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So you want to work in sports? Six keys for aspiring agents

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Eric KaufmanWhen people ask NFL agent Eric Kaufman ’03 about sports careers, the first thing he does is try to discourage them. “If you can be discouraged, you won’t make it in the industry,” he told MBA students Sept. 20, 2012, at Thunderbird School of Global Management near Phoenix, Arizona. Kaufman’s own journey as an agent included minimum wage jobs and long periods without pay while serving clients such as former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Today Kaufman manages daily operations as president of Premier Sports & Entertainment in Santa Monica, California. “Everybody wants to work in sports,” he said. “I get resumes every single week from former collegiate athletes who played at the highest levels, and even pro athletes who want to get in.” For people who disregard Kaufman’s industry warnings, he offers at least six pieces of career advice.

Get in where you fit in: Getting in the door is the hard thing. “Once you get in, you can navigate your way around,” Kaufman said. “You’ve got to get in where you fit in, and then find your way.”

Do the undesirable jobs: “The real work is done in the trenches,” Kaufman said. “It’s not glamorous.” When people do this, they learn more than their peers and impress influential people.

Create your own luck: “To use a sports analogy, nothing happens while sitting on the sidelines,” Kaufman said. “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”

Shift the paradigm: “If you’re doing things the same way as everybody else, you’re going to get the same results,” Kaufman said. “Nothing great will be achieved.”

If you don’t know it, admit it: “You can’t know everything,” Kaufman said. “The smartest people don’t know everything.” Kaufman said people tend to help when team members admit their limitations.

Make yourself memorable: “Everything in life is sales,” Kaufman said. “You need to have depth and substance behind your presentation, but you have to find a way to stand out.”

Video: How to be an NFL agent (1:55)

Video: Path to Thunderbird (1:22)


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