The sports and active lifestyle industry is ever-changing and so are the job opportunities available to interested candidates in Southern California. For an overview of the local industry’s job market, we talked with SD Sport Innovators’ Executive Director Lisa Freedman.
First of all, what is the job climate these days in the industry overall? Do you see hiring increasing this year?
This industry is a vibrant contributor to the region’s economic and employment landscape. Last year, when we partnered with the San Diego Workforce Partnership and San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation to conduct an Economic Impact and Workforce Needs Assessment on San Diego County’s Sports and Active Lifestyle Industry. 
This report focused on sporting goods retail and manufacturing businesses, and in San Diego alone, there are more than 1,200 of these types of businesses with over 23,000 employees. We also learned that Southern California is viewed as an excellent location to start or grow SAL businesses and that this cluster is driven by startup activity and business relocation. This is great news for people interested in the industry.
In June, we polled our members and 100 percent of responders indicated that they are hiring in 2014. This reiterates the fact that the industry is healthy and growing. Companies are also looking to expand in various areas in the next two years which is promising for job seekers with their eye on the SAL industry.
What types of job openings are you seeing most? What are employers looking for?
There are a number of areas where our survey respondents are looking to hire –first and foremost is sales staff, followed by customer service, marketing, accounting and not surprisingly given what we hear down from the vibrant tech sector, tech related positions such as software programming and e-commerce.
When it comes to hiring employees, the top three things our member companies want in terms of skill sets again and again are – ability to communicate with customers and colleagues, willingness to learn and relevant experience.
What resources do you offer for job seekers?
There are various resources for job seekers to take advantage of if they’re looking to get their foot in the door. Aside from our bi-weekly newsletter that includes a job board, we host monthly events for members and guests. These events typically begin with networking and it’s an ideal opportunity for individuals to get in front of executives from San Diego’s elite SAL companies. For example, here’s an event planned for July:
• July 24: Time Out with SDSI (The Land & Water Co.)
These networking events allow attendees to connect with friends, meet like-minded entrepreneurs and mingle with the Southern California’s sports business community in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Are you aware of any current job openings?
In our recent SAL member companies survey, we learned that numerous companies are looking to hire for various positions, including SKLZ, Knits R Us, Intellysurf, ZOIC, Agency for Student Health Research, Tower Paddle Boards, SPY, Cardiff Skate Company, Sun Diego Boardshops and Genuine Products Group.
What advice or resume tips do you have for job seekers?
Here are some tips from some of our members:
“Unless you focus on your differentiators, you get lost in the shuffle for the best positions as we see 100 resumes for each job posting”- Stephan Aarstol, Founder & CEO of Tower Paddle Boards.
“Be willing to work your way up the corporate ladder. Don’t expect the best positions right off the bat”- Pete Censoplano, VP of Operations at Sun Diego Boardshops.
“Be personal and when you find a job you want, make it clear that you want it. It’s not coming to you”- Matthew Harkins, CEO at Genuine Products Group.
“Be smart”- Michael Jegat, CEO at Intellysurf.
“Make the resume concise and free from fluff”- Michael Marckx, President and CEO at SPY Inc.
“Get a solid understanding of the product and the market place for the company in which you are speaking to”- Bob Pollack, CEO at Cardiff Skate Co.
“Be honest”- John Sarkisian, CEO at SKLZ.
“Seek for what fits within your passions”- Gary Tessero, CEO at Knits R Us.
“State your skills in the context of your accomplishments; be eager and energetic in the interview and on the job”- Paul Wyandt, CEO at ZOIC.
About SD Sport Innovators
SD Sport Innovators (SDSI) is a non-profit, business accelerator that connects and drives the growth of Southern California’s vibrant sports economy by offering elite level networking, and innovative programs and services for start-ups, mature companies and service providers. We offer mentoring, education and capital funding opportunities for start-ups; best practice collaboration, access to new technology and public policy advocacy for mature companies; as well as deal flow to our service providers and the Southern California Investment Community. To learn more about SD Sport Innovators or get information on upcoming events, visit https://www.sdsportinnovators.org
