The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

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Video Interviews: How to Approach the Sports Hiring Trend of 2021 Feb 01, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Welcome to February - it is snowing like mad here in Pennsylvania right now -- about 8 inches so far and another 10 expected today, so as you listen to this, picture me pushing a snowblower and shoveling, since that’s what I’ll likely be doing as you listen. I’ll likely be listening to someone else’s podcast as I do that because it would be weird if I listened to myself. Quick thanks to Grand Canyon University, University or Arkansas, University of Florida and University of Missouri - St Louis who have welcomed me into their classrooms over the past week to share career advice with their sports management students. Always a great thrill for me, seriously, I love speaking directly with the students and being able to answer their questions and provide help. If you are listening and you are a professor, don’t be shy, reach out. If you think I can provide value to your students, I want to help. As for content -- my speciality -- in January we busted out some amazing episodes - with a theme! Looking forward to hiring trends in the sports industry for 2021 -- Kali Franklin VP of HR at NYCFC, John Ferguson VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment, Matt Resnick sports talent acquisition executive formerly at Madison Square Garden company … and we tossed in Nigel Eccles Co-founder of Fanduel, because, well, he’s Nigel Eccles. It’s a great month of content -- if you are new to the show, start there. Then, start looking for your targeted content. You want to work in sales? We have interviews there. Marketing, Partnership Activation, Scouting, Coaching, General Managers, Agents… you name it. We’ve got it. Alright -- before we get into today’s question, it’s time for the Stat Line - Meredith Johnson’s favorite segment. Ok, three stats, data pulls, information -- that will help you understand where we are as a sports industry, right now. We’re giving you context! Stat #1 - 19,896 active available sports jobs right now. We will pass 20,000 this week. Why is this an important benchmark? Because the last time we were over 20k jobs was in early March of 2020. When Covid first started to become a reality and change the sports world. This is huge progress, we are coming back, and that should get you energized for your search. Just to track january increases so far -- Week 1 - Sports job total jumped 8%Week 2 - Sports job total jumped 6.5%Week 3 - Sports job total jumped 4.7%Week 4 - Sports job total jumped 6.8% Total for the month of January, we at WorkInSports.com the leading job board for the sports industry, went from 15,573 active jobs...to 19,896. That’s what I’m talking about. Stat #2 - Over the lasxt week we added 2,865 new fresh jobs to the job board. Stat #3 - that is an average of over 400 new fresh opportunities every damn day of the week. Your job is out there, we’ll help you find it. Whoa that could be a tagline. Not bad. OK, three jobs that are fresh on the job board and interesting! Yes that is subjective, because I alone determine what is considered interesting. Job #1 -- The Athletic is hiring a Staff Editor for the NFL. TThe candidate will be involved in all the day-to-day operations, including collaborating with writers, planning, editing and publishing of content. Generate thoughtful, smart and relevant story ideas • Line edit stories from start to finish for quality, context, style, and grammarFollow best practices on headline writing and SEO optimizationKnowledge of WordPress and photo editing skills is a plus Job #2 -- Production Coordintor, Content Production -- Adidas The Production Coordinator is responsible for supporting the Content Production Team as an integral part of the in-house creative agency. The role supports the In-House Producers in driving key projects, workflow,

Kali Franklin, NYCFC VP of Human Resources – Work In Sports podcast Jan 27, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… One of my favorite parts of my work week is writing the intro to our Work In Sports podcast guest interviews. Gives me a chance to dig into the coming topic, set the stage, throw out some thoughts and opinions -- it’s awesome. Well, this week, I’m going to shut up and hand over the reins to our guest, Kali Franklin VP of Human Resources for NYCFC -- this interview is on the longer side, because Kali is amazing, informative and so, so passionate about her role in Human Resources representing and working with the people inside NYCFC. We’re going to discuss hiring trends for the coming year, diversity and inclusion, their organizational approach to coronavirus and staffing, how you should handle a video interview...and so so much more, so buckle up and get your notepad ready - I took four pages of notes from this conversation… Here’s Kali Franklin, VP of Human Resources at NYCFC. Questions for Kali Franklin, VP of Human Resources at NYCFC 1: I love origination stories, to look back in someone’s past and see their path to who how they’ve become is fascinating to me. Your career arc makes a lot of sense, you were a sociology major at Georgia State, and have worked in HR most of your career – did you always have a pretty clear vision of who you wanted to be? 2: You’ve held high-level roles in HR at Target, Microsoft, and others – then in 2017 you jumped into sports with AMB Sports and Entertainment and now with NYCFC – what drew you to the sports industry? 