How to Stand Out in the Sports Industry: Volunteer Programme Spotlight
Student-athletes have the enthusiasm and energy to expand and apply their skillsets. Learn how volunteering with add-victor can significantly boost their expertise and prepare them for successful careers.
Sports & Sports Marketing as Growing Industries
The sports market is projected to grow, driven by fan interest and digital technology. Sports marketing creatives are the brains behind campaigns like The Hundred’s fast-paced summer adverts and Wimbledon’s amusing Instagram flashbacks. Although competitive, the industry is set to reach a global value of $862 billion by 2033, opening new opportunities for ambitious sports marketing talent. Entry-level jobs often focus on social media management and content creation, so taking on voluntary roles whilst studying and within a sports-focused company like add-victor, is a good way to gain the skills needed for paid positions.
Introducing the add-victor Volunteering Programme
This summer, add-victor launches a comprehensive Volunteering Programme to help student-athletes build their portfolios and gain valuable experience in sports marketing and recruitment. The programme includes core responsibilities for all volunteers, who will act as ambassadors, representing and promoting add-victor to fellow student-athletes. Volunteers works remotely from where they based at uni, and can choose from three sub-roles:
- Social Media Assistant
Creating engaging content for Instagram & TikTok to drive platform engagement!
Apply here - Content Writer
Writing articles and new content tailored for different audiences.
Apply here
- Podcast Lead
Leading the production of add-victor’s first podcast channel!
Apply here
How Volunteering Helps Build an Experienced Portfolio
We had the pleasure to discuss with Alina Kerl, a current Sports Marketing Master’s student at Loughborough University, in her final year, who’s been a Social Media Assistant volunteer for add-victor since February 2024.
“Working in football [sports marketing] would be the dream […] it’s really hard to break into sports businesses so when I saw that [add-victor] were advertising [the role] I thought that it would be great to put on my CV.”
When not every university offers a Placement Year opportunity, volunteering offers a way to get your foot in the door of a competitive industry.
What Skills Can You Gain through Volunteering
Digital marketing is driving industry growth. The global sports market’s 95.5% growth in 12 years is largely down to the vast consumption of sports media and the development of the digital world.
Gaining experience with social media, content writing, or podcast production, is the perfect way to build these highly transferable digital skills. Alina explains how volunteering has helped her: “I was used to doing content creation at university, and I was used to doing Instagram […] but now I’m able to do some stuff for TikTok as well, and that’s something I wanted to get better at, and add-victor gave me that opportunity as well. They also welcomed Alina one afternoon to offer creative tutorials for Canva”.
Working with the Marketing Lead, the Head of Partnerships, and the close-knit team, provides valuable insights into the sector and the business operations of a growing startup.
The Benefits Offered by the Volunteer Programme
Volunteers gain knowledge through induction and training, mentorship, and the opportunity to start building a network that can be invaluable for future careers.
Reflecting on her role, Alina adds: “One of the appeals was the flexibility. They know we’re students with other commitments […] and they’ve been really helpful and understanding that.”
Alina also shared the excitement of volunteering within a smaller company like add-victor, where more responsibility can be given to interns and volunteers, providing a more bespoke and meaningful volunteering experience. “I gain confidence and experience through scheduling content, working with other team members and other volunteers, and receiving positive feedback from professionals on our creative work were all important drivers of motivation”.
To summarise, volunteering with add-victor allows student-athletes to:
- Develop a portfolio of professional content creation
- Work within a professional team alongside marketing professionals
- Gain a confident voice in marketing and content creation decision-making
- Enhance time-management, planning, and scheduling skills
- Use widely-used creative platforms like Canva
How to Get Involved
Learn more about the add-victor Volunteering Programme and apply on our job board, you will need to log in to your account or create a profile.
Sources:
- The Business Research Company, Sports Industry Revenue and Top Trends for 2024 and Beyond, April 17, 2024
- The Benefits of Volunteering for Students
- Brandon Mastromartino, James J. Zhang, Digital Marketing in Sports. (London: Routledge, 2023), p. 17
Written by Rebecca Pearson