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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Resume via FedEx

I think it was back in about 2000 that I read an article in Inc. magazine about a company that sent out its sales information to potential clients via FedEx or Priority Mail. The owner asked the question, "Have you ever received a FedEx or Priority Mail envelope and not opened it?" I think the answer for most people is "No, I haven't," but I think most of us have received a normal envelope and tossed it aside for a few days.

After reading this article, I took this philosophy and transferred it to the way I send out my resume and cover letter. Depending on what the posting requirements are for the job I will still follow their directions and post on their website or send via email. But, I also always find out who the hiring manager is and/or head of the department and send my resume and cover letter to that person(s) via FedEx, specifically addressed to him/her. In my cover letter I note that I have also posted the resume on their website (or whatever their directions are) so they don't think I'm skirting the company's directions. When I've followed up the week after sending my information (see previous posting on follow-up), I've gotten responses from those follow-ups that let me know they saw my resume. Often they've been interviews. On a couple of occasions they weren't, but I got direct responses from the person to whom I sent my resume letting me know that he/she had reviewed my resume but that they were going to be interviewing other candidates.

I realize that this can get expensive, especially in this economy. There are a couple of things to note here: 1) This goes back to a statement in an early posting, one that some chicken-assed anonymous commenter didn't understand, and it is that I don't "carpet bomb" my resume to organizations. I specifically target jobs I want to pursue. The cost isn't enormous. 2) If you're just starting out, and because of this economy, I realize that entry level sports professionals may have to apply for quite a few jobs. This is an investment in your future. Are you willing to sacrifice a few beers or movies to try to land your dream job? The $20 spent on sending a FedEx can be steep. I'm not oblivious to that. There are a couple of other options to consider. FedEx offers two day delivery for a little less money that is still in the FedEx envelope. I'm not 100% sure about this, but US Postal Service Priority Mail may be cheaper. That's another option. (I'm not a fan of UPS at all after being screwed by them so many times on shipments. I have no idea what their rates are, but if you're comfortable using them, check out their rates.) More likely for young students, you can determine your budget for how many you can send and then send only your top choices your information via FedEx.

Will this always work? I can't guarantee anything, but I believe it's more likely that the person you want to see your resume will see it. That combined with your follow-up phone call may just get you an interview, which is all you want from sending in your resume. They're not going to look at your resume and immediately say "Let's hire this person without an interview." All you're looking for from this is the opportunity to get on the phone or in front of that person for an interview. Once that happens then you get the opportunity to sell yourself, which is a whole other process.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Follow-up on Internships and Jobs after You Apply

When you start sending out your resume and references to apply for internships or jobs, follow-up on the information you send. One of the things that people too often put in their cover letter is a statement such as "I look forward to hearing from you" or "I hope to hear from you soon." Hope is an important thing to have, but not when you're looking for a job, especially in this economic market. You need to be proactive and take control of your job search. Instead of one of those statements, write something more along the lines of "I will call you to follow-up next week." After you do that, though, you have to actually follow-up. Don't be shy about putting this statement. It's awkward at first when you start making those follow-up phone calls. It can seem like you're bugging someone, but the hiring manager is looking for good people who are proactive. When you call, you can simply state that you're calling to make sure they got your resume, let them know that you're very interested in the position, and ask if they've set dates for their interview schedule. It's important to become comfortable with this and do it. Here's a true story of an example of why it's important.

I was meeting with one of the managers at a local minor league baseball team this week and we were talking about his subject. He had an interesting story to relate. He was coaching basketball at a mid-major university a couple of years ago and one of the assistant coaches left. They received 65 resume packets from coaches wanting to fill the empty position. Some of them, he said, were really intricately created packets with video, details of their accomplishments, etc. Of those 65, only 3 of them followed-up with the head coach after they sent their resume. The only people the coach interviewed were the three who followed-up with him because they expressed a true interest and desire in the job.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Not So Obvious Opportunities

As students, there are a lot of opportunities to get experience and increase your network that might not be so obvious. I am a big proponent of working events that aren't full blown, several month long internships. You can gain a lot of experience from events that may only be a week or even a few days. Students should do some research and see what events are happening in the area where they live or where they may have family that they can stay with during spring break or winter break. It's generally pretty easy to volunteer for these events. Students can sign up as a general volunteer or even take the next step up. In that next step, students contact the organization, let them know that they will be in the area, send in their resume, and ask if they can volunteer to work the event for one of their areas.

