@techmom99 My D is a special ed major. I’m curious if your D got burned out after a year teaching in public schools? I’m a little concerned about this for my D, but she loves kids, so I’m hoping for the best.
@Chardo @CALSmom - what we have learned re jobs in sports is that connections trump everything and that your chances of being hired without a connected person really advocating for you are close to nil. S1 was one of 600 applicants for a recruiting position with a NFL team. He made it to the top cut because he had a very connected individual pushing for him. He was completely qualified, but no one in the NFL has time to compare 600 similar resumes and conduct interviews. After making the final cut, he was one of a few invited for a Skype interview. He countered by saying he would be there in person the following day - they took him up on it - he got the job.
To work in the NFL or similar - you have to be willing and able to relocate anywhere and quickly.
Never burn any bridges - you would not believe how many people know each other in this type of field. Your resume and accomplishments lag way behind who you know and what they think of you.
Jobs in sports are impacted by how well the team performs. You could be doing a great job, but if the team has a losing season and the head coach and gm are fired, you are at risk. New head coach and gm will want to bring in their own people. It’s known as the coaching carousel as coaches change teams and then bring their people with them.
S1 also obtained his football recruiting software startup position through contacts - he had actually used the software - gave the owner some feedback - owner heard through the grapevine he was no longer with the NFL team - offered to create a position for him - was never advertised. No other applicants.
S2 actually majored in sports mgmt, did the sports mgmt club and events, interned for a minor league baseball team, etc. Job inquires as graduation approached went nowhere. So many sports jobs are non-paid - even for college graduates. He did not have the flexibility S1 did to relocate anywhere in the country, nor did he have the level of connected people advocating for him. He gave up on working in sports pretty quickly. He enjoyed the major, but was not as passionate about it as S1.
As a final note, my perception is that there are way more college students majoring in sports mgmt than available jobs. Many teams rely on unpaid college interns to fill seasonal employment needs. There is no need for them to create entry level paid positions for college graduates for this reason.
S1 graduated from Marshall University in 2014, cum laude with a double major in sports journalism and history. He was hired right out of school as an associate producer by the local CBS affiliate where he interned. He’s been there almost three years and has been promoted to producer. He lived at home for about 9 months before moving out to live with his girlfriend, self-supporting but still hits me up for $20 occasionally.
D Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Industrial Engineering. Class of 2015 Working for Department of Defense/ Navy. Analyzing Missile data. Great benefits. Travel . Just turned 25 is completely self sufficient and is engaged. I’m so proud of her and the life she is building for herself.
@rockvillemom 's advice holds for the entertainment industry as well.
DS1 graduated in 2014 with a degree in political science from a top LAC. He did an AmeriCorps job for a year, where he gained experience that led to his first “real” job in college admissions. Next month, with a better title and much better pay, he continues admissions work at a top LAC. Three jobs in less than three years … times have changed.
DS2 graduated last month from a top 20 private uni with degrees in govt and music. He is loving his job in an entertainment-related field and is waiting to hear about an excellent opportunity that has been a long time in the making, but the timing stinks. Even if he gets an offer he may not leave his current job. The money would have to be really good, and they’ve have to agree to his terms related to some projects he wants to do.
@rockvillemom thanks for the additional insight! I have a friend whose son graduated with a sports management major and could not keep a job that he had with a minor league baseball team. He has moved back home and is an Uber driver for the meantime.
D1 - graduated from a local school with history/economics and teacher certification. Immediately got master’s in special ed. Teaches middle school in a challenging NYC public school. Loves her job more than anyone I’ve ever met. Lives on her own in a fantastic apartment and travels often.
D2 - graduated from an OOS flagship, immediately got master’s in historic preservation. Did an out of state internship and returned home to start a job as an architectural historian. Planning to move out in the spring. Been lovely to have her home after 7 years away.
@rockvillemom yeah, I know sports jobs are a pipe dream for most people. Doubt my son will ultimately go down that path, as he will have other lucrative opportunities. Currently doing analytics co-op with Coke, learning all that entails and networking at a high level. But he does understand it’s all about who you know, especially in sports. And he does have contacts in high places. As president of Georgia Tech sports business club, he’s close with senior execs of pro teams. And a friend’s father owns an NHL team and is impressed with him.
This is a great thread!
Daughter #1 graduated with a B.M. in Music Education from one of our SUNY schools. Took a year (worked at a preschool) then took an assistantship at an OOS State university (received her MM in French Horn performance). Spent a year in the same state teaching a revamped high school band/chorus/general music program. Moved back in state last year to teach Middle School/High School band and marching band about an hour away from us. Now she is in process of moving to Buffalo to teach elementary band and general music at a charter school that is part of the Buffalo CSD.
