Getting an internship with the NBA is the ultimate goal of every sports management major who loves professional basketball. The NBA’s rules about applying for internships are similar to those of other sports leagues, and applicants typically have to demonstrate their qualifications and compatibility with the organization to compete with other candidates applying for the same positions.
Related resource: 25 Most Affordable Top-Ranked Schools for Online Master’s in Sports Management Degree Programs
Applying for an NBA Internship
The application process can be quite competitive. Internships are available with the central NBA organization as well as with the individual teams in the league. To ensure that you get that prized spot with the organization you love, it’s important to be prepared before applying for the position.
The NBA offers summer internships starting every June and ending the following August. There are also a few fall internships available for qualified candidates. According to the NBA website, internships are available for applicants based on the league’s business needs as well as the candidate’s professional interests, qualification, and leadership skills.
Submitting Your Application
All internships are located in the NBA’s main offices in New York and New Jersey. Submitting an application for an internship is as straightforward as visiting the NBA website and filling out the online form, but there are far fewer positions available than candidates looking to fill them. To ensure that you get the internship of your dreams, your application has to stand out from the others in a particular way.
To begin with, all applicants are required to be college juniors or seniors enrolled in college courses at the time of the application. They must specify one or more preferred departments within the NBA organization as their destination. Examples of business departments within the NBA include sales and marketing, social media, customer relations, and videography. It’s a good idea to specify more than one department in case all the positions have already been filled at the department of your first choice.
Getting the Job
In order to be considered for any department, a candidate must have some experience or expertise in the field for which he or she is applying. It isn’t necessary to have experience working in a professional sports league, but it is necessary to have experience in the capacity in which you will be functioning within the NBA organization. For example, if your first choice of specialization is sales and marketing, you must be able to demonstrate some expertise in sales and marketing, particularly in the digital media realm. It’s also very important that your application shows that you have verifiable leadership skills, perhaps by listing extracurricular activities in which you took a leading role.
Your application should demonstrate beyond any doubt that you’re highly professional and that you take the NBA organization seriously. Closely following the submission guidelines on the NBA website is a good way to show the hiring manager that you value his or her time and that you have the right attitude to join the organization. While you may not get the first internship you apply for, you could be selected for your second or third choice of specialization if you specify several choices on the application.
Working for the NBA is a dream job for thousands of sports management majors across the country. If you have the ambition, interest and prerequisite experience to qualify for a summer or fall position, you should submit an application for an internship with the NBA.
Related Articles:
