Hello friends! 👋

Before we begin, have you got your Meetup tickets?

They’re coming up quickly in Mid-November to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane & Perth. If you’re a SportGrad or SportsGrad Pro Member, you get a discount. And if you’re not yet a member, this is your exclusive opportunity to buy a Membership on the night. Check it out.

“Sweet potato fries were a hit. More seriously it was great meeting new people as well as touching base with other professionals I've met.” - Brant Hubber, AFL

BTW - news on the final Community intake for the year down below 👇

Picture this: A dream job in sport has just become available.

You check out the job description. Immediately, you’re a bit flat. You don’t fit it perfectly.

Your experience is a bit short, you haven’t quite mastered stakeholder management, and you haven’t heard of that other platform they want you to be a pro at.

So, you close the ad, and leave it for someone who is fully qualified, and go back to get yourself 100% ready.

Congrats, you just joined the majority of people just counted themselves out.

And the people who are bold enough to shoot their shot thank you for weakening the competition.

But does it matter if you’re underqualified?

Studies show over 80% of employers are willing to hire and train someone who doesn’t meet all the requirements.

Yep, 80%.

Could be worth a shot right?

If you’re still nervous about facing rejection, here are four reasons you should DEFINITELY throw your hat in the ring.

1. You will learn (very quickly!) if you’re not ready for the job

If you’re not applying because you ‘don’t think you’re quite ready’, or you ‘just want to get a bit more experience first’. Your fear of failure is holding you back from surprising yourself - you may already be ready!!

The only way to find out is to apply. If you don’t get the job, no stress, at least you know you have things to work on, and you might get some valuable feedback in the process. But if you DO get the job, now you know you’re more capable than you think!

There’s only one way to find out.

“I didn’t have much administration experience, but did have operations experience… after the interview, they said I got the role because they loved my passion for sport, and previous volunteering experiences, and they needed someone who was going to be teachable and adaptable, as it’s an ever changing business” - Shani Orr, on applying at Tennis Queensland

2. This could be your last chance for YEARS

If your dream job comes up and you think, ‘Nah I won’t apply, I’ll wait until next time when I’m more experienced’… Be prepared to wait a long, LONG time to get another shot at it.

Jobs in sport are hot property. Which is why many people sit in them for years. You don’t want to be wishing that you just gave it a shot when you had the chance. Worst case scenario, the hiring manager at your dream organisation remembers your name in case something else comes up.

“I thought it was actually one of my worst interviews! Management liked that I was honest about the career gap on my resume, as well as my desire to take the next step.” - Alex Nasser, on applying at St. George Football Association

3. You need to put yourself first

If you feel like you can’t leave your current workplace because you want to be loyal, we get it. You’ve made great friends, your boss has been supportive of you, given you responsibility, and you’ve grown in the role.

And if you leave, who is going to pick up the pieces? And if the company has invested so much in you, the least you can do is repay them by sticking around right?

Wrong. If you have bigger plans for your career, new goals and ambitions to strive for, a truly supportive boss will wish you nothing but the best in going for them.

For example, when Ryan resigned from Cricket Australia to join SportsGrad, his boss said “I’m not even going to try and stop you, that’s amazing news”.

People want to see you grow, even if that means at another organisation.

4. Every application is a chance to get better at applications

Applying for jobs is a skill.

Writing your resume is a skill.

Interviewing is a skill.

And like all skills, they only get better with practice.

These are the skills that make you stand out in a sea of 500+ applicants.

People who land dream jobs get them because they practice how they sell themselves.

Like building muscles in the gym, they take time. So even if you’re not a perfect fit, look at every job opening as a chance to ‘get extra reps in’.

Your dream job could open up at any time, and if you’re a smart, talented young professional with plenty of potential, don’t trip yourself up because you can’t sell yourself.

Do your career a favour and get the reps in now.

“You have nothing to lose by just going for it - even if you just get to the interview stage, you get to practice so many skills, and you can gain a deeper understanding of what the people in your field are looking for.” - Vi Truong, on applying at the Ministry of Sport.

If you’re ready to shoot your shot and start living the dream of a fulfilling job in sport, click here to access our premium job hunting tools (developed by me, Reuben Williams). These tools helped me land several roles on my way to a full-time job at Cricket Australia, and have helped many others do the same.

So there you have it. Get in the habit of applying for jobs and making changes to the way you sell yourself.

You might just surprise yourself in the process.

- Reuben

Want to guarantee one of the 70 spots? Make sure you buy a Meetup ticket to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth for an exclusive discount and the opportunity to become a member on the night.

The SportsGrad Community makes it 1000x easier to land a dream job.

Join over 650+ Members enjoying...​

🤝  Sports Industry Network: Grow your network in sport and learn from over 650+ like-minded Members from 50+ 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

🔥 Sports Jobs

Looking for a new gig?

Become a SportsGrad Member to access exclusive job opportunities at over 50+ partner organisations who we help recruit for.

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 650+ Members who have landed 500+ 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