The SportsGrad Podcast: The Ultimate Guide to Make it in the Sports Industry

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben

Meet Phil Speake, Head of High Performance Operations and Finance at Golf Australia.Phil's path into sport ran through some of the biggest clubs in the world. After nearly seven years as a senior analyst in professional services, Phil took a pay cut and "two steps down" to land his first role in sport as an assistant accountant at the Essendon Football Club. From there, he moved to London, grinded through rejections, and worked his way from William Hill to Brentford FC to a dream job at Tottenham Hotspur FC, beating 800 applicants for the role. He's since returned home, worked with Western United and turned that into a role that looks after high-performance operations and finance at Golf Australia.In this episode, Phil breaks down how to prove your skills are transferable when switching industries, the four-day interview prep that landed his dream job at Tottenham and why leading with what you can give opens more doors than asking for something.We cover:(02:59) - Interview Starts(06:05) - Quick Fire Questions(12:53) - How Phil transitioned from working in financial professional services to working with the Essendon Football Club(15:34) - Key parts of Phil's role at the Essendon Bombers(19:43) - How Phil built culture and relationships internally across departments(21:00) - Phil's move to the UK after his stint at the Bombers(24:26) - How Phil landed a role at Brentford FC(29:29) - Phil's move from Brentford to Tottenham Hotspur FC(32:33) - The scale of financial operations at the Spurs(39:14) - How Phil entered the Football Operations team at Western United(42:40) - What Phil's role at Western United looked like(46:05) - Difference between working at Tottenham Hotspur and Western United(47:02) - Phil's role at Golf Australia(53:03) - Challenges to entering the sport industry(54:30) - What degree/qualifications do you need to work in the finance team of a sport organisation(55:10) - Impact of mentors on Phil's Journey(56:02) - How to land a job in Sports Finance in the next 30 days(58:06) - Biggest 'Pinch Me' moment working in sport(58:59) - How would you help grow the AFL in international markets?(01:01:35) - Phil's question for next guestIf you liked this ep, give these a go next:#265: From Westpac to the Adelaide Crows FC in 29 days with Community Engagement Manager, Parth Suri#296: Manchester City FC Head of Research Tom Wilkins on using fan insights for business growth#339: How to land your first job in sport with Josh Marton, GM of Public Affairs & Marketing in GolfWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokThanks for listening, much love!

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben

Meet Andrew Hawkins, Senior Researcher for the Seven Network's coverage of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and newest member of the SportsGrad "Circle of Grad" club - from follower to member and now podcast guest.Andrew's love of sport was sealed at nearly 10, watching the Sydney 2000 Olympics from ten minutes down the road. At 19, he mailed a handwritten letter to his broadcasting hero, Bruce McAvaney, asking how to break into the industry, and Bruce wrote back. Years later, the two would finally get on a call, and today they work side by side on Seven's Commonwealth Games broadcast: Andrew building the research, Bruce using it to call the Games. His first paid gig in sport was parking cars at Rosehill Racecourse, but it was writing that took him furthest. Andrew has since built an award-winning career in international horse racing - one of the most data-heavy sports on earth, spending five years in Hong Kong reporting for the South China Morning Post and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, with work syndicated around the world.Then came the hard part - being told, again and again, that all that experience only counted for racing. When he joined The SportsGrad Method, he'd applied for 50-odd jobs and landed just five interviews. What changed everything was a single post that caught the eye of people at Channel Seven, and he hasn't looked back since.In this episode, Andrew shares the mindset that got him unstuck after 50 applications, the networking habit he's leaned on since he was 19, and the hard-won lessons every career changer needs to hear.We cover:(02:41) - Interview Begins(06:01) - Quick Fire Questions(10:03) - What led Andrew to move to Hong Kong (14:00) - What issues Andrew was facing before he joined the SportsGrad Method Program(20:05) - How the SportsGrad Method led to Andrew's role as Broadcast Researcher for the Commonwealth Games(23:38) - What a day in the life of Andrew's role looks like(26:10) - What goes into building a broadcast research strategy(34:20) - How does the archive of knowledge and research material get used across multiple events (39:20) - How AI helps with Broadcast Research(47:41) - How Andrew has had to upskill himself as modern media has evolved(53:16) - How to land a job in sport media in the next 30 days(59:33) - What life would have looked like if not a job in sport(01:00:29) - Biggest 'Pinch Me' moment working in sportIf you liked this ep, give these a go next:#252: What it's like to work on the FIFA Women's World Cup with Media Volunteer, Vi Truong https://youtu.be/-l_-ld6Pv7U#293: Careers in Sports Broadcasting with Lucy & Emma Race from Making The Call https://youtu.be/BLxvoFL41_4#356: Career journey of FIFA World Cup Commentator David Basheer https://youtu.be/Vdu4esiAhNwWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokThanks for listening, much love!

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben

Meet David Culbert OLY, Olympian, Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist, now broadcaster and the Alumni Engagement Manager at the Australian Olympic Committee.Dave made the Olympic long jump final in Barcelona, finished sixth in the greatest long jump competition ever held (the 1991 Tokyo World Championships, where Mike Powell broke the world record), and jumped eight metres in every major championship final he contested across two Olympics, three Commonwealth Games and a World Championships.He then went on to build a second career from scratch. Stadium announcing led to a field-events gig at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which led to Channel Seven and the Sydney Olympics, which led to four Winter Games and calling Jess Fox's canoe gold in Paris beside her father, Richard Fox.Around this, he also ran sports media and marketing business Jump Media with his wife for 21 years, before joining the AOC to help Olympians navigate life after sport as the now Alumni Engagement Manager.Inside this episode, David shares how he turned an athletic career into three decades in the commentary box, why breaking into sport means starting at your local club and taking it step by step like an athlete, and the pinch-me moment of calling Jess and Noemie Fox's Olympic gold medals at the Paris Olympics.We cover:(03:58) - Interview starts(05:12) - Quick Fire Questions(12:41) - David's athletic career representing Australia(16:10) - How David's media career began(18:18) - How David became a commentator for the Olympics(28:38) - Commentating the Olympics with Richard Fox(33:09) - What the research process for commentating an event looks like(37:17) - What David has learnt from working with other broadcasters(40:49) - What you need to work on to improve your commentary(42:22) - Impact of having a media portfolio(46:05) - What is an event David wants to work at before he calls time on his broadcasting career?(47:31) - David's role at the Australian Olympic Committee(53:27) - David's advice for landing a role in sports mediaIf you liked this ep, give these a go next:#124: Hamish McLachlan - How to commentate the AFL Grand Final#210: Brian Taylor - How to be a commentator in the AFL#356: Career journey of FIFA World Cup Commentator David BasheerWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokThanks for listening, much love!

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben