The SportsGrad Podcast

SportsGrad
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Careers
  • Updated Weekly

Ever thought "I'd love to work in sport!" but have no idea where to start? You're in the right place. Join Reuben Williams (ex-Cricket Australia) each week to learn about jobs in the sports industry and how the people in those jobs forged a career they love. If you're trying to find your place in the industry, need some inspiration on what to do to get started, or just want to keep your finger on the pulse... you're going to love this catalogue of interviews. For more help to take the next step in making a career in sport a reality, subscribe to the SportsGrad newsletter: www.sportsgrad.com.au/newsletter LinkedIn: SportsGrad Instagram: @sportsgrad Connect with Reuben: Reuben Williams Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. #356: Career journey of FIFA World Cup Commentator David Basheer

    1d ago

    #356: Career journey of FIFA World Cup Commentator David Basheer

    Meet David Basheer, one of Australia's most accomplished sports broadcasters and the lead football commentator at SBS He is the voice Australians have heard call 11 FIFA World Cups, 6 Olympic Games, Champions League, La Liga, Formula One, Commonwealth Games, the Tour de France, and Grand Slam tennis. He's also a lecturer at La Trobe University teaching the next generation of commentators, and co-hosts a business and sport podcast with Bruce Media. What makes Bash's story so useful for career swappers is that he didn't start in sport. He began with a Bachelor of Business, pivoted into journalism mid-degree, landed a cadetship at the ABC, and built his way up by answering phones at a radio station and volunteering to call state league football, long before anyone was paying him to call a World Cup. We cover: (02:58) - Interview begins (04:04) - How Nathan and David first crossed paths (06:52) - Quick Fire Questions (10:30) - Which is standout event David has worked at (13:10) - David's early breaks into broadcasting (18:04) - Iconic world cup moments David has called (24:53) - What David's preparation for an event looks like (32:20) - David's predictions for the Socceroos at the 2026 FIFA World Cup (37:28) - Biggest influences on David's career (39:42) - Biggest mistake while broadcasting a game (41:37) - Most memorable moment/game (45:41) - Impact of VAR on commentary (48:34) - Favourite World Cup David has commentated on (49:23) - Biggest pinch me moment (49:27) - If you could fix one thing that’s wrong with the sports industry overnight, what would it be and why? (51:10) - David's question for the next guest If you liked this ep, give these a go next: #210: How to be a commentator in the AFL with Brian Taylor #263: Journey to become a Sports Journalist with Sarah Burt #293: Careers in Sport Broadcasting with Lucy & Emma Race from Making the Call Want a job in sport? Click here. Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Thanks for listening, much love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min

  2. 6d ago

    The Method: The rocket ship test to know if your career is actually moving

    Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program So you want to work in sport. You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem. Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why. It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem. I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find. Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works. 80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer. That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches. How I can help you: 1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action. 2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way. 3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally. If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place. Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program Reuben Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    9 min
  3. #355: From Man City to the MCG - How to land jobs at the world's biggest sporting events with Jamie Fisher

    May 31

    #355: From Man City to the MCG - How to land jobs at the world's biggest sporting events with Jamie Fisher

