Sam Limbert
Company Name:
YouGov Sport
Role Within the Company:
Senior Associate Director
Years Working in the Industry:
13
How did you first break into the industry?
At University I was looking for part-time work linked to sport and the media, so started working part-time at Opta logging live football stats, which gave me experience working on projects that had an impact on sports clients with broadcasters, media outlets and clubs taking the data, while also building some initial connections in the industry. At the same time, I was heavily involved in university media as the Sports Editor on the student radio station and writing in the student newspaper. I also did part-time writing about Arsenal as the fan blogger for ESPN FC. This all combined to then give me the opportunity to work full-time in sport when I left university.
What skills and qualifications are most valued in the sports business industry, and how someone acquire them?
For starting off in the industry, just having a good general knowledge and interest in sport is as good a starting point as any, and making sure you can showcase that enthusiasm when having interviews. After that, think about the specifics of the role you’re interested in and how to showcase them, so if it is a data/research role, then having a good attention to detail and being able to contextualise insights for sport is really useful. I have been surprised at how the sports industry feels relatively small when you’re in it, so having the skills to network and make a good impression on people can go a long way.
What are the best ways to gain relevant experience in the sports business industry?
Say yes to things. If you get the opportunity to engage with people in the industry, even if it’s not in an area of it that you were initially focused on, it can still be beneficial and open doors to other opportunities. It will help you learn about different areas and help you find your path in the industry. For example, I have ended up with a much more client-facing role than I expected to be in, but I’m glad I took the opportunity to try doing it when it came up, as it has enhanced my network and I’ve got to work with some really interesting people across the industry.
Good resources you would recommend?
Global Sports Jobs if looking for jobs, but general sports business news sites are great to keep across to understand what’s going on in the industry such as SportsPro, Sport Industry, Sport Business and GlobalData Sport.