The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

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Jeff Altstadter: USGA Director, Open Championships, Public Relations Dec 26, 2018

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Jeff Altstadter USGA Director, Open Championships Public Relations joins the Work in Sports podcast!Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.You were probably wondering this morning, it’s the day after Christmas will Brian publish a podcast?Alright you probably weren’t wondering that.But I figure many of you will be travelling to visit family, maybe meeting your significant others parents for the first time, maybe you are stuck in a car with your racist grandmother for a few hours… and what better way to spend the time than by calming your nerves and centering yourself with the peaceful sounds of my voice.Yes I am overvaluing my impact on your life… but it’s Christmas, I’m having fun.As you listen to this, I am likely putting together one of the myriad gifts for my kids. Very excited that we got a family ping pong table and if I am not putting together gifts right now, I am likely crushing my 7-year old with some overhand smashes. Take that!More importantly the learning never stops. We’re on episode one hundred and forty something and I don’t know about you but I keep learning more and more from each interview I conduct. There is so much knowledge to gain, and I promise you the more and more you listen, the more confident and qualified you will become.You’ll have a plan for your future and ways to make it a reality and I think that is so important.For those of you who have also been joining is on the Facebook live sessions – game on! I’m falling in love with these things so we will be keeping it up. Bring your questions each Thursday at 7:30pm EST on our Work in Sports facebook page for an engaged and enthusiastic live session!As you’ve probably recognized December has been a month of greatest hits, some of the best episodes of 2018 brought back to life for all of you new to the show who maybe haven’t dug that deep into the archives.In January we’ll be hitting it hard with some incredible interviews I have lined up:Kurt Svoboda University of Michigan Associate Athletic DirectorMailynh Vu Cleveland Indians Assistant Director of Talent AcquisitionMelanie Newman – broadcaster with the Frisco RoughRiders and one of five women in the country professionally calling play-by-play in professional baseball Tiara Brown – Charlotte Hornets manager of Corporate Social ResponsibilityIan Graham, San Diego Padres Human ResourcesVincent Pierson, Minor League Baseball Director of Diversity and InclusionLewie Pollis, Philadelphia Phillies Director of Research and AnalyticsLee De Leon – Purdue Executive Sr Associate Athletic DirectorI mean that’s a bang up list! As we finish out 2018 – I’m bringing back my interview with Jeff Altstadter, USGA Director, Open Championships, Public Relations. Jeff has worked in PR for the Phoenix Coyotes and New Jersey Devils…and since 2012 he’s been the lead guy with the USGA.Great interview, very informative – listen in.Happy holidays everyone – see you in 2019!

Gina Miller: Sports Media and Communication – Work in Sports podcast e142 Dec 19, 2018

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Gina Miller, FC Dallas VP of Media and Communication joins the Work in Sports podcastHi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.As we approach the holiday season, let me remind you working in sports is a different animal. While all off your friends who are accountants at a Big 4 firm are getting ready for their extended holiday break, people in the sports industry are preparing for business as usual. There are NBA games, college bowl games, Premier League games and men's and women's college basketball surrounding Christmas, and 21 NHL games between the 23rd and 27th.There is no break. There is no holiday. During these times there are team executives, advance scouts, sales teams, operations people, event management staff, coaches, trainers, sports TV reporters and producer and editors, camera operators, TV directors… you name it, they are all working.While some people sit on their coach with a beer in hand watching Lebron an Steph go at it… hundreds, even thousands of people connected to that game will be working.Why do I bring this up? – because it’s essential you know and understand the reality of this fact before you really embark on a sports career. This is life. This is part of the gig. So while in your superficial analysis you may be thinking I love sports why not work in sports… well, this podcast is about honesty, and if you can’t handle a crazy schedule where holidays aren’t really a thing… choose a different career, right now.Today’s guest knows this better than anyone. Gina Miller is the VP of Media and Communication for FC Dallas, and prior to that spent many years as a sports anchor and reporter in Dallas. On the 4th of July I guarantee she worked covering the Rangers, or the Cowboys or the Stars, or the Mavericks or SMU or something else… because the job goes on.In this wide ranging interview, Gina gives it to you straight on sports careers and what it takes to get ahead, her role with FC Dallas and how there is no off-season when it comes to promoting and building a team’s brand.Here’s Gina Miller.Listen in to the Work in Sports podcast with Gina Miller to hear all of her great sports career advice!

Begin Your Sports Career with the End in Mind – Work in Sports podcast e141 Dec 17, 2018

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If you can master this simple concept of reverse engineering your career from the end, backwards, you will find great success in your sports career. Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for Work in Sports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast!Gina Miller on Wednesday – which is also my birthday which I share with Reggie White, Kevin McHale, Warren Sapp and Jake “the Snake” Plummer – fun fact Jake and I are actually the same exact age.Growing up in Boston, I had one of those sports facts a day calendar, which would also list the birthdays on it, and it used to make me so excited that Kevin McHale and I had the same birthday.Alright, I am officially off topic, so I’ll get us back on.Today’s question comes from a myriad of people actually.John in Duluth says “I’d like to become an athletic director at a major university, how do I do it?”Melanie in Colorado says “I’d like to become a sports reporter, how do I do it?”Keith in San Francisco says “I’d like to become a baseball GM, how do I do it?”I can keep going and going, it’s literally a daily occurrence when someone says “I want to be X, tell me how”Today I’m going to give you what might be the most important advice of your entire career. But before I get to that.In recent years I’ve had it in my mind that I wanted to write a book. But I realize I have this one weakness, well, likely many weaknesses but this one comes to mind. Almost all self-help, business motivation, advice style prose – is quippy. Full of unique sayings where people jumble around the words to make an alternative meaning like:It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. OrThere’s no traffic on the extra mile.I just don’t think this way – I tend to be much more straightforward in my advice, saying things like stop being afraid and go for it, rather that “opportunity only knocks once.” And that doesn’t always play in a marketing sense. You need quippy quotable statements…and that’s just not me. I don’t do quippy.The reason I bring this up is because some of these statements, while they aren’t my style, they really really resonate with me. And the one I want to focus in on today, that I honestly believe is some of the best advice you will ever get…is:Begin with the end in mind.Ok, so now that Yoda is done talking, lets break down what this means.Whether you want to be an Athletic Director or a Director of operations, or a VP of sales, or a scout or a reporter…or a whatever. You’ve already done the most important part, you’ve identified your end.You’ve identified where you want to go, you’ve set your goal, you’ve put your stake in the ground. You get it?You aren’t saying “I really love sports and would like to work in sports.” That is not enough. Stop doing that people. No one can decide what you should do in sports but you. You need to figure out what you want and declare it. Shout it from the mountaintops. Ok, not really, but you need to figure that out.Yes, things will change over time, and you’ll switch around a bit… but get yourself an idea of who you want to be. That is your end. Start here.Let’s use the example of an Athletic Director. Hi I’m Brian Clapp, and I want to be an athletic director at a power 5 university.There it is, that’s my end goal. Pretty powerful to write it down and see it before you. BTW, this is a made up scenario I don’t want to be a power 5 athletic director so just play along.Now that I know that and have written it down, two things happen.1: you are 1.5 times more likely to accomplish your goal if you write it down. Fact. Just the power of articulating it does wonders for your focus. You remember something better if you have it displayed as a visual cue you see daily. And according to neuroscientist Mark Murphy, writing down a goal actually encodes it in your brain, helping to turning it into a long-term memory.2: You can create a strategy to get there. You see once you acknowledge where you want to end,

Jesse Cole: Sports Business Done (Very) Differently – Work in Sports e140 Dec 12, 2018

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Jesse Cole, owner of the Savannah Bananas baseball team does things differently, but not just for the sake of being different, he's pushing for new. Listen in to this episode and get ready for a different perspective on sports business. Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.I think over my years in the sports industry and in business in general, I have a pretty good BS detector. I can usually tell when someone is less than they project themselves to be. Or they are all flash and no substance.These people exist everywhere. They live by the fake it til you make it mantra, they try to blind you with their smile or their louder than life personality, or their command of the room…but deep inside when push comes to shove they don’t have the ability to get the job done.As someone who has interviewed hundreds of job applicants over the years, this is one of my big fears…that someone will sell me on their image rather than their substance and ability. I’m always very leery of people like this, and the cynical side of me comes through, fully expecting it to be nothing more than an act.I always envision the clown at the kids party who is all energy and excited and engaged and funny…and then you see him in the backroom smoking a cigarette and looking at porn on his phone. It’s all just an act.You can’t afford to be fooled by these people. You have to have a good BS detector and question things. Which is what I did leading into my interview with Jesse Cole founder of Fans First Entertainment and the owner of the Savannah Bananas collegiate bummer league baseball team.Just speaking honestly here – I saw Jesse, at first, as a gimmick. The yellow Tux and the over the top personality….it can’t be real, it can’t be authentic and genuine….and he can’t really know what he’s doing. I saw all this glitz and glamour and dancing grannies and thought to myself, his 15 minutes of ESPN fame will run out and the Bananas will be out of business in 5 years.I know that makes me sound like a bad person… but I’m just not that trusting with flashy people, I’ve seen it, and been let down by it, too many times.I was wrong. And here’s why – Jesse mixes the enthusiasm and spirit with underlying business principles that work. Sure he does things differently, and never saw a camera or microphone he didn’t love, but in a lot of ways the over-the-top promotional elements and the uniquely yellow wardrobe is just the cover of the book…and we all know not to judge a book by it’s cover.Jesse’s book, and I mean it in the figurative sense, not literally his Amazon best selling book “Find Your Yellow Tux”, is chock full of substance and vision and eagerness and fire.So here he is, Jesse Cole owner of the Savannah Bananas baseball team… I can’t tell you enough, listen to the details of what he has accomplished Listen in to the podcast to learn more about Jesse Cole and his unique approach to sports business