Daughter #2 did two years at a private arts University (graduating with a 2 year certificate in Dance). Decided it wasn’t worth the money to go for the BFA so took a job dancing with a small ballet company out of state for 2 years. She has now moved back here and works as a dance teacher, hair stylist (she got the certification while in high school), and does odd jobs like promo work, cheers for our local AHL team, and dancing per diem at special events at a local casino. She is thinking about getting a degree that will allow her to teach Vocational Arts but does plan on finishing college in the next few years.
Both are self supporting and live on their own!
@millermomm that’s wonderful that your daughters are self supporting!!
S2 graduated 2013 from BU with a double major in Econ and Environmental Policy - Has started an MBA at NE but doesn’t seem to be making much headway… Has a great job as a senior analyst at Digitas. S3 graduated from Tufts with a degree in the classics, immediately took a 6 month co-op with a high tech company and then in Jan started at Mass General as a financial analyst. His boss wants him to work on his MBA immediately so he’s applying to grad schools in the area now. He picks up technology very easily and had several data analysis classes under his belt plus a semester at Haas at Berkeley so i think that’s why Mass General took a chance on him even with far more qualified candidates.
DS and his wife both graduated from UCLA in 2012. He majored in mechanical engineering, and she did microbiology. She went on to med school at UCLA, graduating in 2016, and is now doing her residency at Stanford. DS is a software engineer at Apple.
D1 graduated in 2016 from a small LAC with a chem major/psych minor. She starts dental school in 10 days. This past year she has worked part-time at many jobs (CNA, van driver for a child care program, for me as a dental assistant) before landing a 30 hr/week data entry job for a cancer center. She’ll work remotely for them 5-10 hours a week during school if she can make that work.
Son1 graduated from Brown in 2015 w a ScB in neuroscience. He took off two weeks to travel to Alaska with a college friend, and then began a two-year research position at Columbia. This past year, he applied to grad schools for a neuro phd, and was admitted to Mt. Sinai, NYU, JHU, Yale and UCSF, and won a NSF GRF. He’s moving to SF next month to begin the program at UCSF, and I’m gonna miss him terribly bc it’s been great to have him back in New York for the last two years. I got to know him as an adult, and like everything about him 
It’s been a treat, particularly because once he left for college, he didn’t spend much time at home since he worked in labs at college during part of each winter break and over every summer, but for a week or two.
D1 graduated 2017 (4 wks ago!) from northeast (OOS for us) state university with a BS in Forestry/wildlife. Currently in Europe for 2+ months traveling. When she returns she has a 6-month position with a state environmental department working in state forest management, which will give her some time to figure out what’s next!
D2 graduated 2014 with a BS in Mathematics from Villanova and is currently working in NV for the world’s largest video slot machine company. As a Game Designer, he does the math that keeps you happy at the slots while ensuring that the casino takes all of your money. He loves the work and the studio structure.
D1, while outside of the given dates as Class of 2011, graduated with an aeronautical engineering degree and works at Uber in SF as a software engineer.
D2 (Class of 2013) graduated from LAC in MN in Accounting. Immediately rolled in to MS in Accounting program and was recruited by all Big 4. Sat for and passed all exams for her CPA certification. Worked for one of the Big public firms for 2 years and then one of her clients (large international Healthcare/Insurance groups) lured her away in January… Was self supporting imediately after graduation. She will also be married three years in July.
D1 is 2010 grad from small LAC in Iowa. She was a Sports Marketing/Management major. She interned at an NHL team after her JR year and was then hired by a Juniors teams. She was self supporting as soon as she graduated. After being burned out from working game nights during the week and weekends she returned to the Twin Cities and was hired in HR healthcare department. Last year she was recruited to work in a large international healthcare corporation where she works in M&A/physician contracting. She is self supporting and married.
I know of one kid who majored in sports management and graduated about 5 years ago. He works as a valet parking supervisor.
We have two neighbors who graduated around 2011 and 2013 or so. One is a management trainee for Abercrombie. Another works st a camera shop.
One of the Eagle Scouts from S’s troop graduated a bit earlier than that. He has a bachelor’s and master’s in applied psychology and is an excellent teacher at a very good private K-12 school.
My D graduated from a top school in 2011 and has a really great job as a consultant in the health care industry. She worked at Starbucks for 10 months after graduation, which surprisingly was the thing that prompted the most questions during her interview at the consulting firm … everyone had coffee-making questions! She has amassed some amazing experience, and she has knowledge of medicare systems that gives her an edge in her job. Although her degree program focused on healthcare delivery/systems, she started out wanting to work in the business end of the music industry. She did internships at a label and a management firm and eventually decided it wasn’t for her, so she went the health care route. She really enjoys her work.