Hockey is one of the most internationally reached sports. It touches all points of the globe (even North Korea) and makes one think that, because of this, job opportunities are everywhere. One thing that has been noticed, though, is that even with hockey being a worldwide sport, it always seems like there are never any job openings. Nick Bowins felt the same after he graduated college. This led him down the path of eventually founding Working in Hockey, a platform that shares any and all job listings in the hockey industry.
Working in Hockey, created by Bowins, was made to get job postings in the hockey industry out to the public. He takes all listings and compiles them into an easily digestible social media post and newsletter. Graduating from the University of Waterloo in 2021 with a bachelor’s in recreation and sports business, Bowins recognized the lack of accessibility to jobs in the industry he loved.
“I found it hard to break into the industry when I graduated school, and as I’ve continued to talk to students and recent grads, the same problems and difficulties still exist.”
This gave him the idea for Working in Hockey. It provides the public a real chance at breaking into an illustrious field. His mission was to use the experiences he gained in and out of college to get people to realize there is a legitimate career in hockey.
Bowins set out to centralize job openings in the hockey world. He created a website, newsletter, and multiple social media channels to ensure that the maximum amount of people have access to these openings. It all starts with his weekly newsletter, where he compiles anywhere from 30-60+ listings. He categorizes them as full-time, part-time, and internships, as well as the location of the position.
In an effort to truly help people, Bowins stays active on social media, where he posts highlights of his newsletter openings. He is active in the comment section and will reach out to provide the link to find the job posting if requested. For all the effort he’s put into Working in Hockey, it’s paid off in dividends. The project has accumulated 55,000+ followers across all platforms.
Bowins is a co-founder of Hockey Collective, a social media and apparel business full of hockey’s best highlights. This is where he got his big break. Hockey Collective blew up, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views. This launched him into the world of hockey and gave him the footing in the industry he dreamed of. This success gave Bowins the idea to use his marketing experience to give people opportunities to break into the industry.
As many may have noticed, it seems like an impossible task to get a job in the hockey industry. People see veteran beat writers like Michael Russo or TV analysts like Liam McHugh, and think that it takes a miracle to get to their position. The reality is, that’s exactly how the system is designed.
“The teams and companies know they’re going to get tons of applicants regardless of what they post…”
They make job listings difficult to find online, and when they would pop up periodically, they’d have little detail about the actual role. This created somewhat of an exclusivity veil in the industry. The positions were there, but one would have to jump through ten hoops to find them.
This is by and large, due to the lopsided supply and demand in the industry. There are 10x the amount of people looking for a job in hockey, compared to the relatively small number of jobs available. Because of this, teams and companies decided it was best to make the openings as hard to find as possible. This is also, in part, where the carousel of jobs comes into play. The field is so closed off and tightly knit, creating an environment where people already in the industry would fill the limited job postings before they even reach the public.
Even though Bowins has done an incredible job making jobs in hockey more accessible than ever, it takes more than just the knowledge of the job to actually get an offer. Qualifications, education, and experience play a big role. That said, the little things matter as well.
“Have a good resume… the number of poorly formatted, spelling mistake[s], [and] unclear resumes I see each week amazes me.”
Most companies have a resume scanner that throws out resumes for any reason the company desires. That’s why the importance of having a clean and concise resume is of the utmost importance. The most qualified person could have a poor-looking resume, and he still might not get the job. Bowins also stresses the importance of networking with others.
“Always network, and reach out to people when you apply for jobs. Find the hiring manager, find someone who worked there before. We can find a product we like online in 30 seconds, but no one takes the time to find a human to send their resume to instead of just the job portal.”
Building connections and rapport with individuals who have already broken into the industry is huge. It only takes one response to open up a new and exciting opportunity. Bowins elaborates and describes that he heard someone get a job in hockey because they decided to mail in their resume physically.
The journey into sports and the hockey world can be daunting. Trying to land jobs that big-time names once held or hold, can create a feeling of despair. Having the courage to put oneself out there in the world can also be scary, as nobody wants to be rejected time after time. Bowins believes one of the most important starting steps is to just be yourself. When asked if he could give his younger self any advice, he had this to say.
” Don’t be afraid to post/promote what you’re passionate about… I want people who like me to follow me, I’m not worried if my third cousin’s boyfriend unfollows me because I’m posting too much hockey stuff.”
Bowins has a bright future ahead of him, and he knows that. Working in Hockey continues to grow, and hockey jobs aren’t going away anytime soon. Bowins will continue to run and update his social media and newsletter for as long as it holds value to the people he’s serving. As far as what’s next for himself, he’s not quite sure yet.
“I don’t know yet! I love helping people, and I love creating business content and job content. I’m having a blast building this brand…”
Whatever future endeavors Bowins embarks on, he can rest assured that he’s helped many people break into an impossible-sounding industry.
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