Why Gaining Experience Is Vital In Sports Media - Y Clwb Pel Droed founder Jordan Jones

By Ben Thomas

Breaking into a role within sports media can be a challenging endeavour, given the industry's highly competitive, fast-paced, and constantly evolving nature.

One way to enhance your employability is by gaining hands-on experience in or covering the sport you're passionate about. This not only allows you to hone your skills but also

makes you a more attractive candidate to potential employers.

Practical experience allows you to refine the technical and interpersonal skills needed in sports media, such as writing, video editing, presenting, and social media management. The more you practice these skills, the more proficient you become.

Working in this environment will allow you to develop a deeper understanding of what the culture, trends and what the target audience of that sport is looking for when they consume content around their chosen sport.

Gaining experience will allow you to build a strong portfolio which is a key asset when applying for any roles, with the ability to show versatility with the work or roles you have completed adding to your employability.

In a modern world where technology is constantly evolving, and the age of social media means that sports fans have access to on demand information it is important to show versatility and that you are capable of keeping up with the fast-paced environment with the experiences you’ve banked.

Having experience in the field also enhances your credibility and trustworthiness within the industry which is something employers will seek when hiring potential candidates. The industry is full of potential candidates, and you need to find your way of standing out from the crowd.

Immersing yourself within the industry also offers great opportunities to network with other professionals in the industry enabling you to build your list of contacts, which is probably one of if not the most important aspects of sports media.

Having a strong base of contacts opens up the possibility for potential work or even the ability to gather information that can be used for your work, again making you credible and respected in the industry and to your target audience.

To find out more about the importance of gaining experience in the sports media industry you can check out the ‘In The Field’ podcast episode with Welsh domestic football journalist and Y Clwb Pel-droed founder Jordan Jones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8J70tmXYH0