Hello friends! 👋

Welcome to the SportsGrad Newsletter. Each week we take a deep dive into how people are growing their careers in sport.

Here you’ll find insights, tactics and tools to help you win jobs, get promoted, work around the world, make an impact, and still get paid fairly in sport.

Plus the latest on what’s happening in the SportsGrad Community - a private group of legends lifting each other toward the careers of their dreams.

SportsGrad Meetups begin tonight, and it’s shaping up to be our biggest round yet…

To top off what will be a great night of connecting with the industry, we’ve got an epic lineup of guest speakers coming along!

You’ll get the chance to learn more about their career journeys, and what they do in their respective fields.

Check them out below, and don’t forget to pick up a ticket 👇

Before we jump in…

The SportsGrad Community is re-opening on Tuesday the 14th of May!

For (less than) 48 hours only.

It hasn’t been open since February, and won’t open again until August.

If you’re ready to give your career in sport the jumpstart it needs…

Set your alarm for 9AM AEST on Tuesday!

We’ll be kicking off with a Speed Networking session that night, so you can begin to grow your network right away.

You’ll also get a free annual pass to all SportsGrad Meetups!

Pop your name on the waitlist, and we’ll remind you when it opens (and add in some goodies in the meantime)

Come and meet cool people working in sport…

Here’s your chance to connect with other people in the industry!

Take away the stress and extreme formalities of a corporate networking event, and you get a fun and casual SportsGrad Meetup.

Check out the legends we’ve got hopping on the guest panels 👇

In Melbourne, we’ve got Abhi Arunachalam and Vanessa Gigliotti joining us!

Abhi is the Head of Media Rights at Cricket Australia - in his 9 years at CA, he’s made a few internal moves, joining as a Legal Counsel, then moving into a Strategy & Planning Director role, before transitioning into Media Rights!

You can also check out his episode on the SportsGrad Podcast, where he talks about his career journey so far, and deep-dives the ins and outs of working in his department.

Vanessa is the General Manager of Communications and Corporate Affairs at Carlton Football Club. She has been with the club for over 6 years, and is joining the panel to chat about what her role involves, and the skills you need to work in a position like hers!

In Brisbane, Abbey Willcox and Tom Cosgrove will be on the panel!

Abbey is the Marketing And Game Day Coordinator for the Brisbane Broncos, as well as an Australian Freestyle Skier (very cool).

Not only has she represented the country for 6 years, she has moved through multiple roles at the Broncos, climbing her way to an epic position coordinating the club’s events, advertisements, strategies, and activations.

Tom is the Commercial and Marketing Manager at the Wynnum Manly Seagulls - he has a range of experience in strategic marketing, social media management, sponsorship and event operations.

He has an awesome story, starting as a volunteer and intern, who worked his way up to a management role. Tom was also an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, so a Pro in many realms!

Last (but certainly not least), we’ve got Jason Russell-Jones and Steph Maiolo joining us at the Sydney Meetup!

Jason is the Head of Community Legacy Projects at Rugby Australia.

With Australia hosting the 2027 and 2029 Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups, RA has the responsibility of leveraging them to grow the game, and Jason is one of the people tasked with making that happen.

Prior to this, Jason worked at the Australian Sports Commission, Cricket Australia, Cricket NSW, and the England & Wales Cricket Board.

You may have heard him over on episode #264 of the SportsGrad Podcast!

Steph is the Football Operations Manager at the Sydney Swans - after joining the Swans 6 years ago as an intern, she made her way to a coordinator and then up to a manager!

If your dream is working close to the athletes, and helping to manage elite teams, you need to listen to Steph’s career journey. She has an epic role, and is involved in all aspects of the club.

P.S. she may (or may not) be Monday’s podcast guest…

We’ll see you there! If you have any questions, feel free to message me 💛

What’s happening in the Community?

Community Wins ⭐️

Here’s what SportsGrad Members got up to last week...

Vi Truong accepted a role with The Daily Aus as a Sports Journalist

Jason Churches is joining Collingwood FC as an AFL Performance Analyst Intern

Lintaro Miyashin received a volunteer position with the Ringwood Hawks working in Data Analytics and Video Analysis

Kytelan Neveceral is starting with Northern Gold Coast Touch as a Competitions Manager

SportsGrad Members have landed over 620+ jobs in sport.

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

Upcoming Member Events 💛

Members, to join an event, RSVP via Discord.

Pro Member Events:

🤝 Pro Speed Networking - May 21st 7pm AEST

✏️ Masterclass with Holly Bailey (Play Like A Girl) - May 23rd 12pm AEST

Do you work in sport? Apply to become a SportsGrad Pro Member

Rookie Member Events:

🤝 Rookie Speed Networking (New Member Edition)!! - May 14th 7pm AEST

✏️ Masterclass with Holly Bailey (Play Like A Girl) - May 23rd 12pm AEST

🏟 Career Q&A with Jeffrey Leong (MKTG) - May 30th 12:30pm AEST

Do you want to work in sport? Join the list to become a SportsGrad Rookie Member

Job Opportunities 💼

Looking for a new gig? Here’s a few organisations who want to hire SportsGrad Members (Members, you check out which organisations they are in the Discord):

🎟 Business Development Executive - Melbourne (Full-time)

🏟 Venue Responder - Melbourne (Part-time)

👷‍♀️ Venue Operations Officer - Melbourne (Casual)

🏀 Programs Officer - Melbourne (Casual)

📞 Customer Experience Officer - Melbourne (Casual)

🏉 Match Day & Non-Match Day Assistants - Melbourne (Casual)

Need help hiring sports industry talent? Get in touch with Ryan.

Can’t wait to see you at a meetup or inside the Community (or both)!

Catch you soon,

Acacia 💛

Accelerate your career in sport

The SportsGrad Community makes it 1000x easier to reach your dream.

Join over 700+ Members enjoying...​

🤝  Sports Industry Network: Grow your network in sport and learn from over 700+ like-minded Members from 70+ organisations in a private Discord group

 🤫 Exclusive Job Board: The hidden job market lives in the SportsGrad Community, remove the competition with access to unadvertised roles

💬 Talk to Recruiters: Chat directly to the sports recruiting, get your name out there, and become memorable with companies hiring via Virtual Job Fairs

📚 Premium Resources: Access our library of Masterclasses to learn exactly how others have made it in the sports industry and what companies hire for

🗣 Speed Networking: Grow your network rapidly without sending a single ‘unseen’ cold message

🤑 Discount on Events: Get discounted prices to SportsGrad Meetups featuring panels and sporting events, plus discounts from our partner brands

Click below to learn more about Membership options for job hunters and professionals.

Meet people in the sports industry 🤝

Grow your network with like-minded peers and professionals in sport at our in-person Meetup events.