Networking at a Large Sports Event – Work in Sports Podcast e139 Dec 10, 2018

Show notes

Each year there are hundreds of sports conferences around the globe which make for great learning and networking opportunities. How do you make the most out of these large scale sports events? We explain on this podcast!Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for Workinsports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Last week we had our first Facebook live broadcast and it was pretty incredible, lots of engagement, great questions, and some fun interaction with all of you. If you were in there… thank you, I had a ton of fun, if you weren’t… well guess what, we are doing it again this Thursday!To start I’m going to go once a week on Thursday nights at 7:30 EST. In the future we may go every other Thursday, but I’m kind of into the idea of going full bore at the start, work the kinks out and improve on the delivery.We can always scale back if it’s too much… but knowing myself, I’m chomping at the bit to improve…right after I finished the first one, I wanted to go live again the next day and improve on some things I thought I could have done better.So long story short – we will be live this Thursday 7:30 PM eastern, from our main facebook page. Not the Work in Sports podcast group, the main Work in Sports facebook page!Here’s why, I found out our tools that help me interact with all of you during the live only work on facebook pages, not groups. So please, if you are a member of our work in sports podcast private group…make sure to come over to our facebook page for the live. Cool?One of the topics that came up during the live event was networking at a major event like the Baseballl Winter Meetings. For those of you that don’t know, the baseball winter meetings are a huge event and hundreds of baseball teams in Minors and Majors hire staff for the upcoming season. But with any huge event, you can’t afford to sit in the background and wait for thing to come to you… you need to go after it.Now, I’m a transparent dude, I’m not the type to fake things or provide fake advice. I’m not great at this. I know what you are supposed to do, I know what works…but I am not a natural networker. I have to work at it.It’s like my kids – one is like a math savant, can do anything math related, but he has to work harder at his writing skills. My daughter on the other hand can write like no tomorrow…but has to work harder at math.We all have weaknesses, and it’s important to acknowledge them and work towards improving them. Other things come naturally so I don’t have to work as hard at them, networking is less comfortable. But we can’t avoid what is hard, you can’t ignore it, you have to work at it.What I have learned personally is the more uncomfortable I am in a situation, the more I need a well laid out plan and strategy. I need an executable structure.So here goes – here’s my approach to networking at larger events.1: Research – I do as much research as I can into the people, teams and organizations that will be at the event. From this I create my target list. Rather than trying to approach 1,000 sports businesses and go the speed dating route, I try to narrow down the field. Who is in an area I might want to be? Who has a product I am genuinely interested in? Who has made it pretty clear they are hiring?Narrow the funnel. You can’t possibly see and talk with everyone well, so make your target list and do some research. Find out about their structure –who is in chargewho runs the businesswhat were their attendance numberswhat were some of their big marketing campaignsIf it’s a product, who are their investorsOnce you have some of these pieces in line, you can gain confidence in your upcoming conversations. I don’t know about you, but when I feel smart, I exude confidence. When I an unprepared, I know I am winging it and it’s obvious. So do your research and make a target list.2: Now you are at the event. I like to get myself comfortable first… some people will tell you to rush to people you want to speak with first so you’ll be mem...

Carl Manteau: Selling in the Sports Industry – Work in Sports E138 Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

Milwaukee Bucks senior group sales director Carl Manteau joins the podcast to talk the real nuts and bolts of the sports sales side of the industry. Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…We’re going to take a trip down memory lane today and bring back one of my favorite episodes that the vast majority of you have probably never heard.Last September after a few years of haggling, we launched this podcast. I spent a couple of weeks getting prepped, learning the tech, getting our workflow down… and then it was time to start getting guests.I knew I needed a strong guest out of the gate, but I also knew with a new show, and my name not being Bill Simmons, it may be a struggle to convince someone to come on. I have hundreds of friends in the sports media and was tempted to go to one of my high profile buddies…but that felt like I was chickening out and taking the easy way…plus I was afraid I’d be too casual in the interview and it would sound like an inside joke or a buddy talk, and I didn’t want that.So I reached out to someone I knew a little, Carl Manteau Senior Group Sales Director for the Milwaukee Bucks. I had never met Carl, but I had interviewed him once for a written article on sales careers and knew that he had a desire to help others.He felt like the perfect start…and he said yes.Now here’s the deal… we’re a brand new podcast, we have no audience, we have no promotional budget, we just have a good attitude and are ready to provide actionable career advice. I’ve spent 20 years in the sports industry so I’m qualified, and I’m going to get guests who can really add to the conversation… BUT, very few people listened to that first episode.Most of you didn’t even know we existed.To put it in perspective, we get more downloads in one day now than we have all time for that episode.Now, I want to set some expectations here. Carl is awesome. Me…not so much. It was my first episode, I was a little nervous on the tech and my questions. So just ignore my parts and listen to how great of information Carl was serving up.Here he is, one of the best guys in the sports industry and someone you should definitely connect with on LinkedIn – Carl Manteau, senior group sales director for the Milwaukee Bucks!Listen in to the podcast episode to learn more about sports sales careers!

