Hello friends! 👋

Welcome to this ✨  free edition ✨ of the SportsGrad Newsletter. Each week we take a deep dive into ‘how to get a job in sport’.

Meet Cooper Irwin, Member and Fan Services Officer at Collingwood Football Club - This is how he got his job👇

What made you want to work in sport?

My passion for sports from a young age led to me wanting to pursue a career in sport. Knowing you have the impact to either help grow participation or help a team win a premiership is very special to me.

What was the biggest challenge you found trying to get your foot in the door?

My biggest challenge was trying to find a good opportunity to get started. I got quite lucky that when I emailed my local A-League club, Central Coast Mariners, I was then given the opportunity of an internship.

What have been some of your key work experiences?

My internship at the Central Coast Mariners was the most important work experience I had. Whilst at the Mariners, I put my hand up for all the available opportunities which helped me see all different areas of the sports industry to see what I enjoy and what I didn't enjoy as much.

How has networking played a role in your journey?

Networking was very helpful in my journey. Whilst at the Mariners, I built up a strong relationship with my manager which helped me build his trust. Thanks to this, when an interim role came up at the Newcastle Jets to help with their membership whilst someone was on leave, my manager set me up with this role to help me progress my career and gain my first full-time experience in the sporting industry. The experience I gained whilst at the Jets was a key factor in me being successful in my job at Collingwood.

What does a day in your new role look like?

At Collingwood in the Membership team, a day for me can vary day to day. A key part of my day is talking to and assisting our 100K+ members and ensuring that their experience as a membership is good and that they will continue their membership moving forward.

How did being a SportsGrad Member help you break into sport?

Being a SportsGrad Member helped when I needed advice on many things when I was looking for a job. Getting feedback and advice from all different people and different viewpoints was very beneficial when looking for a role. I remember the week of my interview with Collingwood, I was listening back to previous podcasts about interviews, as well as asking multiple questions in the community.

What do you love most about working in sport?

I love being involved in sports on a day to day basis and having a different view on the sports I've watched my whole life. Knowing that I am making an effect at the game is a very rewarding experience. For example, at ANZAC Day this year, Collingwood broke the record for largest crowd for ANZAC Day and knowing I had an effect on that was really special.

What advice would you give to someone else trying to break into sport?

Advice I would give is just to step out of your comfort zone and push yourself to make that first step. Sending an email or a message can be stressful and the rejection can be defeating. However, the worst answer they can give you is “no”.

Want to land an awesome job in sport?

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Come and have a drink with the sports industry 🤝

Catch up with like-minded people at the Melbourne Meetup, held at the MCG!

Get your Friday Night Footy plans sorted and come along! Meetups are a relaxed way to meet others in the sports industry.

Tickets are limited, so grab them while they're hot 🔥

📆 2nd of June from 6:30pm

Members get 15% off tickets (find the code on Discord), however, Reuben has discovered a loophole for non-members to get a discount too…

SportsGrad Member Wins 🏆

This week…

Jordan Beecham landed a role as a Community PlayHQ Trainer at Cricket Victoria

Juri Bilcich is joining Mojo Sports as an AFL Panellist

Desmond Kaviagu is starting a new role as the Team PNG Performance Manager at The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee

Anantveer Singhania received a position as a Venue Accreditation Coordinator for the FIFA Women’s World Cup

SportsGrad Members have landed over 386 jobs in sport.

If you've had a win, share it with us in the #wins channel on Discord!

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways we can help you:

1. Grow your network in the sports industry with like-minded peers and professionals at our Meetup Events.

2. Join over 550+ Members who have landed 386+ roles in sport in the SportsGrad Community and get exclusive jobs, resources, events and discounts.

3. Grow your team with young guns in half the time and at a fraction of the cost. Post a job or let us recruit for you.