3: When you first got into the sports industry, were there any “Ah-ha” moments when you thought to yourself, “Ok this is a little different than Microsoft”? 4: I don’t want to spend a ton of time looking backward, we all know 2020 was a mess and I’d rather spend most of our time talking about how we move forward, but I would like at least a little peek into what it was like for you on the HR side during the start of the pandemic. In September 2019 you join NYCFC, On February 29th your first season starts, on March 12 the league suspends play. What were your initial fears from an HR viewpoint, and how do you think NYCFC and the MLS at large weathered those initial fears over the past year? 5: The pandemic hasn’t been the only headline-grabbing event this year, protests, social justice, massive issues surrounding racial inequality, political upheaval – themes that are hugely important for the direction of the sports industry. With athletes using their voice, teams, leagues, and organizations taking a stand and using their voices, how important was 2020 in terms of establishing a clear corporate culture? 6: Roles focused on Diversity and Inclusion are relatively new in the sports industry, sometimes we assume these roles have been prevalent throughout the years, they haven’t. In my view, this is one of the better developments ever in the sports industry. Why did it take us so long to give diversity and inclusion the focus it so desperately needed? 7: D&I isn’t just a feel-good initiative – I’ve read studies that say diverse workforces increase revenue, productivity, retention, morale, and more – why do you think having a diverse workforce makes such a positive impact? 8: What other initiatives would you like to see grab hold in regard to our approaches to staffing and culture? 9: I’ve worked at companies big and small with all kinds of cultures. Some good, some really bad – and you know the difference for sure when you are in it. I know at NYCFC you are working to establish a best-in-class culture…what are the components of a good corporate culture and how do you work to establish them? 9: Aren’t culture wants and demands different for every employee? I’ve had staff members who wanted to work in a quiet corner and others who would shrivel up and die that way.

Common Job Search Mistakes You Need to Avoid – Work In Sports podcast Jan 25, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… It’s almost the end of January, one of my favorite months of the podcast season… why, you ask? Well, January is when our download numbers and traffic to our site, WorkInSports.com are always highest. We get a lot of new highly motivated listeners, and subscribers to our job board, so it’s on me to impress the hell out of them with our content. Well, this month so far we’ve delivered -- Matt Resnick, sports talent acquisition executive, Nigel Eccles, co-founder of fanduel, John Ferguson, VP of people and culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment...and coming up later this week, Kali Franklin VP of Human Resources for NYCFC. See a theme? We are highly focused on executives connected to hiring and understanding the trends for 2021. My goal was to make a month of talent acquisition executives… but when Nigel Eccles people call you and say, hey we want Nigel to be on your show -- the best laid plans go out the window. He gets on the show. BUT, Matt, John and Kali are sharing all the trends in hiring that matter to you. This is the information you need, so if you haven’t listened yet, go back and listen. Set yourself up for success. But first -- the stat line -- and a great question on common job search mistakes. Ok, three data points regarding the overall health of the sports industry through the lens of employment, provided by WorkInSports.com the sports industry’s leading job board for the last 20 years. Data point #1: 18,622 jobs currently active on WorkInSports.com - that is an increase of 5% over last week and a jump of near 18% since the beginning of the month. The trend line is pointing up -- more jobs early in 2021, this is really good news. Data point #2: 2,529 fresh new jobs added over the last week… that’s a down alittle from last week but still pretty amazing. Data point #3 -- that’s an average of 361 new jobs added every day of last week. Think about that a second, our site pulls from over 8,000 sports employers -- there is no way you could replicat that work. That’s why we are a service worth considering, your time is worth it, and you get exposed to opportunities you may not have known about. Ok, let’s get into three cool jobs for this week -- One piece of advice I give a lot when I speak in college classrooms is when you are getting started and trying to find your fit, search utilizing keywords like “coordinator”. Everyone searches for job terms like social media, marketing, operations -- but if you are getting started in yoru career, still trying to figure out who you are aand where you fit, the best way to do that is search for terms like “coordinator” which aligns with entry level roles. Do that and you’ll find things like… marketing coordinator, social media coordinator operations coordinator -- and then you can rad these entry level jobs and see what strikes you as interesting. So let’s do that as the theme this week! Digital Media Coordinator for Comcast Spectacor in Philly -- this job is working with the Philadelphia Flyers - which is awesome. Multi-talented content creator with experience in copywriting, photography, videography, and/or graphic design. Has a finger on the pulse of emerging digital trends, Philadelphia's social audiences, and is dedicated to increasing the connection to our current fans while attracting new fans through engaging content. BTW quick aside -- we have this new feature for our premium members which I love. When you select a job and look at the description, on the right nav, we also show more details that can help you in your search. For example on this job: Jobs near Philadelphia : 1250Jobs in Sports Media: 3213Jobs that Match Your Resume: 135See all jobs: 18622 Click any of these and you’ll be directed to the search results. Love this feature -- simple but oh so effective ...

John Ferguson: VP of People and Culture, Monumental Sports and Entertainment Jan 20, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Do you ever say a word over and over again so that it becomes common in your mind, but if you take a moment to really think about it, it’s arbitrary and weird. Take the word spoon for example. Yes, I know this is a strange start to a podcast intro but you should be used to that about me by now, so stick with me. We all know what a spoon is, but when you say it a bunch of times you start to realize -- that’s a weird word. Who the heck came up with calling that scoopy you eat with a spoon. We normalize things in our brains the more we say them or experience them. We become desensitized over time to their uniqueness and just accept them for what they are. We don’t often challenge what has become normal. Spoon. Not to go too far down this rabbit hole - but spoon is of Germanic origins meaning “chip of wood” which doesn’t help things at all. Alright, I have a point here. Let’s spin this forward to this conversation, and throw another phrase out at you: Human Resources. Think about it for a second -- it’s kind of cold, isn’t it? Objectifying just a little? People are people, not just resources to be managed. Human Resources makes it sounds like “Hi I’m Jane, I manage the Human Assets, John over there manages the Material Resources, and Bill manages the Software Assets” Kind of cold, right? And yet the Human Resources departments of every organization are the people that care most about the employees! These are the living breathing hearts and souls of an organization! But their title, their sector of the industry... I don’t know, kind of sounds menacing when you really think about it with a fresh set of eyes and ears. Smarter people than me, I think, have started to feel this same way. I’ve seen more and more titles break away from straight up Human Resources, and break toward something more akin to -- Chief People Officer or People and Culture. Look there is nothing wrong with Human Resources, I’m not getting upset over it, I’m not staging a walkout, I just like to question some of the things we accept as normal. Watch a movie from the 80’s and you’ll see people smoking at their work desk or on airplanes -- that was really normal for a while, until someone said -- maybe we need to do this a little differently. Again, not conflating human resources with smoking on a plane, but I just find myself enamoured with norms and accepted behavior and terms...that when you really think about them are a bit out of place. This brings me to today’s guest -- John Ferguson, who is the VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports And Entertainment, one of the biggest ownership groups in sports -- Washington Wizards, Mystic, Capitals - arenas, esports teams, conferences, TV networks -- they dominate the sports scene in the DC region. And John, one of the coolest most down to earth people I have ever spoken with in my life, cares about the people and the culture of his operation. He cares so much about every person that comes into the organization and creates a culture that brings out the best in everyone. Gear up -- this is one of my favorite discussions of all time -- here’s John Ferguson: Clips from Monumental Sports And Entertainment, VP of People and Culture John Ferguson on the Work In Sports podcast John Ferguson, VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment sharing his thoughts on Video Interviews, why they are beneficial, and how best to prepare: https://youtu.be/YXKDXa3-nvg John Ferguson, VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment on what you should focus on during a job interview: https://youtu.be/-ExopqDMlSE John Ferguson, VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment on his favorite question to ask when conducting a job interview: https://youtu.