Tough Interview Questions: “Tell Me About Yourself” – Work in Sports Podcast e137 Dec 03, 2018

Show notes

Every interviewer starts with "So tell me a little something about yourself" -- why do they ask this and how should I answer it? We've got you covered on this weeks episode!Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Fred Hoiberg of the Bulls just got fired, Mike McCarthy of the Packers just got fired, and last night Bill Belichick told Adam Theilen to shut the F- up.I love sports. I mean the firing part always stinks, but the soap opera, dramatic effect of sports…it’s just awesome. You never know what’s next.I’ll remind you, if you are serious about this life, about working in this industry and making it your career not just a hobby you enjoy on weekends or during your lunch break – at WorkinSports.com we have…let’s see… currently 10,487 active sports jobs on our site. Including 772 in Broadcasting, Digital and content creation. That’s my world, which is why I cite that data point.And if you are listening and you are a student, we have a ridiculous deal for you… go to workinsports.com/students and you can get a 6 month membership for just $30 – which is 87% savings, because I love gronk. Let’s get into today’s question – it comes in from Corie A – A few weeks ago I joined the Facebook group for the Work In Sports podcast and was moved by all the great feedback I received after sharing that I was feeling a little defeated in looking for a job in the sports industry. Since then I have been applying to internships and jobs for the MiLB, MLB and other organizations. I have heard back from a few teams and have scheduled phone calls with them. In the past I always feel very anxious in interviews when asked the simple question of "tell me a little about yourself". My question to you is how do you answer that?Corie – this is a really great question. Before I get into it – Corie references our private facebook group for this here podcast. It’s a great group of over 1,000 people and growing who share advice, answer questions and network with each other, I moderate…and am in there all the time. In fact, I’m going to do a Facebook Live session Thursday Dec 6th at 7:30 pm in that group – so join in! Search for the Work in Sports podcast on facebook, jump into the conversation and join me on facebook live on Thursday!Back to the question…With all the advice I give I try to go really in depth and high level…I try to push myself to give you new ideas to chew on… but you know what, sometimes it’s very important to go back to the basics.And this question you ask is the start of just about every single interview you will ever be a part of.So let’s dig into this!“Tell me a little about yourself”There are two main reasons interviewers ask this question.1: It’s a bit of a stall technique for the interviewer.Maybe they weren’t 100% ready to get started and they wanted a moment to get their thoughts together. They just got out of another meeting, they had some other thing come up, they had an issue, or a project that they were behind on and worked right up until your interview started. Maybe they want to review your resume a bit and refresh their memory on you before they really dig in.So they ask this layup question, just to buy themselves a little time. Managers are not perfect beings, they aren’t on schedule every moment, they don’t plan for every contingency or situation…sometimes they stall or improvise. They dance! So this question can be just a moment to put you on the spot so they can get organized.2: And this is the really important one – it’s a confidence/personality test.The easiest way for a interview to discover who you are is to listen to you talk about yourself. There is no trickery, it’s not a complex question, it’s not confusing…it’s your story, and no one can tell it but you.They ask this question to see what you have. Are you charismatic, passionate, articulate, well-spoken, confident, engaged, enthusiastic… there is so much you can pick up from this simple qu...

