This article is a guest contribution from writer Mallory Roane and is the sole opinion of the author

Much has been said about how to get a job working in the sports industry, but there is no blueprint on where to go after you achieve this goal.

Given the popularity of the sports industry, there is no shortage of employees willing to be a part of their favorite team or franchise. For some people, getting a job in sports might not be the difficult part.

Keeping your job and thriving in your position is an entirely different ball game. Just because you have gone through the effort to apply and acquire a job that means a lot to you, the work is just beginning.

There are a few big picture methods outlined here that can help you keep your job and excel to attain more comfortable, fulfilling, and lucrative positions.

Going Above and Beyond

Consider whether this is a scenario that sounds true. You read a job description, see the proposed salary, and apply for the job. Through the excitement of job interviews, you conclude that you are preparing for your “dream job” only to be hired and realize it was not the answer to all of your problems.

If this sounds familiar, this is common to most employees for any business.

The initial excitement wears off and suddenly it is just a job that pays the bills again. In fact, according to data from 2014, 51% of the U.S. workforce are not engaged in their work. Even worse, 17.5% of these people are “actively disengaged”, meaning they are actively hurting the company.

In a world with so much disengagement, doing the task properly is rare and going above and beyond is rarer still.

Here are a few suggestions to go above and beyond in your new sports job:

• Write 10 ideas per day - Think creatively, get outside the box, and try to solve someone else’s problems. Perhaps you had a conversation with a coworker and heard about their struggles. Make it part of your morning routine to write 10 ideas per day to keep your idea muscle flowing and help someone in the process.


• Work longer hours - Just because you are in the sports industry doesn’t mean you can’t take a lesson from the book of high performers on Wall Street and Silicon Valley. Many of the Silicon Valley executives are using supplements called nootropics in order to increase foc us and work for 14 - 18 hours. You may not need to go that far, but working longer will show you’re going above and beyond


• Fully commit - You’d be amazed what can happen within a company if you fully commit yourself. Modern Americans jump around from job to job, which prevents them from ever gaining true skills and capital in an industry. Commit yourself to doing the best work possible for at least one year and see where that gets you.

Seeing the Big Picture

The greatest way to separate yourself from the herd is to see the big picture. Wherever you are working, there are bigger level goals than the specific tasks you accomplish. The more you can learn about the big picture, the more you can help others for the business or organization to achieve that big picture goal.

By understanding the big picture you also have the opportunity to self-motivate and inspire yourself to do great things within the organization. Even if you’re not an entrepreneur, being able to create something within your organization will help you stand out in a positive way.

By taking initiative outside what you are instructed to do, suddenly you’re a creative thinker rather than a cog in a wheel.