1. International Communications Intern, MLS – Major League Soccer, New York, NY
College students and recent grads: Here is a great opportunity for you! The Major League Soccer is seeking an intern to assist with generating publicity of MLS among U.S.-based Spanish language and international media. The intern will be expected to compile media materials and to help plan and execute media events.

The ideal candidate will have a background in journalism, strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish, and an in-depth knowledge of the MLS. The intern will be expected to travel.

2. Associate Director I, ESPN, Bristol, CT
ESPN is seeking an Associate Director to produce segments for SportsNation. The Director will be expected to find topics; gather facts and videos for assigned productions; write, produce and oversee the production of assigned elements; design and edit teasers and roll-outs; conduct research in video archives; and coordinate b-roll with the rest of the team. The ideal candidate will have at least 3-4 years of television production experience, be fluent in Twitter and Facebook, and have a fundamental understanding of sports and sports history. Also desirable is gfx design experience, mastery in the Studio Production Department, and a college degree.

3. Director of Coaching and Player Development, Eden Prairie Soccer Club, US Youth Soccer, Eden Prairie, MN
The town of Eden Prairie is seeking a Director of Coaching and Player Development to develop, maintain, and operate high quality coaching and player development programs for all levels of play. The Director will serve as an ambassador for the club toward the Eden Prairie and the greater Minnesota soccer communities. According to Sports Illustrated, Eden Prairie High School has the ninth best athletics program in the country. The ideal Director candidate will have at least a decade of youth or college coaching, and experiencing preparing and running coaching clinics. He or she must hold at a minimum the USSF B License and ideally a USSF A License. Also preferred are the US Youth Soccer National Youth License and/or NSCAA Premier Diploma are preferred.

Good luck with your job search this week!

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The web editor for Euroleague Basketball, Frankie Sachs recently chatted with the JobMonkey about how he made his break into the competitive world of marketing for professional European basketball. As a former sports writer and then newspaper editor, Sachs also offered this advice to aspiring sports writers:

Finding an entry-level position in sports journalism is not terribly difficult, but often, tremendous patience is needed to progress forward. My best advice to aspiring sports writers is to read and write as often as possible – starting your own blog is always a good idea. Be patient, and remember that you never know which story could turn out to be your big break, so always give it 100%.

To read more of the interview with Sachs, check out this week’s JobMonkey newsletter about jobs in sports.

If your passion is sports, then have you ever considered making it your profession, too? You don’t have to be a start athlete to earn a living from sports. Here’s a look at four ways to make a great salary while working in sports:

Sports Journalists

From reporters to broadcasters, sports journalists cover the world of sports. Many newspaper reporters start off specializes in a specific sport within a specific market — usually high school sports for a smaller market. Eventually they can work their way up to covering professional teams and traveling with them around the country and even the world. Broadcast journalists also start local most of the time, before making the jump to national coverage.

Health & Fitness Careers

The Health & Fitness industry is broadly defined as those positions that work with teams or with the general public to promote health and fitness within athletics. Specific jobs can include athletic trainers, sports massage therapists, sports physicians, and sports psychologists.

High School Coaches

The work of a high school coach is truly a labor of love. Not only do you teach youngsters the fundamentals of the game, you also help them to develop physically, socially, morally, emotionally and spiritually; to improve their overall health, fitness and coordination; and to experience the values of group interaction, motivation, and play principles.

Stadium Operations Jobs

One of the best ways to experience the thrill of sports is to be on the field — as a stadium operations worker. Some of the specific stadium operations jobs include head of operations (which nets a $100,000+ salary), stadium or sports facility manager (another six-figure job), sports event coordinator, equipment manager, scoreboard operator, and public address announcer. In addition to a college degree, most of these jobs require experience. A great way to get started is with a college internship at a local field or stadium.

To learn more about Sports Related Careers, come visit the JobMonkey.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken a 20 percent pay cut and the league staff has been trimmed by 15 percent because of a reeling economy.

Of course, once you land a job in sports, salaries can be pretty sweet. It  may take you some time to work up to the top-earning bracket, but according to Salary.com, the average professional head coach of a minor sports team makes around $60,000 a year. Personal trainers pull in around $52,000 a year, on average. Even the average PE teacher job in a public school can pay upwards of $50,000 a year.

In other words, working in sports pays well (by normal-people standards… forget about comparing your salaries to professional athletes!), and there are an abundance of opportunities. To learn more, check out JobMonkey’s extensive new section on Jobs in Sports.

Leaving pro players aside, sports careers can include journalists, managers, agents, trainers and coaches. If one of these jobs sounds like your dream career, then keep reading today’s emerging markets post.

What is the Outlook for Women in Sports?
Twenty years ago, you couldn’t find a woman in the front office of any sports organization and you certainly didn’t see any woman doing color commentary on the weekend game. Today, the number of women working in this one all-male bastion has proliferated.

But the news isn’t all good. In sports media, for example, less than 1% of the country’s major newspapers has a woman sports editor. And still less than one in five sports journalists are female. Even still, the outlook is most definitely brighter today than it was ten, or even five, years ago.

How to Break into a Career in Sports: Get an Internship
If you are a woman who wants to jumpstart a career in sports, don’t want for graduation day to start your job search. Look for a college internship to will help you to strengthen your resume, develop some on-the-job skills, and expand your networking within the industry.

Where should you start your search?

• Local sports marketing firm
• National sporting leagues like the NCAA or the NFL
• The front office of a local major (or minor) league team
• Sports department of your local newspaper

Also, set up an appointment with your campus career planning center (most have an internship coordinator) and find time to talk to your academic advisor.

Where Can You Get More Information About Women in Sports?
To learn more about what is involved in a career in sports, start by reading through JobMonkey’s section athletic careers section. Then check out these websites:

• Women in Sports Career (WISC) Network is a Worldwide Online Business and Career Network providing business networking events and career opportunities for women in sports related fields.
• Women’s Sports Foundation is Billie Jean King’s foundation, dedicating to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports. The site has a trove of great information on women in college and pro athletics.
• National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators has a job board plus articles about women in the sports industry.
• The Association for Women in Sports Media is the best starting point to learn more about a career reporting on your favorite team. Be sure to check out the Association’s internship program.