The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Vice President of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…I was cruising on twitter a few weeks ago and saw an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the New York Jets and 1stround draft pick Quinnen Williams. Something from Schefter I’m sure, remarking how the holdup was due to offset language in the contract or some other technical detail.And in response to this little factual nugget...a responder says “The reason he hasn’t signed yet is because his agent is a woman”Another piles on, "A qualified man would have had this done by now"A third “she’s probably too busy doing her nails” There should be a special place in hell for twitter trolls. I don’t know why but I took personal offense to all of this chatter. I felt enraged, questioning society, wondering what the hell are we doing here in this world thinking this behavior is OK.Quinnen Williams agent is Nicole Lynn, the first and only black female sports agent to represent a first-round draft pick, one of our favorites around this office, and an immensely talented agent.But again, the twitter champs don’t pay attention to facts, they rush to pass judgment on others far smarter and more talented than they are. The pick before Quinnen Williams in the NFL draft was Joey Bosa. Joey Bosa is represented by Agent Brian Ayrault of CAA ..who is ….hold on for it… a man!Guess who wasn’t signed to a contract yet? Joey Bosa.So was he doing his nails?  Shouldn't a qualified man have had Joey Bosa’s contract negotiated by now? Is the reason he hadn’t signed yet because his agent was a man?I find social media tough guys to be some of the lowest, spineless scum there is. And I beg you all, I know you are smart enough not to listen to trolls, but I beg you all to take comfort in FACTS. Strive for truth, look through the bs and find the real. Now, this is my favorite part of the story. While I act like an offended old man stomping my feet and wanting to take on the social media trolls. Nicole Lynn - she just keeps being the best version of her. She dances with her clients. She connects with them. She uses social media to ask questions - like “What should I wear to the NFL draft?” And that is a huge part of why her clients love her.I laughed last week when I saw she posted this tweet:Dear @OgboOkoronkwo,I hope you’re killing training camp.Signed,Your agent that you haven’t texted back.(no one worse with the phone than my guy OBO).She has a unique ability to connect with her players in a relationship but also brings the heat with her intellect. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2011 with a degree in Business Administration, Business Management. She then graduated with honors from the Oklahoma College of Law in 2015 and has worked on Wall Street and as a litigation attorney for Norton Rose Fulbright in Houston.She’s legit. And anyone who questions her ability because of her gender is a fool.Here’s Nicole Lynn - one of my favorite guests from last year

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 had a moment last week that really helped refocus me. As you all know I am highly transparent, and I think I am pretty self-aware. I can tell when I’m not feeling as inspired, or a question the impact I am making or wondering if I’m hitting the mark with all of you.Yes, I am a worrier, and I don’t think for a second that I have it all figured out. I am flawed and learning. And that isn’t some statement hoping for compliments, it’s just to show we are all the same in many ways. As you have doubts, guess what, so does everyone else. If you worry and have anxiety and think you are all alone..well guess what, you aren’t and I hope it gives you some solace to know you aren’t alone. Anyway, my point is, I go through ruts for sure. I go through times where I struggle to book guests and I wonder, why is this still so hard, haven’t I established an audience yet, don’t people know the good we are doing?Or I go through a rut where I’m worried my message isn’t getting through, I’m not growing the audience like I should, or I’m not hearing from the audiences very much… and I wonder and stress over what is wrong.Again. I share this because you need to know it is totally normal and rationale. People like Gary Vaynerchuk may not admit it, but I’m pretty sure they go through moments of vulnerability and doubt too. I’m just willing to admit it. Well, this week Nathan Brown really helped me out, whether he knows it or not -- so I want to share this story. Nathan is a relatively new fan of the show, and is a student at the University of Dayton - he messaged me this week on LinkedIn:Brian, I got a funny story for you... So I recently took a shot and applied for a gameday position with the marketing department for the Cincinnati Bengals. I had no expectation I would hear back from them, but they liked my resume and invited me for an interview (woo hoo!). However, I am currently interning in NH so I asked if we would be able to conduct an interview over Skype. It took them awhile to get back to me, and what happened was I basically had less than 12 hours to prepare. I did my best to do some of the tips and tricks you talk about in your podcast, but then I remembered something, I am staying in a pretty rough, not attractive, dorm room/student housing thing right now and this is not the place for an interview. I then went searching around town at local libraries and what not trying to find a place to conduct this interview and I struck out (not being very familiar with the area did not help and how do these libraries not have study rooms?). I come back to my dorm room and was like, "were gonna make the best of this," but as I come into my room and turn on the lights, you guessed it, the light bulbs blow out. Long story short, I get a call about an hour later and did my best to own the fact that I was conducting this interview with nothing more than a desk lamp and my bed in the background. I could have been much more embarrassed and stressed by the situation, but I was able to make everyone laugh about it and own it. The rest of the interview went on to be very genuine and fun since the ice had been broken very early on in the conversation. I wanted to share with you that I was offered the job this morning. I thank you for your knowledge and advice. I was able to use the things you have mentioned, stay calm, be myself, and make the best of a tough situation. Thanks again to you and what you do.Great story from Nathan, and to be honest I couldn’t be prouder. This is a great life lesson for all of us - Nathan had a choice -- panic, and let that come through in the interview...or own the situation, make a bit of a joke out of it, loosen the mood, laugh at yourself a little and then nail the interview.

