About NFL Jobs
The National Football League (NFL) requires a lot of people to keep it running. Many of these jobs are franchised out to the teams. However, other employees report directly to the commissioner's office or other league partners like television stations. Despite the actual location of the job or popularity of the job, they are all equally important to keep the NFL operational.
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Internships
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There are two internship programs with the NFL. The first is the Summer Internship Program, where the participants gain valuable experience in a specific area of the NFL. Participants may be offered a permanent position if one becomes available. The second program is the Junior Rotational Program. Participants receive training in numerous areas of the NFL in a 6 to 12 month program. Marketing, business, accounting, law, broadcasting and finance are several of the departments participants will work in during the course of the program. Both internships are found through the college scholarship department, through postings in the newspaper or throughout stadium hiring the interns.
Directors
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Upper level management officials are responsible for ensuring the NFL remains fully functional. These officials are called Directors and they head the entire department. For example, the Director of Marketing is responsible for making sure the NFL commercials and public events are appropriate, while also drawing fans in. Financial officers must ensure that all teams are under the assigned salary cap. They also must ensure that all other financial aspects of the league are operating in the black.
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The Videographer
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The camera man, or videographer, has an important job to the millions of viewers of the NFL. His job plays a crucial part in catching every angle, every "hallmark" moment of the NFL. In his effort to capture the game, the camera operator is exposed to danger on the sideline during a game. Millions of fans have watched camera man after camera man get plowed over by a player who was running to fast to stop. With the potential injury factor on the sideline and trying to capture one moment that encapsulates the NFL isn't that easy. However, demand for such a job is high. These men are hired by each team via the NFL website, by the television station covering the game, or by NFL Films, the firm in charge of producing programming, commercials and documentaries for the professional football organization. Job requirements for this position vary. Some teams and stations require only one year experience filming sports, while others prefer ten years or more of football filming experience.
The Referees and Officials
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Given all the on-field authority in the NFL, the referees, umpires, field judges, back judges and other officials are probably the most respected part of the game. Their job is to enforce the official league rules during the course of a game, as well as making sure that the outcome of each play is correctly discerned. Pressure is on these part-time employees every game to make the right call, even when the game is in jeopardy. Officials have to endure a lot throughout the course of just one game. They have to be focused and prepared before each game. They do their best make the right call and remain fair to both sides. Referees, line judges and other officials endure a lot and the pressure on them is enormous. These men are hired directly by the NFL. The training is extensive, as are the jobs requirements. For example, a minimum of 10 years officiating is required for any position, as is a college degree in a sports related field.
Team Staff
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Each NFL team has its own staff. Players, coaches, office staff, publicists, numerous coordinators and support staff are needed for the NFL to operate smoothly. Each and every team has the same goal--to make it to the Super Bowl. However, success doesn't come easy. Players and coaches in the NFL get about 3-4 months to themselves without football, if that. NFL players and coaches go through practice sessions just about every day, have team meetings which they must attend, and then after training is done it's time for them to move on to the real deal. Their year starts with a brutal training camp which often features practices twice daily, followed by four pre-season games designed to help players get into the flow of things and to help the coaches evaluate their athletes. After pre-season, it's time for 17 weeks of football games, training sessions and practices. In addition, there's all the traveling it takes to go to the games. All of the staff must be willing and able to travel. Vacant positions are posted on the NFL website--though the athletes themselves are usually selected directly out of college, either as part of the NFL Draft or afterwards as free agents. Each team sets its own standards for recruiting coaching staff. In most cases, college coaching experience is necessary for an entry level coaching position in the NFL.
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