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On this week’s episode

  • We all know and love college sports, but do we know what goes on behind the scenes? On this week’s episode of You Have a Cool Job, we talk to Jason Smith, an independent college athletics recruiter. Jason is the Director of Recruiting Services for NCSA, Next College Student Athlete.
  • Jason starts by explaining his personal story as a high school and college athlete. He worked for years as a college baseball coach at each NCAA level, before landing at NCSA.
  • Jason shared the admittedly tough transition he experienced before finding his groove as an athletics recruiter and coach to students and their families, and now “coaches the coaches” as he says. He talks about the misconceptions in his field, and gives advice for student athletes and their families.
  • *Note: NCSA is a Peterson’s partner.

About the show

You Have a Cool Job is a podcast hosted by Taylor Sienkiewicz from Peterson’s. The show highlights professionals who have a unique, interesting, uncommon, or otherwise cool job.

Our goal is to motivate you and show how interesting, fulfilling, and anything-but-average your career can be, and we’ll do this by talking with people who took a path less traveled. We ask these fascinating individuals how they got to where they are in their career based on their education, experience, and influences; why they love their job; and lots more.

Learn more about Jason’s work here.

Have a nomination for the show? Drop a line here.

Athlete recruiters talk to student athletes
NCSA recruiters meet with student athletes.
Jason, #37, as a coach at Northern Illinois University.
NCSA recruitment event.