    Meet Jamie Fisher, the Precinct Operations Coordinator at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues. Born and raised in Greater Manchester, Jamie relocated to Australia in 2019 with a working holiday visa, no fixed plan, and a determination to never work another bar shift. He's built one of the most diverse and decorated event careers you'll find, working with Manchester City Football Club, the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, Tennis Australia, FIFA Women's World Cup™, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and now the Melbourne Cricket Club. He's stood on the roof of the 'G in front of 100,000 people raising the flag on ANZAC Day, managed Manchester City's title parade as the official bus manager, and somehow hitched a ride from Melbourne to Sydney in a stranger's Suzuki Swift during a COVID lockdown. In this episode, Jamie breaks down exactly how he used casual promo work and brand ambassador work as a backdoor into major events and why saying 'yes' before you've thought it through is actually a career strategy that pays off. We cover: (03:17) - Interview begins (05:50) - Quick Fire Questions (11:21) - Insight into Jamie's early career working in sport (13:18) - How Jamie beat 500 applicants to land his role at Man City (19:34) - Dream moments working with Man City (25:42) - Jamie roles at the Premier League and the Cricket World Cup (28:01) - How Jamie landed his first role in sport after moving to Australia (32:41) - How Jamie found contract work at major sporting events (37:27) - Jamie's role at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (43:26) - What makes it difficult to get a job in sport (44:16) - How Jamie decided working in sport was the path he wanted to take (49:22) - Impact of mentors on Jamie's journey (50:14) - How to land a job in sports events in the next 30 days (51:13) - Biggest 'pinch me' moment working in sport (53:31) - What would life look like if not a career in sport (54:11) - What at the time felt like the biggest mistake in your career, that either turned into the best reroute/diversion or the biggest lesson for you down the track in your career (55:41) - Jamie's question for next guest If you like this ep, give these a go next: #252: What it's like to work on the FIFA Women's World Cup with Media Volunteer, Vi Truong #289: How to move from London to Australia and work in sport with George Ludlow #296: Manchester City FC Head of Research Tom Wilkins on using fan insights for business growth Want a job in sport? Click here. Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Thanks for listening, much love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min

  4. May 26

    The Method: The stand-up comedian approach to nailing your next job interview

    Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program So you want to work in sport. You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem. Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why. It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem. I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find. Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works. 80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer. That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches. How I can help you: 1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action. 2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way. 3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally. If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place. Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program Reuben Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    12 min
  5. #354: How building Kanga TV led to a PR & Comms job in sport, with Marnie Cohen (TGI Sport)

    May 24

    #354: How building Kanga TV led to a PR & Comms job in sport, with Marnie Cohen (TGI Sport)

    Meet Marnie Cohen, Senior Account Manager - Communications at TGI Sport, one of Australia's leading sports PR and communications agencies. Before landing her first official paid role in sport, Marnie spent seven and a half years building a career in fashion and lifestyle, working at boutique agencies, all while quietly laying the groundwork for the career she'd always dreamed of. Along the way, she earned a nomination for the Quill Award for the Student Journalist of the Year, won the Robert McDonald Journalism and International Relations Prize at Deakin University, and completed a cadetship at The Daily Telegraph in Sydney. When she eventually quit her PR job without a plan, rather than rushing back into full-time work, Marnie made a deliberate decision to step back. She took a part-time receptionist role and used every spare moment to build Kanga TV, a North Melbourne fan YouTube channel that she grew from a standing start into the very thing that helped her land her role at TGI Sport. For anyone wondering if your background outside sport translates and if the switch to sport is even possible, Marnie's story is proof that your transferable skills matter more than you think.  Tune in to this week’s episode to hear exactly how Marnie did it! We cover: (03:32) - Interview begins (04:30) - Quick Fire Questions (11:28) - How Marnie started creating content for North Melbourne (14:05) - Who helped inspire Marnie along her way in journalism (16:02) - The story of how Kanga TV was born (26:26) - How Marnie balances Kanga TV and her role at TGI Sport (33:09) - Various roles that shaped Marnie's career journey (48:51) - How Marnie landed her current role at TGI Sport (51:14) - How Marnie demonstrated her transferable skills (55:31) - What does Marnie's role look like week-to-week (59:23) - Projects that Marnie has overseen in her role (01:02:15) - Marnie's involvement in the Carlton Draught launch (01:04:19) - Benefits of working in sport agencies (01:06:02) - Challenges faced while breaking into sport (01:09:54) - Impact of mentors on Marnie's Journey (01:13:15) - How to land a job in PR & Comms in the next 30 days (01:14:18) - Biggest pinch me moment working in sport (01:17:42) - What life would look like if Marnie didn't pursue a career in sport (01:18:55) - What would your strategy be to help get people to either attend or watch the upcoming 2026 Golf Australian Open (01:21:40) - Marnie's question for next guest If you liked this ep, give these a go next: #233: How to be the Chief Media Officer at Formula E with Aarti Dabas #268: From PR agency to Head of Marketing & Comms at Sail GP, with Olivia Hogan #347: Sport Marketing & Communications - How to work in AFL, NBA and Seven Sport with Anthony Alsop Want a job in sport? Click here. Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Thanks for listening, much love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 24m

