EU Students and Alumni Attend iWorkinSport’s First Virtual Job Fair For the Sports Industry
Finding employment and feeling hopeful for your career while navigating the change and uncertainty brought about by coronavirus is challenging. It was a great pleasure, therefore, for EU Business School to be able to offer 40 of our students and alumni fully funded places at iWorkinSport’s first virtual job fair for the sports industry.
“The best possible solution while facing the COVID-19 pandemic […] an excellent learning experience.”
EU Student Xingyi Huang (BBA, Munich, 2020).
The virtual fair was an exclusive event where students and alumni from a limited number of schools participated in sessions and interviews with sector-leading companies. 40 EU students and alumni from our bachelor’s and MBA programs had the opportunity to attend the event supported by EU Business School.
The 20 companies present offered interviews and gave presentations to introduce attendees to their brands and to the career opportunities they could offer. Ahead of the fair, job and internship opportunities were listed in the event portal and students were able to apply to specific roles or upload their CV for company recruiters to browse. Interviews were arranged with candidates ahead of time but there were also plenty of chances to interact spontaneously with recruiters on the day.
The virtual event was structured in much the same way as an in-person job fair. An exhibition hall enabled students to visit companies they were interested between events which took place in the virtual auditorium. Organizers iWorkinSport managed to preserve the networking aspect of the fair, with students able to interact with one another and with company representatives, an experience they found incredibly valuable.
Companies present at the virtual fair included industry leaders such as Adidas, who were promoting opportunities across their global offices from marketing to ecommerce, finance and supply chain management. Non-profit organization FIBA, the world governing authority in basketball, sought candidates for Events Associate, Digital Projects Associate, Media Manager, Competitions Associate and National Federations Associate positions. IMG, the global leader in entertainment, sports and fashion were also recruiting. They run several schemes including an eight-week paid summer internship and the TAP program which prepares candidates for a career in TV production. These are just a brief snapshot of the broad spectrum of opportunities that EU students and alumni were exposed to at the fair, with companies present seeking people interested in sports management, marketing, public relations, design and more. Also present at the event were FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, Juventus Football Club, SportWorks, World Football Summit and Think Sport, among others. Each of the companies attending played an active role in the fair, interacting with attendees and seeking candidates for open and anticipated vacancies.
Events took place throughout the day and ranged from the aspirational to the practical, with sessions including ‘Industry Trends: What Sports Organizations are Looking For’, ‘A Columbia Sportswear Story’, a session on ‘Global Purpose’ from Adidas and a company presentation by Juventus Football Club. The keynote session was delivered by Jair Bertoni, Director of Member Associations at FIFA who spoke about ‘How People Can Help You Progress in Your Career’.
The day was informative, inspiring and interactive, providing attendees with information about roles and companies while offering ample opportunities to build a professional network, an essential part of manifesting career success.
We caught up with some of the EU community who attended to find out about their virtual job fair experience.
How did you find the virtual fair experience?
“Really enjoyable. Even though the event was virtual, the platform was very easy to use and felt realistic.”
EU Student Ana Lucia Picasso Salas
“It was a tremendous experience and absolutely recommendable. Recruiters were very open. The organization and implementation of such a great virtual event is unique and a good sign for the future.”
EU Alumnus Phillip Webber
Did you find the event useful for your future career?
“Yes, I now have more ideas of companies I could work for that I didn’t consider before the fair and I know about more positions which suit my interests. I collected the contact details of recruiters and asked them for advice.”
EU Student Ana Lucia Picasso Salas
“It is a great chance to contact recruiters and understand more about the needs and innovations of the sports industry. It also gave an overview of interesting sports organizations students can apply to for work.”
EU Alumnus Phillip Webber
Did you get any interviews? What were the outcomes?
“I had useful conversations with recruiters from at least 5 companies. For example, I talked to a manager from the World Football Summit and explained that next January I will start my internship. I expressed my interest in working with them. He gave me a very positive answer and his email so I can contact him when the time comes.”
EU Student Ana Lucia Picasso Salas
“I had a live interview with the recruiter from Adidas – they sent me an invitation two days before the event. Perhaps they picked up my résumé from the talent tool I submitted in advance. The interview was with a senior design recruiter, he suggested I could be the right candidate for the brand strategy function at Adidas and kindly recommended my profile to his head employer. We are exchanging emails for further updates.”
EU Student Xingyi Huang
“I had an interview with the IOC and one with Juventus Turin. Both were really insightful. I think applicants should take this as an opportunity to stand out and understand what these organizations are looking for.”
EU Alumnus Phillip Webber
What message did you take away with you?
“An optimistic message at this especially hard time that, while companies may not be hiring now due to the crisis, as soon as things get better, they will need new talent. They encouraged us to stay tuned and look out for upcoming positions.”
EU Student Ana Lucia Picasso Salas
What did you think of the networking opportunities offered?
“Excellent, there were lots of opportunities to interact with the other attendees.”
EU Student Ana Lucia Picasso Salas
“It’s a good platform for new graduates to build a connection with the top recruiters.”
EU Student Xingyi Huang
“Great responses from the recruiters and all of them were willing to help.”
EU Alumnus Phillip Webber
What advice would you give to students participating next year?
“Be open to talk to every company, not only the ones you know you are interested in. You may find better opportunities for your growth in small companies rather than at the big ones.”
EU Student Ana Lucia Picasso Salas
“Be proactive and do not hesitate to offer your added value. It is important to inform yourself about the company before and make clear for yourself which area of the business you want to work in. Be as specific as possible.”
EU Alumnus Phillip Webber
Build a Successful Career in Sports
EU Business School counts among its alumni many who’ve found success in sports, not least COO of Manchester City F.C. Omar Berrada. If you’re looking for a foothold in the highly competitive sports industry, EU Business School can help. Not only do we offer a comprehensive Bachelor in Sports Management, but our MBA and BBA programs offer the business theory and insights from the cutting-edge that enabled Omar Berrada to reach his influential role at one of the UK’s leading premiership football clubs.
As the impact of coronavirus heralds change across many industries, including sports, now is the time to prepare to build a better future. Learn from business leaders and entrepreneurs at EU Business School and gain the knowledge, skills and agility that will be required to succeed in this ever-changing landscape.
