you wish. You don’t have feel anxious about investing in courses, fees, or books that might not pay off.

The lack of huge investment in these platforms is an incredible disruption to the education paradigm. It benefits any of us working towards work that fulfills us.

The Alternative Education Experience

As someone who works at an institution of higher learning, I am, perhaps counter-intuitively, supportive of these platforms. They help bring learning to more people in the world, which is what I hope to help foster in my own way. It’s why I got into education in the first place. These services embody the values I wish more higher education institutions would work towards. They limit financial risk, focus on the content, and create courses on what users want. A typical course takes only several hours to complete, so you could be on your way to a certificate or college credit within a month’s time.

While the experience of going to a college campus is uniquely beneficial, not everyone can invest in that experience. Also, the need for specific college degrees as credentials for entering a particular field is diminishing. In some fields, job seekers now just need to be able to prove they can do the work. Sitting in a classroom, learning about how to do these things, isn’t necessarily preferred. Online learning platforms can get you engaged in the topics you want to learn about, and won’t waste your time with anything else.

Low-Risk and Available Anytime

What my exploration of these platforms has encouraged is that it’s never too late to start working toward a career you love. While these online learning platforms will not be the end of that journey of growth and change, they can be a strong start. The best part is that you have nothing to lose by checking these sites out and diving into a course. They’re low-risk and are available anytime you are ready to engage.

I look forward to getting involved with some of these platforms myself. I hope the experience is positive for those who choose to get involved as well.