Pic by @Olympics on IG

Despite hosting the biggest sporting event of the year, Londoners seem to be divided in their opinion about the Olympic Games. On one hand, you have the supporters who are proud that their city is featuring on the biggest stage of all. On the other, you have the sceptics who bemoan the inconvenience and alleged waste of money.

As residents of the host city, we have been exposed to aspects of the games that the rest of the world won’t be aware of. One of these, commercial rights, has at times been a controversial topic as the London Organising Committee (LOCOG) has clamped down hard on any company that they deem to be infringing the rights of their major sponsors.

No doubt this will have piqued the interest of many marketing professionals who may be coming across the business side of the sports industry for the first time. They might well be seduced by it and who could blame them? It’s a glamorous mix of high profile stars and huge amounts of money.

The same may well apply to various other professionals too, such as events or media. But how do you go about getting a job in sports?

First and foremost, you need to be able to prove that you have transferable skills. In that respect, it’s no different from moving between any other industries. But this shouldn’t prove to be a much of a barrier for professionals from the industries mentioned earlier.

What’s equally important is networking. As the old cliché goes, it’s not just what you know but who you know.

The good news is that the sports industry is relatively small and there are several dedicated networking events throughout the year.

The Sport Business Group, organise many of the most high profile conferences throughout the year, such as sports Marketing 360 which takes place on 27 September. While the line-up for this year’s conference hasn’t been announced yet, previous speakers have included representatives from many of the UK’s top sports marketing organisations such as Synergy and Octagon and governing bodies like Premiership Rugby. For more information, visit http://www.sportbusiness.com/products/conferences or join their LinkedIn group.

Another company specialising in networking events is the Sports Industry Group. They organise one of the most high profile events in the sports industry calendar, the Sports Industry Awards. They also organise a range of smaller events throughout the year including the Sports Industry Breakfast Club and the Sports Industry Lecture which also feature high profile speakers. To find out more, visit http://www.sportindustry.biz or connect with them on LinkedIn.

So if you’re thinking about moving into the sports industry, now could be the time. Sport is very much on the agenda at the moment and the legacy of the Olympic Games should provide some interesting opportunities. It’s up to you to find them.

About our Ambassador: Keith McGuinness is a freelance copywriter based in South West London. Connect with him on Twitter @mcginty312