After completing a rigorous sports management degree and learning about the intersection of professional sports and the world of business, many students end up pursuing a job with the PGA. Known as one of the largest international sports organizations, the PGA operates both on an international basis and with subsidiary organizations in many countries throughout the world. Most notably, the organization is at its largest in the United States, Ireland, and Great Britain, where golf is perhaps most lucrative and most popular. Getting a job with this organization takes hard work and commitment, but it’s nothing that the best students can’t handle.
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Get Started: Play Golf and Get Familiar with the Sport
One of the best ways to prepare for a career with the Professional Golfers Association is actually to start out by playing golf itself. Many people within the organization are current or former golfers, either on a professional level or as hobbyists. As should be expected, this is a central part of the position and a familiarity with the rules, techniques, and history of the sport will be an asset to students as they turn their undergraduate education into practical, applicable experience that will interest the hiring managers within the organization.
Get a Professional Sports Internship
Experience with the sport of golf is only the beginning, and it’s perhaps the most basic of skills to be honed by prospective new hires of the Professional Golfers Association. Another key step in preparing for this opportunity is to seek an internship in professional sports. Students can certainly find a professional golf internship if they wish to do so, especially because the organization itself offers year-round internship opportunities to students from all across the country. Another option might be to intern for a local golf course, a professional golfer, or someone else with ties to the sport. An internship with another professional sports organization, like the NFL or NBA, also shows commitment to the commercial side of professional sports. This could prove useful in potential interviews and on a student’s resume.
Remember the Importance of Academic Achievement
A professional position with any organization requires a student to be dually focused on their studies and their professional development. A record of high academic achievement indicates that the student takes their full-time role in the classroom seriously. This often translates professionally, with good students making good, committed employees, and it’s something that hiring officials will want to see of any competitive applicant. A strong record of academic achievement will also likely lead to better internships and a larger professional network, which means better letters of recommendation, strong professional references, and a more meaningful chance at landing a dream career with golf’s oldest and largest professional organizing body.
Focus Business Electives on Professional Sports Topics
Within the world of academic achievement lies academic choices. Students who know that they want to work in professional sports should choose electives that teach the history of professional golf or professional sports in general, as well as the key skills and techniques required to maintain the profitability and relevance or organizations that oversee professional sporting events. This context is a key way to make it through the interview rounds and into the onboarding process as a new hire of the Professional Golfers Association. Furthermore, it’s the best way to understand what will be required of an exciting, lucrative, and relevant PGA job in today’s economy.
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