Kristina Wedseltoft: Building Strong Communities Through Sports Nov 28, 2018

Show notes

Sports community relations jobs leverage the reach and power of the industry to make a positive influence in the local area. Sports jobs don't get much better than that!Listen in to this weeks episode with Kristina Wedseltoft, Indiana Pacers community relations coordinator to learn more about this exciting career.Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the work in sports podcast.There is a balance I strive for in booking guests on this show. I go for the big names… the Leigh Steinberg’s, the Brian Killingsworth’s, the Jennifer Keene’s… these are the executives, the true thought leaders in the industry who have lived it all, hired hundreds of people and set that stage for what the sports industry is.But I also like to bring on guests new or newer to the industry.Dasmine Evans, Kelsey Smith, Evan Feinstein, Betsy Lauritzen… because there is a relatability to their story. They are you. People recently in the industry or fighting to get in. They are also the people setting the stage for what the industry will be. And they just recently got hired… so they have an experience to share!Their challenges, pitfalls and successes may be exactly what you are dealing with right now, and that is so important.Here’s the amazing part.I never know how a guest will connect with all of you… I guess and speculate but never really know how much you will connect with the subject. It turns out you are just as interested in Kelsey Smith as you are Leigh Steinberg… so while I’ll always strive for Theo Epstein, I’m kind of proud that you all learn and engage just as much with your near peers.Today’s guest Kristina Wedseltoft has been in the industry for a few years now, in the midst of her second season with the Indiana Pacers as part of their community relations team. She worked previously with the San Diego Padres in Fan Engagement and with the Indianapolis Indians in Community relations.She’s a real up and comer in the industry, and there is a lot to learn during this interview… we actually taped this conversation on Pacers opening night, a crazy night that Kristina was so kind to carve out some time to chat with all of us. Here’s Kristina Wedseltoft!Questions for Indiana Pacers Community Relations Coordinator, Kristina Wedseltoft:1: I love the various origination stories I learn from people on this show and I think you have a pretty interesting story too – you graduated college with a degree in communication from UC-San Diego but started out in the fashion industry working in PR for Viktor Luna designs … and I am totally comfortable admitting I remember Viktor from Project Runway. Anyway, how did you get from that start…to working in sports?2: After the fashion move, and then joining the San Diego Padres as a Fan Experience representative – you decided to go back and get your Masters. Was this out of frustration with your career growth, like, I need something to kick start this process… or was getting your Masters your strategy all along?3: So how did getting your Masters change things for you? Did it help you gain career focus and zero in on community relations as your career path?4: September 2017 you get hired by the Indiana Pacers as a Community Relations Coordinator – take us through the interview process… I’m sure it was a very competitive role, what kind of things were expected of you, what were some of the challenging things you were asked?5: Why community relations?6: Let’s talk about your specific role as the Community Relations Coordinator for the Pacers what does your day-to-day look like and what are your major responsibilities? Do you have favorite parts of the job?7: The Pacers community relations team focuses on education, service and health – how does your team impact the local community in those realms and how rewarding are the experiences?8: What are some of the biggest challenges you encounter putting on a great community event that you can be proud of?

Can Soft Skills, Like Charisma, Be Learned? Work in Sports Podcast e135 Nov 26, 2018

Show notes

Soft skills are so important for getting jobs in the sports industry... but can they be learned? Can you develop attributes like confidence and charisma? Listen in, because we're going to talk about it!Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Quick housekeeping note – I didn’t publish an expert interview last week for the first time in over a year! It was Thanksgiving and when I published an episode on the day before Thanksgiving last year…it bombed, and it was kind of a wasted effort.So you know what… I didn’t publish one this year, and I’m totally OK with that. I also ate a lot of stuffing… but as a vegetarian there was no turkey. Actually, I take that back, my brother in law came over and brought a 20 lb turkey all for himself.No he didn’t eat the whole thing… I’m guessing he still has leftovers a week later.Anyway, before I get any further off track – since there was no expert last week, this week is Indiana Pacers Community Relations Coordinator Kristina Wedseltoft – it’s a great interview I think you will all like very much!As for today – I had a question come in that really challenged me, which I love. Here goes:From Nathaniel in Michigan,Hi Brian, thank you for the podcast, your effort is greatly appreciated. I have a question I’d love for you to dig into for the podcast. You’ve talked many times before about getting the interview means you’ve already passed the “skills test” and that during the interview is about your soft skills, like charisma and cultural fit. Well, I am the living proof you are correct in your assessment.I have the skills needed for the industry, and I keep getting interviews, but I can’t close the deal. I am an introvert, and so much of it stems from my lack of charisma. I just don’t have that swagger that I see exuding from others. I know I don’t have this element, so I retreat mentally into my corner.My question is two-fold – Is charisma something you can develop and learn. And how can an introvert get a job in the sports industry? Wow. This is a big one Nathaniel, and I really thank you for asking it. It takes a lot of courage to admit and acknowledge your weaknesses, but it’s also the first step in fixing the problem.Let’s talk about charisma first – it is really just a person with compelling attractiveness. Everyone is naturally drawn into this person. But I think the idea gets overused. There just aren’t that many people who are truly charismatic. Many people think they are – you know that guy right, the one who thinks he’s ruling the conversation and wooing the crowd, all his jokes are hitting, but in reality everyone is thinking to themselves, “Oh my god will someone shut this guy up”.To be truly charismatic, I believe, starts with intentional listening and engaging where appropriate -- anyone can do that.Charisma isn’t about trying to be the loudest voice or get the most laughs… it’s about making the other people around you feel special. We’ve been around people who talk about themselves a lot, their experience, they accomplishments, their successes – this is not being charismatic.We’ve also been around people who listen with eye contact, ask smart follow up questions, are present in the moment, share their own experiences where relevant. That’s being likeable, that’s being connected to the moment --- that’s being charismaticIt’s about presence. Presence is all about being truly engaged with others, showing the other person that they have your complete attention. Ok ,so how do you take action with this concept of presence – since I’m all about actionable advice - How do you develop presence:Pay attention to every word that comes out of someone else's mouth.I read this suggestion once and it stuck with me - Imagine you're watching a movie or reading a book and you're slowly learning about the main character. Invest your attention and your focus on them.Do not sit there and think about what you're going to say while th...

