Using Perplexity, I was able to garner various information about jobs in the sports media field post-graduation. I began by using the general prompt provided for the assignment, about finding an entry-level position in soccer sports media. I was given a plethora of advice.
According to the Perplexity AI, an education in a relevant field is required. Relevant areas to have a Bachelor’s degree in are journalism, mass communications, broadcasting, sports management, or English. Safe to say I hit the nail on the head with choosing to get a Communication, Journalism B.A. at GSU.
Other skills were communication, writing, problem-solving, organizational skills, and soccer knowledge. Under each skill, the AI even suggested what would be good to have in a portfolio to show these skills. For communication is suggest a sample of press releases, speeches, or other forms of public speaking that I have written or delivered. Writing skills had similar artifacts; samples that offered an insight into proficient writing skills.
Besides talking about skills, it also offered resources to consider when looking for entry-level jobs in the field: internships, networking, joining professional organizations, and monitoring online job boards.
When asked how to gain real-world experiences in sports media, it answered with similar responses to the resources in the previous prompt. However, it did suggest attending sports broadcasting boot camp to gain first-hand training and seek out real-world experiences to help build a portfolio. The AI bot emphasizes the need for a developed portfolio.
I also asked for organizations related to my current major, journalism and public relations, and was given:
1. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
2. The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA)
3. The National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR)
All of these organizations offer networking opportunities as well as allow members to be up to date on media and industry trends. Georgia State has the student equivalent of PRSA, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) which I am considering joining.
‘How do I make the best use of Linkedin?’ and ‘How can I use LinkedIn to get a job in sports media?’ yielded almost exact results.
Steps included:
1. Complete your profile
2. Craft a compelling summary and headline
3. Add a professional photo
4. Connect with professionals in interested fields
5. Follow relevant companies and groups
6. Engage with content and LinkedIn events
7. Learn how to properly utilize the search function on LinkedIn.
Ultimately by asking these two questions, I realized that networking in the sports media field is crucial.
My last couple of questions regarding my search on perplexity were about the difficulty of securing a job in sports media, money, and whether Atlanta was a good location to begin a career in soccer sports media.
According to Perplexity, acquiring a job in sports media can be challenging, but not impossible. The factors it gave to consider were similar to previous searches. Having the skills necessary, networking, and being persistent were among the key factors to consider. Surprisingly, one of the factors was to consider jobs in smaller markets first. The AI recommends this as it is an excellent way to gain experience and build a portfolio along with making it easier to compete in larger markets as time goes on. On a financial basis, Perplexity let me know that salaries for sports media depended on the position, experience, and company, but that the average salary for sports media jobs in Atlanta landed between $54K to $67K a year. However, a job as a social media manager for the USWNT earned around $65.5K to $83K a year.
Of my understanding, I know the soccer field in Atlanta was growing and Perplexity confirmed such. I asked the AI bot ‘How big is the soccer sports media field in Atlanta? Is it a good location to look into that career, or should I look elsewhere?’ and it responded that the growth of soccer in Atlanta was on the rise. It even offered key events and factors that would allow for the growth of soccer sports media jobs in Atlanta such as:
1. The U.S. Soccer headquarters and training relocating to Atlanta
3. Atlanta United
4. Atlanta is a host city for the 2026 World Cup.
Perplexity even offered companies that work in soccer sports media or sports media in general like Atlanta United FC, AMB Sports + Entertainment, and Southern Sports Media. Though the latter two don’t focus solely on soccer, they would be good companies to gain experience in sports media.
After doing research with Perplexity AI, a lot of my previous beliefs about the sports media field were confirmed. It’s going to take a lot of networking, experience, and portfolio building to get a career in this field. However, the growth of soccer in the U.S., especially Atlanta is giving me the confidence to stick to my career aspirations.
Perplexity helped me learn about different career connections within Atlanta and how to build a profile with LinkedIn. I created a page first year, but have not done anything to it since creating it so the advice presented was very helpful. Showcasing the salaries in a way that compared jobs in sports media was also something new and helpful.
At this moment in my career research, I still feel that I have enough time to build a career portfolio, but I know have a better emphasis on wanting to get started. Before I used to get very stressed thinking about post-graduation work, but as I do more research, it is making me more comfortable in prioritizing my career goals. As the AI bot stated, “Getting a job in sports media can be challenging, but it is not impossible”.