All the time you hear people ask about how to break into the sports agent business, whether it be questions regarding what kind of education they need or how to go about obtaining an internship. If I can give any advice to those looking to get their start, it would be to volunteer wherever and whenever possible. Whether it be with a team, league, agency, or even a website. Anything to get your name out and give you some credibility.
When I first started writing for SportsAgentBlog.com, I thought it would be a fun venue to give my insight on the sports business world and that maybe it could help me out in the future. I have been a member of the SportsAgentBlog.com Team for 6 months now, and it has been both a lot of fun and very beneficial to me in terms of making a name for myself and opening doors that otherwise would be shut.
I have been able to interview prominent agents in the business, get my foot in the door for internship opportunities, and meet and talk to some great people who have the same aspirations as myself.
I first realized how beneficial it was to have SportsAgentBlog.com on my resume when I called up a very prominent agency in Manhattan regarding an internship, and the HR person knew exactly who I was. While they informed me that they prefer law students, they did let me know I was on the short list of candidates if anything opened up this summer. I was also able to land a future lunch interview with another prominent agent. While nothing has come to fruition just yet, it has opened the door for opportunities I otherwise would not have.
Don’t think that mailing resumes and making phone calls is all you can do. Sometimes the front door is locked, and it is your job to find another way in. That other way is volunteer work.
-Paul Schackman
5 replies on “Any Volunteers?”
Stories like this truly make me smile. We are approaching our 2 year anniversary here (on December 31, 2007), and I cannot believe how far this site has come. To hear that contributors are being recognized in the sports industry for their writing on this blog makes me extremely happy and proud of what this site has been able to accomplish.
Hello how are u doing.I am interested in becoming a volunteer. I live in the New York area i am a college student wanting and hungry to learn the business.I am a hard worker catch on to things fast,people person,easy to get along with.
I want to thank you for creating a site such as this one, its always informative with different topics that relate to sports, on a personal level,however, I want to ask a serious question, that can be answered by you and your staff, I’ve been having problems finding an agent for my son, who wishes to play professional basketball, once he finishes college, he plays for a div 1 school, a junior in college with a communications major, he wants to pursue a basketball career either in the nba or overseas, he is very talented, i have written many agents, however no response, am i doing somehthing wrong, what would be the proper procedure
other than leaving msgs, emailing, and writing letters, we are starting early, looking for agents, i was told this is the right time, you want to shop around for a good match for your son..please reply
I am glad that you enjoy this site. An agent needs to be careful talking to your son, as he is still a student-athlete and is bound by state and NCAA regulations concerning the communication and potential signing by an agent. Who is your son?
I am quite aware of the circumstance and repercussions, I am allowing agents to communicate to me, instead of my son, because of the ncaa regulations, hes not ready to sign, he’s a junior,
and perusing a degree in communications, and wants to pursue a basketball career after graduation, Im starting early in the market, which will buy time, getting to know some agents and finding the right match