Forbes Logo

So you want a job in sports, but given the choice, what organization is the best to work for?

The sports industry is incredibly competitive, with a high barrier to entry and an even steeper climb to the top. Those that have spent time working in sports know how often organizations turnover employees, whether it be due to the low pay, long hours,  slow climbs up the ladder or any number of other factors that dissuade those who enter from having prolonged stays in the industry. Yet many within the industry do end up having long and fulfilling careers, and more often then not, their success can be traced back to the great organizations and leaders that helped shaped them both professionally and personally.

I set out to determine just which leagues, teams, agencies and other organizations within the sports industry set themselves apart from the competition when it came to factors such as employee sanctification, work-life balance and career growth. I interviewed many dozens of individuals at all levels of sports, from entry-level sales staff to team presidents, as well as top executive recruiters and university leaders who have trained countless generations of top industry professionals.

The organizations that made the list are as different and varied as the industry they represent. Some employee just a few dozen individuals, others many hundreds. Among the areas of the business represented are professional teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, leagues like the NFL, college athletics departments like the Ohio State University Buckeyes, marketing and consulting agencies like Premier Partnerships and data and research firms such as Turnkey Sports & Entertainment.

Navigate Research

  • Core Business: Sports Marketing Investment Research
  • Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois
  • Company Size: 15+
  • Leadership: AJ Maestas, President and Founder
  • What Employees Are Saying:“Navigate is different from most companies in that we often joke that we don’t work for a ‘company’ at all, but that we work for each other.  Everyone on our team gives their best effort, because when one of us does the job successfully, it makes the rest of the team that much more likely to succeed too.  This sort of mindset has created an environment where no one has to be pushed or threatened to do the job well, personal motivation comes from appreciating the people we work with.  I believe this is the main reason we’ve been able to create the ‘Navigate’ culture that we all value so much… we trust each other with few rules and lots of freedoms.” – Shaelyn McCole, Director of Research

Link to Full Article