Handling Behavioral Interview Questions – Work In Sports podcast Jan 18, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… So quick update before we get into the stat line and this week’s fan question. Like so many of you I made a resolution this year. A kick off the new year with a new attitude resolution. Well, I’m here to report, I’ve already broken it. That’s the problem with resolutions, it’s usually something you are very drawn to and therefore difficult to cut cold turkey. Mine, was a reduction in sugar intake...both desserts and alcohol. The desserts part isn’t too hard for me, I’m not a big sweets guy, thankfully, but I do like the wine, the bourbon and the tequila. I lasted 16 days… which actually was better than I thought I’d do. Football is just really hard to watch without something wonderful in the palm of your hand. I made it through wildcard weekend drinking lots and lots of tea. But two glorious football weekends was too much for my resolve, Aaron Rodgers and I had a little bourbon together, then Tom Brady and I had some red wine. I’ve come to the conclusion, resolutions can be kind of silly, especially dramatic ones. Just make incremental positive choices, keep your vices in moderation, and set goals for yourself that are based on accomplishing something positive… and you’ll be better off. Ok, enough about that -- let’s get into the stat line! Alright people -- let’s jump into three stats that will help you see exactly what the sports industry employment situation looks like right now -- Stat #1 17.783 jobs currently active on WorkInSports.com the number one job board for the sports industry. To put that in context -- that’s a 6.5% jump over last week. We are in the upward trend right now, lots of positive activity in the sport industry, lots of opportunity. Stat #2 The first full week of January we added 3,002 new jobs to the job board, and I was pumped -- that is a great sign, January is always a huge month, but I was a little fearful of things being flat. Well, for the second full week of January we beat that number, 3,022 fresh jobs added last week. Now this isn’t just a puff out my chest and brag about our job board and product moment - although I am feeling pretty puffed up -- now for real, these stats are too show you what’s happening in the industry. I’m showing you trends and patterns so you can have a more educated knowledge of what is out there for you. Stat #3 -- Every day of the week last week we added 432 new jobs to the job board. Sports specific jobs all across the country - including 1,518 currently in or near Los Angeles California, and 206 in Miami, Florida. This is the absolute right time to be a workinsports.com premium member -- we work with over 8,000 sports employers, if you think you can search the job postings of 8,000 sports employers yourself -- good luck. We do the work for you, that’s just one of the huge benefits of our site! Ok - - next step -- let’s talk cool jobs and internships! Job #1 -- Have you heard of the O’Fallon Hoots. Nope, neither had I. I was looking on our jobboard and say O’Fallon Hoots and thought, that is a typo. It is not. The O’Fallon Hoots a collegiate summer league baseball team in the United States Prospect League, are hiring a broadcaster and media relations intern. Work in Sports VODCAST: Rather watch the video version? https://youtu.be/hLZ9v2W90v0 If you are wondering where O’Fallon is, because it sound slike the bad guy in an 80’s movie with Patrick Swayze -- O’Fallon runs this town! Or like the bully in BIlly Madison, O’Fallon rules! Yes, I know it was O’Doyle who rules, but you get the drift. Anyway, O’Fallon is in Missouri. The show me state. Ok - why does this opportunity stand out. Well, now is the time to start planning for summer internships, and your internships have to provide real honest to goodness training and opportunity.

