Sports Careers: Computer Gurus Needed

If you find bits and bytes as exciting as dunks and hockey fights, a career in sports and computers is a possibility.

With the sports industry becoming just as high-tech as any other industry, the need for computer-savvy employees is expanding – perhaps more so than any other field within the sports world, and the salaries prove it.

If you’re an Internet guru who knows your way around popular HTML editors, programming languages and graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop, you’ll likely be in high demand, especially at places like ESPN.com, FOXSports.com and BroadbandSports.com.

Many teams, leagues and news services are increasing their Web presences, so jumping on the World-Wide-Web bandwagon could be a financially rewarding move on your part.

Many sports groups are also putting out their own publications, which means that people proficient in desktop publishing are also in demand. Now that teams no longer require professional designers outside of the office for items such as media guides, game-day programs and scorecards, they need employees that can navigate through programs like PageMaker and Quark. Want a career in media relations or communications? Having design skills could be your ticket in.

So you want to be a sports reporter? You need to know some computer skills as well. With more and more media outlets integrating the Web into the newsroom, the need for computer literacy in employees is growing.

Even the most off-beat sports job will likely require knowing the necessities of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), so be sure to know the ins and outs of these programs if you hope to work in the sports industry after college or plan to move your way up the chain of command.

The good news is that you don’t need to be a computer-science major to learn these programs. Minors in new media or communications can introduce you to all types of programs. There are also numerous online sources to get you familiar programs, and weekend workshops at local colleges might be offered in your area. Or just buy a book; most of these programs can be learned in a weekend.