  6. May 19

    The Method: The part of networking nobody tells you about

    Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program So you want to work in sport. You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem. Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why. It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem. I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find. Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works. 80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer. That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches. How I can help you: 1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action. 2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way. 3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally. If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place. Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program Reuben Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    16 min
  7. #353: How to become a Football Analyst in the AFL, with Riley Bull (St Kilda FC)

    May 17

    #353: How to become a Football Analyst in the AFL, with Riley Bull (St Kilda FC)

    Meet Riley Bull, the Football Analyst at the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League. After leaving a half-finished Criminal Justice degree behind, it wasn't until he found football analytics that things started to click. He cut his teeth in a 5-month internship at Premier Data during peak lockdown before landing an unpaid internship at Port Melbourne in the VFL. Within 11 months, he was promoted to Head of Football Analysis and Data, a role he held for three years. Along the way, Riley also built transferable data skills in the supply chain industry, proving that analytics experience outside of sport is anything but wasted. Then, through the power of relationships he'd quietly built over years, a non-advertised role at the Saints as Football Analyst, one of the most competitive and niche roles in the sport, landed in his lap. He grabbed it and hasn't looked back since. If you want to hear how to turn data skills from any industry into a role inside an AFL club, this episode is one for you! We cover: (03:15) - Interview begins (04:54) - Quick Fire Questions (09:55) - Riley's first exposure to data analytics in sport (12:24) - Riley's role at Port Melbourne FC (17:15) - How AFL and VFL coaching team structures differ (21:45) - Riley's experience in data analytics outside sport (24:14) - Riley's role at St Kilda Football Club (34:33) - How is a football analyst's performance measured? (37:36) - Inside the coaches box for the largest comeback in AFL history (43:12) - Challenges Riley faced breaking into sport (44:46) - How did Riley decide this was the career path he wanted to take (46:39) - What helped Riley stand out in his roles (47:42) - Impact of mentors on Riley's journey (50:20) - How to land a job as a Football Analyst in the next 30 days (52:12) - What would life look life if not a career in sport? (53:26) - If you could fix one thing that's wrong with the sports industry overnight, what would it be and why would you want to fix that specifically? (55:14) - Riley's question for next guest If you liked this ep, give these a go next: #230: Performance Analysis at Collingwood Super Netball with Bianca Litchfield #227: How to be a Performance Analyst for Pro Tennis Players with Shane Liyanage #259: How Champion Data deliver analytics all over the world Want a job in sport? Click here. Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Thanks for listening, much love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min

  8. May 11

    The Method: How I prepare to race my half-marathon (and how you can use this for your job hunt)

    Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program So you want to work in sport. You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem. Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why. It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem. I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find. Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works. 80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer. That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches. How I can help you: 1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action. 2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way. 3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally. If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place. Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program Reuben Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    12 min
See All (380)

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Ever thought "I'd love to work in sport!" but have no idea where to start? You're in the right place. Join Reuben Williams (ex-Cricket Australia) each week to learn about jobs in the sports industry and how the people in those jobs forged a career they love. If you're trying to find your place in the industry, need some inspiration on what to do to get started, or just want to keep your finger on the pulse... you're going to love this catalogue of interviews. For more help to take the next step in making a career in sport a reality, subscribe to the SportsGrad newsletter: www.sportsgrad.com.au/newsletter LinkedIn: SportsGrad Instagram: @sportsgrad Connect with Reuben: Reuben Williams Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    SportsGrad
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    380
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © SportsGrad
  • Show Website
    The SportsGrad Podcast

You Might Also Like