Nigel Eccles, Co-Founder of FanDuel, Flick & StarStock – Work In Sports podcast Jan 13, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and engaged Learning at Work in Sports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast. I’m no psychiatrist, I barely understand why I do what I do, but I can tell you that fear is a pretty insane driving force. Chased by a bear, you’ll run faster than ever before. Have a big test tomorrow that determines the status of your scholarship - you’ll study harder than ever. Fear is a strong motivator. Well, scratch that, fear makes us uncomfortable, and we try our hardest to return to comfort, that is the human condition, get into comfortable spots and build a house there. So yes, fear contributes to the motivation, but really it’s the idea of staying in a fearful state that motivates us to get out of it. OK, let’s not get all nuanced and into the psycho-babble -- suffice it to say, if you are sitting on your couch doing nothing, and a racoon comes in through the window, after screaming, you’ll move, fast. The fact the remote was just out of reach, or you needed water, or the doritos on the countertop didn’t get you to move… but that damn racoon sure did. Fear works. I’ve interviewed many entrepreneurs over my career, and they are a different breed. You think their motivation comes from money - I’m going to make this thing and sell it to Apple for a billion dollars -- that’s not it. It’s not the money. Success is the goal. Legacy. Developing something completely new, disrupting a marketplace, changing the world. That is what entrepreneurs seek. Like an artist, they are consumed by their passion for their vision. And more importantly, to put a fine point on it, they are ruled by fear. What if this isn’t it? What if my idea doesn’t work? What if it doesn’t disrupt? What if i am not special? This fear drives Entrepreneurs to work harder and with more passion and focus than most others can reach. Failure is not an option. Because of this passion and focus many entrepreneurs aren’t willing to pivot. They stick to their vision with steadfast determination, determined to find success where they thoughtit would be. Today’s guest, Nigel Eccles co-founder of FanDuel, Flick and StarStock, is a serial, and successful, entrepreneur, but he’s also a pragmatist. FanDuel, the multi-billion dollar daily fantasy sports company, wasn’t a pure idea created on the cliche cocktail napkin during a discussion amongst friends over adult beverages. FanDuel was HubDub - the original idea was an online political prediction market. It failed because as nigel himself said “HubDub didn’t really have a good business model” I can see where that would be a problem. But Nigel isn’t the type to just pack up and turn off the lights. He looked at what they had created, and how to pivot it into a new and different market. Sports. He and his HubDub team pivoted. I’m guessing, and he may not admit this, because his fear of failure drove him to see other options for his success. https://youtu.be/Qe-LqEodZFQ And FanDuel has been successful. At the time Nigel sold his interest FanDuel had around a 450 million dollar valuation. A few years later, it is now valued at 11.2 billion. His creation has changed the world. And like most entrepreneurs, one genius move isn’t enough. Nigel is now focused on new start-ups, Flick, The Ultimate Chat App for Sports Influencers and Their Fans, and StarStock, the stock market for sports cards. Both incredibly cool ideas -- let’s get into it, here’s Nigel Eccles co-founder of FanDuel, Flick and StarStock… Questions for Nigel Eccles, Co-Founder of FanDuel, Flick & StarStock 1: I’ve read about 20 different articles on you and your background as prep for this interview, and the most common describer for you is “math geek”. I’ve also seen “the most controversial player in the world of sports entertainment.” How would you describe yourself and your journey to where you are now?

