What do you do if your Sports Management career is not advancing despite feedback and evaluation?

1 Assess your situation

The first step is to take a honest look at your current situation and identify the factors that are holding you back or limiting your opportunities. Are you in the right role, organization, or industry for your skills, interests, and goals? Are you facing any external or internal barriers, such as competition, politics, bias, or self-doubt? Are you getting constructive and actionable feedback and evaluation, or are you relying on vague or subjective opinions? Are you aware of the expectations, standards, and criteria for promotion or advancement in your field?

2 Set realistic and specific goals

The next step is to set realistic and specific goals for your career advancement, based on your situation assessment and your personal and professional aspirations. Your goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, instead of saying "I want to be a sports director", you could say "I want to apply for the sports director position at XYZ organization by the end of the year, after completing the required certification and gaining more experience in budgeting and leadership". Your goals should also be aligned with your values, strengths, and passions, and not just based on external factors or expectations.

3 Seek feedback and evaluation

The third step is to seek feedback and evaluation from various sources and perspectives, and use them to improve your performance and skills. Feedback and evaluation can come from your supervisors, colleagues, mentors, clients, peers, or even yourself. You should seek feedback and evaluation that are specific, timely, relevant, and balanced, and that provide you with clear and concrete suggestions for improvement. You should also be open-minded, respectful, and appreciative of the feedback and evaluation you receive, and avoid being defensive, dismissive, or arrogant. You should also follow up on the feedback and evaluation, and show how you have implemented them or what results you have achieved.

4 Build your network

The fourth step is to build your network of contacts and relationships that can support your career advancement. Your network can include people from your current or previous organizations, industry associations, professional groups, alumni networks, social media platforms, or other relevant communities. You should aim to build your network by providing value, sharing information, offering help, seeking advice, giving referrals, or expressing gratitude. You should also maintain your network by staying in touch, following up, updating your profile, and attending events. Your network can help you access new opportunities, learn new skills, gain insights, receive feedback and evaluation, and enhance your reputation.

5 Showcase your achievements

The fifth step is to showcase your achievements and demonstrate your value and potential to your current or prospective employers or clients. You can showcase your achievements by creating a portfolio, updating your resume, writing a cover letter, preparing for interviews, or presenting your projects. You can also showcase your achievements by seeking recognition, awards, or endorsements, or by publishing articles, blogs, or podcasts. You should highlight your achievements that are relevant, impressive, and quantifiable, and that show your skills, knowledge, and impact in sports management.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?