Six Steps To Prepare for Your Sports Job Search – Work in Sports podcast e134 Nov 19, 2018

Show notes

So you are ready to find a job? Here are 6 things you should be doing right now to prepare for your sports job search. Do these things first!Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the WorkinSports podcast.Before I get into today’s podcast question – which is a good one by the way – something I forget to mention often enough is our student pricing deal at WorkinSports.comJust checking the site…we currently have 10,685 active sports jobs on our site and another 696 internships… that’s an insane amount of opportunity! And for those of you who are students, we’ve recently introduced deeply discounted student pricing.Get this – a 6 month membership, for only $30. That is 87% savings!You get all the features and benefits of membership, but at a deeply discounted rate. Our little shout out to the students out there trying to make it in the sports industry.Go to workinsports.com/students and fill out your membership details. You need to have and use your .edu email address. That’s how we know you are a student. This is student pricing!Now, real quick – if you’re a student you may be thinking…I’m not ready for a job yet, don’t need the service. Wrong answer![Bonus tip of finding the right skills for your ideal sports job]That’s a little bonus tip for you today. Let’s get into today’s question from Harrison in New HampshireHey Brian – thanks so much for the podcast, I have really learned a ton. Just wondering, should I pause my job search over the Holidays? Seems like it is hard to make any progress this time of year.The simple answer is No, you should not pause your job search over the holidays.There are many reasons for this, namely, many employers are still active and are impressed by those people who don’t take the time off this time of year.That is especially important in the sports industry… sorry, there is no break. Football, Basketball, Hockey, soccer and Baseball’s off-season adventure are all in full force. There is no break.Also, from my own experience, holidays are blurry lines for people in sports. Everyone else knows the holidays have an exact date, but when you work in sports and you have odd hours and off-days…the holidays are sometimes where you can squeeze them in.The train doesn’t stop. Period.Sometimes people don’t like to hire right before the Holidays, but they get the framework in place so that they can eventually hire in January.Many organizations are holding out for January to do their actual hiring, it’s when their budgets for the new year kick in and often can result in a frenzy of hiring. Plus, new staff can get off on the right foot, rather than trying to start in the crazy period between Thanksgiving and New Years.So here’s my suggestion – keep going…and do some house-keeping:1: Contact all of Your References and update their contact information 2: Update all of your Social Media Profiles (i.e. Get Rid of You Being Dumb) 3: Prepare for THE Question 4: Stimulate your Network 5: Know Who You Are Online 6: Explore Your WeaknessesListen in to the episodes to get more details on all of these concepts for preparing for your sports job search!

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