Negotiating Like a Boss – Work In Sports Podcast Jan 11, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at Work in Sports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Well, I could surely get used to back to back NFL triple headers - I kept trying to get out of my house and doing other things, but the games just kept drawing me back in. And then it’s 8:15 on Saturday night and I’ve got Brady and Gronk to watch? And then it’s 8:15 on Sunday night and I’ve got Steelers Brown to watch? I mean the good news is, I could turn off the Steelers-Browns after the first quarter, sorry Steelers fans, and get off my ass. What a weekend. For those of you who haven’t listened to last weeks interview with Matt resnick, I suggest you go back and listen. For 5 years Matt was the People Acquisition Director for Madison Square Garden, [Knicks, Rangers, MSG Network, MSG] and knows his stuff when it coms to getting hired in sports. We shared a ton of tactical advice, plus some strategic thinking and planning that can really make the difference for your career. Go listen Coming up this week - Nigel Eccles. Name sound familiar? Well, it should. Nigel is the co-founder of FanDuel. Yes, that FanDuel. The one he sold for 450 million, and has a current valuation of ...wait for it… 11.2 billion dollars. Spoiler -- I did not ask Nigel why he didn’t wait a few more years to sell FanDuel and make an extra couple billion. I’m figuring that could be a sore spot for him. But we did talk a ton about leadership, creativing, establishing a culture, the growth of tech and his new start up -- Flick, a sports focused chat app which looks super cool. Tune into that on Wednesday. One last note -- Because i want to brag a little. As we start the spring semester for college students across the globe, I am proud to announce our sports career game plan is now bing used in the curriculum of over 30 sports management programs. University of Florida, Grand Canyon, Ball State, Graceland, Dean, Findlay, East Carolina, -- and many more -- sorry if i didn’t mention your school, I’m going off the top of my head here. Our course is on professional development for the sports industry, and if you are a college professor listening and I’ve piqued your interest, email me. If you are a student, talk to your professors and have them email me. If you are just an interested person, we can sell it to you direct. Boom! Ok, enough of me talking -- well, that’s not true, I’ve got a lot more talking to do, enough of me pitching… let’s get to the stat line… [music] Here we go, three stats to give you an update on the overall health of sports employment… Stat #1 16,705 active sports jobs on WorkInSports.com the leading job board for th sports industry -- that is an increase of 8% over last week.,..that’s a big jump, and I told you it was coming. January is always huge for new jobs. Stat #2 We added 3,005 active new jobs in the last week. That is a jump of… wait for it… 215% week over week. Like i said, here come the jobs. First week on January, 915 jobs added, this week, 3,005. Stat #3 That means we added an average of 429 new jobs every day of the week last week. That is worth checking in on. We’re back baby! Ok, second part of the Stat Line… jobs! Job #1 Public Relations Coordinator for the NWSL - The NWSL office is growing to meet the demands of the changing global landscape of professional women's soccer. We are looking for individuals who desire to make an impact on the future of sport in the United States. Coordinator role, looking for 2 years of experience, which can include relevant internships. Great gig to learn and have on your resume. And it’s in Chicago, and I like chicago. Job #2 Lead Writer Consumer Direct Creaative Studio at Nike -- look this isn’t entry level, you are going to need some real experience for this. But imagine for a second, As our Lead Writer for the Global Jordan Brand Consumer Direct Creative S...

Matt Resnick, Sports Talent Acquisition Executive – Work In Sports Podcast Jan 06, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… There is a theme already clearly presenting itself in 2021 - get back to work. I didn’t have to spend a lot of time workshopping that theme, there wasn’t a lot of debate or struggle -- it’s clear as day. 2020 wrecked a lot of people. Careers were put on hold, bills became hard to pay,health was in question, it became hard to see a bright future --- everyone, in some way or another was knocked down. I don’t mean this to sound trivial, and I’m not minimizing the pain people are going through -- but it’s time to get back up. I tend to be someone who visualizes a lot. I’m what you call a visual learner, if I drive somewhere once, I’ll never forget how to get there again, because I can see it in my mind. If I am shown how to do something, whether that is fixing the plumbing or running a report in google analytics, it sticks. Because I know myself and what impacts me the most, I conduct a lot of visualization exercises throughout my day. Sometimes certain visuals get stuck in my mind on a loop, and there are two that keep resonating with me, and are indicative of 2020. #1 