IN THIS ISSUE

  • 🤝 Introduction: Smashing records

  • ‼️ Do This Now: 3 Tips to Becoming a LinkedIn Pro

  • ⚽️ Soccer Jobs: 15+ new jobs

  • 📰 Extra Extra: A change to the offside rule?

INTRODUCTION

Howdy, Pathwayers!

LinkedIn. Let’s talk about it.

It takes a lot of flack but it’s an incredibly important tool - and that’s true at any stage of your career, but especially so if you’re just starting out or trying to break into the soccer industry for the first time.

I wasn’t someone who gave LinkedIn a lot of time or attention until a moment a few years ago when I saw a very senior MLS executive scrolling LinkedIn like it was Instagram. They were locked in on their feed for 10+ minutes straight.

I hadn’t seen someone use it like that before and it caught my attention. Big time.

I made a decision right then and there that I would dedicate time immediately to cleaning up my profile and ensuring if anyone was looking for me, it would reflect my career and experience.

Since then, I’ve meaningfully increased my presence on the platform - posting multiple times a week, commenting often, and connecting with like-minded individuals.

I promise you, even if you’re just starting out, it’s worth putting some time and thought into the platform. And we hope this week’s Do This Now will serve you well in getting some of the fundamentals right.

Good luck!

-Kyle Sheldon, Co-Founder & CEO

❝

Our friends at Name & Number - your favorite soccer-specific marketing and creative agency - recently released a new report on women’s soccer.

The comprehensive deck includes:  

  • 5-year roadmap

  • U.S. soccer pyramid

  • Fan insights + data

And, ultimately, what it means for brands:

  • How they can enter the sport

  • What's working and not working

  • What fans want to see from brands

LINK: Download the (free!) report here

💡 3 TIPS TO BECOME A LINKEDIN PRO

It’s an easy one, and yet so many on LinkedIn don’t do it (or do it poorly) - you have to absolutely nail your profile headline.

Here’s why:

  • When you send someone a message or your post shows up in someone’s feed, it’s the only thing they see other than your name

  • When someone lands on your profile, it’s very likely the first thing they read

  • Even if you have a job, you never know when your profile is going to catch the eye of a future employer - always be ready

It’s simple: The profile headline is your first impression

So, what should you include?

If you’re employed, you should consider including:

  • Your job title and company name - always!

  • A short sentence about your capabilities or interests

  • A qualification or degree

  • Optional: A well-placed emoji can grab attention 👀

If you’re looking for your next gig, consider including:

  • Disciplines you’re interested in (ex: Analytics | Business Intelligence | Strategy)

  • A short sentence about what you’re looking for (ex: Currently seeking opportunities to grow soccer in digital + social media)

  • Past experience/employers (Ex: Formerly: Ohio University Athletics Dept., Columbus Crew Intern)

It can be difficult to put yourself out into the world on social media. Many feel like they don’t have something interesting to say. Some are afraid of being judged for what they do share.

If that’s you, let this be an encouragement to START.

Like most anything in life, we get better by doing. And if you’re able to get into the habit of regularly (even semi-regularly!) posting to LinkedIn you’ll absolutely make new connections, reach potential employers, meet like-minded individuals, or simply connect with someone who might share your interests. It’s worth giving it a go.

Here are a few writing prompts to get you started. Pick one or two that suits you and go post to LinkedIn - this week.

  • Share work you admire

    • Post a visual (screenshot or photo) or link to an article

    • Tag the club or company that produced the work

    • Share a few sentences about why you love it and why it stands out

  • Shout out a co-worker or industry colleague

    • Identify someone in your circle that has been crushing it

    • Write a few sentences about what makes them great and what they’ve been doing to stand out (Tag ‘em, too!)

    • Express gratitude for their partnership and/or friendship

  • Share the best advice you’ve received

    • When has a manager or mentor given you advice that stuck with you?

    • Share that advice with a few notes about why it impacted you

    • Steal one of these openers:

      • "The most impactful career advice I've ever been given…" or

      • “I’ll never forget when a manager told me…”

Alright, so you’ve enhanced your LinkedIn profile and started posting. What’s next? It’s time to dive in and…

This is what we call “low hanging fruit.” And, if you do it consistently, it will lead to more connections, a bigger network, and eventually, more opportunities.

Go to LinkedIn, scroll your feed, and find 10 posts within your area of interest or expertise and add a comment.

Keep these tips in mind:

  • Be positive, encouraging, and supportive

  • Add value to the post by sharing your own opinion (in other words, don’t just say “way to go!”)

  • Write 2-4 sentences to ensure substance

  • Avoid sarcasm, hot takes, and banter

If you don’t yet have a ton of connections and are having trouble finding 10 posts to comment on, here’s an approach you can take to unearth some:

  • Find active and influential LinkedIn users and click on their profile

  • Scroll down to “Activity” and click on both “Posts” and “Comments”

  • Find a relevant post and add your commentary

Voila, you’re in the conversation!

The professional soccer community is small. By simply increasing the breadth and frequency of where you show up on LinkedIn, especially if you can add value to the conversation, people will start to take notice - and you’ll very likely see connection requests increase.

-Kyle Sheldon, Co-Founder & CEO

NEW SOCCER JOBS

ICYMI: MUST-READ ARTICLES

📰 Just a few articles worth a read.

  1. If this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up here to ensure you get every issue (sent on Tuesdays!) directly in your inbox.

  2. And, if you’re a club or brand looking to get in front of ambitious talent in soccer, drop us a line.

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SEE YOU SOON, SOCCER FRIENDS

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