Do What Others Won’t and You Will Find Success

 If you want to work in sports, you are going to need to be courageous, disciplined, and creative.
 
You are going to have to find a way to separate yourself from everyone else and one of the best ways to do that is by doing what other people won’t.
 
Think about it. If 50 people send in a resume and only 3 reach out to set up informational interviews and get to know the employees, who is going to stand out more?
 
Before you read any further, I want you to know that no matter how much experience you have and no matter where you are on your journey, you can do it!
 
How do I know that? Because I have seen people do it time and time again.

If you want to learn more about how to break into sports, click here and receive your FREE guide titled “A Quick and Powerful Guide to Breaking Into the Sports Industry.”  

Let’s break it down:

• If someone you know sends 5 LinkedIn requests a day, send 20.
• If someone only has Facebook and Twitter, have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
• If someone applies for 10 jobs, apply for 50 and connect with someone from each company.
• If someone volunteers at a local sporting event, volunteer at the same event and then find another one in a neighboring city.
• If someone shows up to their internship on time, get there 15 minutes early.

 
When I was in college, a mentor of mine was working for NBA Summer League. He told me to drive to Las Vegas and he would introduce me to some people and try to find me some hours to work during the week. I packed my bags, asked a friend to sleep on his couch, and hit the road to Vegas from Los Angeles. 5 hours later, I arrived.
 
Not many people would have packed their bags on the spot and drive 5 hours to another state, but I was willing to and I am thankful that I did.
 
When I got there, not only did my mentor introduce me to people, but I was actually able to earn a spot on the Summer League staff for the rest of the event. Better yet, my mentor and his boss liked my work so much that they hired me to work another tournament in Vegas the following week. What started as a weekend networking trip turned into 20+ days of hard work and new experiences.
 
By putting myself in a position to succeed I was able to take advantage of the opportunity and turn it into something special.
 
You don’t have to pack your bags and drive 5 hours to show you are willing to do whatever it takes.
 
You do, however, have to take action!
 
I know you can do this because I did this.
 
Once you start to take action, everything else will start to fall in place. The more you are willing to do what others won’t, the more value you will add leading to more opportunities and success.

If you like this post and want to learn more about how to break into sports, click here and receive your FREE guide titled “A Quick and Powerful Guide to Breaking Into the Sports Industry.”  

Jake Kelfer is a bestselling author, high energy inspirational speaker and founder of the Professional Basketball Combine. He aims to inspire millions of people on their journey to achieving their own definition of success. His first book, Elevate Beyond, provides a framework for gaining an advantage in school, work and life. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn or by emailing him at [email protected]. ​​
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