is from my fav movie of all-time, Good Will Hunting, if you haven’t seen it, go, now, do it. It holds up. Some movies don’t stand the test of time, this one does. There is a scene where Robin Williams who plays a psychologist, is trying to help the troubled boy genius Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, by looking him in the eyes and saying over and over again each time with more meaning and feeling “it’s not your fault”, which eventually makes the tough skinned Hunting break down and cry. That’s 2020 for you people. It’s not your fault. That’s a realization we all need - but it’s not enough. Just realizing it isn’t your fault is a good start, but it also puts you on the edge of excuse making. It’s not my fault… so let’s go grab another bag of doritos and watch UNC-Greensboro play Wofford on ESPN plus. Nope - that’s not the visualization, or reality, we want. It’s time to channel your inner Herb Brooks. The rousing pre-game speech from the movie Miracle, about the MIracle on Ice when the US defeated the Soviets in the 1980 Olympics. I’ll summarize it thusly -- “This is your time, now go out there and take it” It’s not going to come to you, it’s not going to find you buried in a pile of misery, self-doubt and Cheetos and offer you salvation. It’s on you to take it. https://youtu.be/-FkgrqSFx84 This month, to get you focused on all the steps, strategies, and trends in hiring for 2021 we will feature interviews with three incredible people connected to sports Talent Acquisition. John Ferguson, VP of people and culture from Monumental Sports and Entertainment [Wizards, Capitals, Mystics, TV networks, eSports teams you name it] Kali Franklin, VP of Human Resources for NYCFC of the MLS And today’s guest Matt Resnick, former Director of People Acquisition for the Madison Square Garden company -- Knicks, Rangers. After graduating from Florida State in 2004 Matt has really done it all in sports -- he started out in inside sales, worked in youth sports, transitioned to the agency side, and then for the last seven years has been focused on recruiting and talent acquisition, most recently with the Madison Square Garden company which is about as big as it gets in sports. What is really cool and unique about this interview, is that Matt and MSG decided to part ways in the fall, so he is taking all of his knowledge and applying it right now to his own personal search… and he’s really had to look deep inside into what works and why… and he’s sharingit during this conversation. Here’s Matt Resnick. Questions for Matt Resnick, Sports Talent Acquisition Executive 1: There is a ton I want to ask you about talent acquisition in the sports industry,

Sports Industry Hiring Trends in 2021 – Work In Sports Podcast Jan 04, 2021

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Let’s see if I remember how to do this… it feels like I haven’t pushed out a new episode in a while, yes, I took a break, a little vacation, my first and only one of 2020. That means, I totally 100% disconnected...which means, there is a ton of work to do today. You ever notice that? Vacation is awesome, but the work just piles up, and then when you get back… it’s rough. Today so far, rough. But enough about me -- who’s ready to start 2021?! I’m feeling pretty pumped, even if a bit overwhelmed right at this moment. Let’s start this out right with our first stat line of 2021! This is important, this will give us baseline data for the year...so as we continue talking throughout the year we can observe the trends as they relate to right now at this moment. Kind of cool. Let’s get into it. For those of you new to the podcast, welcome! Every Monday I provide a snapshot of the data behind sports employment. We’re WorkInSports.com, the number one job board for the sports industry, and we’ve been doing this for 20 years, so we have tons of current data and historical trends. So let’s get started… Datapoint #1: 15,473 active sports jobs right now on WorkInSports.com -- that number is down about 7% from our last stat line, and don’t worry that is to be expected. Between Christmas and New Year, employers aren’t really posting jobs, so it is no surprise that number is down a little. The rebound, starts now. Data Point #2 - We’ve added 954 jobs in the last week -- that is WAY down, down 58% from the previous week...but again, I’ve already explained why. We need to go one step deeper… This brings us to data point #3… 954 jobs added last week, divided by 7 days would be an average of 136 jobs per day. BUT, let’s add some recency to the trend line. 278 jobs added today, and I’m recording this at around noon eastern time. This is when things pick up, activity starts going through the roof, and it is the most important time for you to be on top of the job action. OK, part 2 of the Stat Line -- for all you new listeners -- I also provide three cool jobs that are fresh on the job board, just to give you a little taste of what’s out there. I guess it is misleading to make this part of the stat line since it’s totally subjective, but this is where I want to put it, so I do. Job #1… Director of Fan Experience At Stanford