Determining Positions and Desired Applicant Characteristics in Sports Job Ads.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the diversity of positions occurring in sports job ads and reveal the characteristics requested from applicants for each position. This study examined 103 sports-related job ads obtained from four human resources websites. Using content analysis, job ads were examined in terms of job titles, and the characteristics obtained from each job description were expressed by tabulating percentage and frequency. The positions of “subscription services” and “sports news editor” were found to be new positions in job ads. Although certain candidate characteristics were common to all positions, it was observed that some characteristics changed among different ads for the same position. In general, characteristics such as “being experienced,” “graduating from a school of physical education and sports,” “being able to work on a team,” “strong communication skills,” and “flexible working hours” occurred in many ads. According to the obtained data, the desired education level could be standardized according to the positions in job ads; moreover, certain characteristics, such as having strong communication skills or debonairness could be considered standard for all ads under a general title. The findings suggest that the necessary education levels should be considered for all characteristics that occur in job ads, and especially projects should be developed that provide experience for students. Key words: Job ads, human resources, employment, careers.