For example, if a student lives in Atlanta, he could volunteer to work the ACC Basketball Tournament. Check the ACC website to find the name(s) of the person in charge of the tournament. Send that person a well-written cover letter and resume well in advance of the tournament. Let him/her know you're going to be in the area and that you're available to volunteer. If you can't volunteer through the ACC, check with the Atlanta Sports Council to see if they need volunteers, whether serving as a greeter at a host hotel or working transportation or some other area.

These types of events give you great insight into how different events and their specific pieces work. It also introduces you to new people from whom you can learn a lot just by being around them and having conversations with them. Give it a try. This is how I started my relationship with the ING New York City Marathon. Eight years later I'm still working with them.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Passion (again)

I've written about this before, but wanted to hit on it again. I've had a couple of students (not many) stop by my office lately to ask about future careers and the first or second question that has popped out of their mouths was about salaries in sports. I'm honest with them and tell them that it won't come in the early years, but it could come around year ten or so if they work hard. What I also tell them, though, is that they will love what they do.

I come from a very blue collar family. My parents went to work at jobs they didn't enjoy because that's what they needed to do to support the family. They didn't pursue their dreams. My aunts and uncles were the same way. Because of this, I knew very early on that I had to love whatever I did for a living. (Again, that's why I jump around so much. When I stop enjoying it or stop being challenged by it, I won't do it and be miserable.) I saw my parents pretty much hate their jobs and I vowed I would never do that. They went everyday and often worked overtime, but they didn't enjoy it.

The thing that I want to address is the idea that you need to do something you love, something for which you have passion. Money be damned. (See older blog on the difference between drive and passion.) Yes, we all need money to live and we all want to make a lot of money and be comfortable, but it's also important to love what you do. If you have a passion for sports and the sports business you're going to enjoy going to work, even if you have to make some sacrifices in the early years.

My friend Nick came and spoke in one of my classes recently. He hit on a very true point (and a funny one when he delivered it). The vast majority of people don't grow up rooting for companies. They don't come to school and say, "Wow! Did you see the decision that Staples made last week? How cool was that? What do you think that's going to mean long term for the company?" His point was that people don't grow up saying things like that about businesses. They grow up talking about sports and decisions that sports teams make. If you work in the sports industry you get to be a part of that. It's different even from being a fan. You're a part of the business, and that's even more fun than being a fan. You get to be a contributor. Consider that when you start to think about your future career.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Learn to Think for Yourself

If there is one thing that has bothered me more than any other in my first semester of teaching it is the fact that too many of my students don't want to think for themselves. They want me (and others) to tell them what to do and what to think. I've had students who I advise come into my office to schedule classes and not know what classes they need to graduate. OK, maybe no one has shown them how to tell. I accepted that for this semester and then spent the time to walk them through the graduation audit report so that they know. After that, though, came things I didn't understand. I have upper level students tell me that they've never had to think about what they want to take because their adviser would pick out their classes for them. (A few students also told one of the other professors about me that "She makes us pick out our own classes!" Go figure.) I've tried to explain that although that would be much easier for me because I could quickly run through and do that for each person without them even having to be in my office, it isn't what's best for them. Also, if I picked out their classes, I'd have them in requirement classes I like, things like Russian Lit and Middle Eastern History. I gave them a hall pass for this semester, but told them I expect them to come in next time with at least an idea of what they need/want to take.

My favorite story came from a fellow professor who had a student come in and ask for a catalog. A fellow student (maybe her boyfriend) had to come up with the classes he thought he wanted to take before meeting with his adviser (me). His girlfriend told the professor that I had made the statement that I wasn't their mom. I would help them and direct them and guide them, but not do for them, which I did say to students. The funny part to me, though, is that I was trying to get students to think for themselves and he turned to his girlfriend to do it for him, still not thinking for himself!

I often get asked, too, if I will find internships for them. The answer I give them is that I will help them find an internship. I will go to the ends of the earth to help them find an internship that fits their interests and needs, help them prepare their resume and cover letter, do mock interviews, you name it, but I will not hand hold or babysit. At some point they have to be able to do for themselves.

I've had this posting drafted for over a month. I'm prompted to post it after a conversation with a professor in my division who has been teaching for nearly 30 years noted the same thing today about his students. One of the most important things you can take away from your education is the ability to think for yourself. Your professors aren't here to do everything for you. They're here to help you learn to think for yourself so that you can go out and achieve your dreams.