University -- this position will oversee a team whose ultimate charge is to create a compelling in-venue experience for our student-athletes and fans alike. This team will design, program, and direct events that satisfy the evolving preferences of fans, create long-lasting memories, and persuade the community to continue to attend. I find so many of the people I get to know in sports, love the live-action, the pace, the creativity, the engagement with fans -- this job is ideal if you have that spirit and experience. And, if you have kids, maybe you get a discounted tuition to Stanford! Talk about benefits. Job #2...Marketing Associate at Burton Snowboards -- Ok, so this is a short term temporary remote role...which may not sound ideal, but hear me out. Burton is looking for an individual to assist us in keeping in touch with our community through social media. In this role, you will be primarily focused on social community coordination. This is a chance to prove yourself, gain experience, and get the proverbial foot in the door of an amazing sports connected company. Especially if you have a thing for winter sports. Start to picture a role like this developing into a full-time gig in Vermont, one of my favorite states in the US, and Burlington is a super cool city. I know it’s temp remote to start, but it could turn into something great...and if nothing else is a little cash in the pocket, experience on the resume,

Best of 2020: Tim Duncan, University of New Orleans Athletic Director Dec 16, 2020

Show notes

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast -- where we are celebrating our best sports industry interviews of 2020. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about perspective. We all grow up in different conditions, different families, different stresses, and challenges...and it is this foundational time of our lives, our youth, that gives us our first dose of perspective. Growing up in, I guess I would say, a lower-middle-class home in Massachusetts...pretty rural, parents divorced, predominantly white neighborhood, gives me a totally different experience than some rich kid in Beverly Hills, or some poor kid anywhere in America. Or some kid who grew up with abusive parents, or someone who was a victim of crime early in life. We may see the same things through very different lenses because of our foundational perspectives. What we see and experience alters the way we move forward through life. But perspectives are a fluid thing, they change as we go through life and expose ourselves to different people, cultures and situations. Living in a rough area of Atlanta for a few years changed the rural kid in me. I saw different things, and they challenged me to think differently. They challenged me to open my mind up to the struggle of others. To understand that not all kids played sports on the weekend and ate orange slices on the sidelines. That some kids struggled to get by, period. Working with different types of people in a corporate culture like CNN exposed me to different faiths, backgrounds, upbringings, educations… and overall different perspectives. I wonder, again this is where I probably spend an inordinate amount of time contemplating things like perspective, but I wonder, how much our perspectives alter our career choices, or who we are in the workplace. Your perspective and the upbringing you endured, steers you. I was asked recently how many people who work in sports, played sports in college or high school. I have no data, other than the anecdotal story of my life working in sports for the last 20 some odd years… but I’d say around 15% played in college and 90% played at least in high school. It is that perspective that gave us love. The competition, the teamwork, the grind, the community, the coachability -- you thrive on it all. If I hadn’t grown up playing every sport available… I probably wouldn’t have worked in this industry. Sports gets into your bloodstream. Not just playing, but being around it. The smell of a gym makes me think back to my youthful perspective. Hearing a certain song on the radio, makes me think of the drive to a game, or post-championship celebration. It’s no wonder today’s guest circled back to sports. Tim Duncan was a division 1 basketball player at Memphis State, teammates with Penny Hardaway and a 2-time participant in the NCAA tournament. He was one of the elite competitors in the game, making it beyond those of us with only high school memories. For those of you who are confused… Yes there are at least two people in the world named Tim Duncan who played high-level basketball...but this is not that Tim Duncan. For our Tim Duncan, after graduating and starting a successful career in marketing, the sports world beckoned. And because his perspective was on the court, and in the stands and at the arena… the jump back in was natural. Over the last decade plus he’s made a name for himself in college athletes, and just last year was named Athletic Director of the University of New Orleans. It is my honor to have him on the show this week… here’s Tim Duncan…

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