You will spend roughly one-third of your life at work, so doesn’t it make sense to choose a career you will love? If you are a runner who is hunting for a new job, you need to explore a variety of careers that allow you to pursue your passion.
The most important thing when trying to find a new career related to running is taking an honest inventory of your other skills. Merging your professional skills and passion for running is essential to finding a job you love. Figuring out where these two fields will intersect to create the best career for you is a must.
For example, experienced corporate leader Michael Capiraso merged his marketing and corporate leadership experience with his love for running at his former position with the New York Road Runners and current position with JoggingBuddy.
How can you do more of what you love with top jobs for runners? Here are a few career ideas to get you started.
Working in Sports
It might seem like the most obvious option to combine your passion with running and work skills by working in the sports industry. However, this can take many different forms depending on precisely what skills you bring to the table.
There is the obvious choice of coaching runners as a team coach or individual coach like a personal trainer. Beyond this, there are plenty of creative outlets you may want to explore. You may even want to explore the possibility of combining your love of fitness in general with your job as a personal or athletic trainer.
These aren’t the only ways to use your love of running to work in sports. You might also consider a job as a:
- Sportswriter
- Race director
- Athletic scout or director
Even a career in physical therapy can be rewarding for runners. Helping people get back into their top physical form following a severe injury is a fulfilling way to combine your love for the sport with helping others. Of course, these jobs require some type of experience, background, and education.
Sales and Advertising
If you lack the professional experience necessary to work directly in sports, you may want to consider a job in sales or advertising.
Look for specialty shoe stores in your area that cater to a wide variety of runners. Being a sales associate here allows you to talk about your favorite hobby all day long while helping fellow runners to find the perfect fit for their shoes to help them put in more miles.
As an influencer or brand ambassador, you would promote various brands through channels with the most significant following, whether that means Facebook, Instagram, or even Twitter. Being a brand ambassador may also be an excellent fit for runners with a large social media following. It can pay almost $20 per hour on average.
Having a background in sales and marketing will give you a unique advantage for these careers.
Staying Active and Getting Creative
Are you looking for a job that will allow you to pursue your running full-time while still making some money to pay your bills?
There are lots of miscellaneous jobs you can do that will encourage you to remain active and even get in some miles during the daytime hours when most people are trapped behind a desk at their 9-to-5.
Here are a few ideas that might get you thinking about your next career move:
- Dog runner or walker
- Running concierge for a local hotel
- Store owner for running shoes or accessories
- Nutritionist
- Running blogger or podcast host
- Yoga instructor
Even if they do not directly relate to running, you can niche down in some of these fields to better serve those who have a passion for running. For example, as a nutritionist, you might help elite runners refine their diets for better performance.
Yoga instructors can host classes geared explicitly toward stretching the muscles that get tight for runners. There are all sorts of ways you can connect your love of running with a career in many different fields.
Finding a Career You Love
You need to consider your talents and passions when figuring out the right career move for you. These 16 jobs will get you thinking about the endless possibilities that allow you to merge your love of running with your professional skills.
See what types of positions are available in your local area to help you figure out what the best move is for you.
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