Sports Attorney Don Jackson helps break down some of the major ongoing legal issues in sports and adds perspective for anyone who wants to pursue a career in sports law. Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast... The summer months can provide quite a lull in the sports calendar - now before all you seamheads get on me, I know baseball is alive and kicking, but it’s a long season and these middle months can be a little… draining.As I’ve admitted before I have sports ADD -- I want college bowl season, NFL playoffs, March Madness, spring training and a full slate of NBA and NHL games every night of the year...but my dream is yet to become a reality. Lucky us, this summer we had another event on the schedule that could draw our attention...the US Women's National Team competing in the World Cup. Huge global events like these bring out casual fans who likely wouldn’t watch a Tuesday night friendly against Norway, but will pack bars, sing songs, and wear the good old red white and blue with pride as our national team competes. I was glued. I have a young soccer-playing daughter, so to watch those games with her and see how she admired these gals and their compete level was awesome. A proud parenting moment, to see how she understood the calculus behind hard work, training and discipline leading to success and glory. Nothing is given. She also asked questions. Not just about formations and attack methodology - but about equal pay, and why the men get paid more than the women.Uh oh -- some of you just got angry - some of you just thought to yourself, here we go, another lecture about equal pay! Well, I’ll spare you, no lecture involved. But I would like to add some perspective that I fear many people are missing. I see the same exact response from every person who has an issue with the equal pay debate. It’s some iteration of:‘This is a business first and foremost. In the context of business, salaries of players are based on "viewership" numbers and attendance at the stadium. Nothing to do with gender. If and when the women can draw attendance numbers and viewership at par with the men, sponsorship and salaries would automatically follow. Supply and demand. if you draw large numbers, the paycheck gets bigger for both the owners and players regardless of gender.”I lifted this from one of about 600 like it on a recent article. Like most people, this person made a lot of guesses and assumptions in their argument. What if I told you, according to NIKE the Womens’ national team home jersey is now the #1 soccer jersey, men’s or womens’s ever sold on Nike in one season.What if I told you the women’s team contributed more than half of the revenue from games since fiscal 2016 -- and between 2016 to 2018 the women's games generated about $900,000 more revenue than the men’s games. Going back even earlier -- in the year following their 2015 World Cup win, women’s games generated $1.9 million more than the men’s games. Now, gross revenue — especially for games — isn’t everything. Matches are expensive to produce and players have to be paid, so games don’t always turn a profit for the federation. That said, in fiscal 2016 and 2017, the women’s team generated more cash than expenses, bringing in net revenue of $8 million and $1 million, respectively. The men’s team in fiscal 2015 and 2016 posted net revenue of $350,000 and $2.7 million, respectively.This isn’t a lecture -- this is a lesson in facts. Sure, there is more nuance to be explored,

Hey it’s Brian -- coming up today on the Work in Sports podcast, David Plati University of Colorado Associate Athletic Director and Sports Information Director - we’re talking all about the business behind the scenes in college athletics and how he identifies traits in people that lead to sports career success.But first, talking about success -- we want you to be successful in your sports career, and one way we help you become successful is through our new online courses, the Work in Sports academy! We’ve created 4 online courses - videos, articles, downloadable worksheets, cheatsheets, checklists and more, to help you become an expert at getting hired.Everyone needs to get better at building their network of contacts right? We have a course for that. What about interviewing skills? We have a course for that. Resume, cover letter, personal brand. Yes we’ve got that covered. Gaining the right skills and experience -- yep that too.Our courses have my best stuff. My best advice and information - so come check it out. WorkinSports.com/gameplan ...one more time, WorkinSports.com/gameplan.Alright - time to start the countdown…Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Vice-President of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Getting a new boss can be one of the scariest moments of your career. Whether you like your boss or not, you’ve come to know them, their actions are predictable, you know how they will rewact to certain stimuls, what they expect, how they operate. You may not always agree, you may not see eye to eye, but you at least know what’s coming.A new boss is the unknown. They could be great! But they could be awful. There is a feeling out process, you have ot prove yourself all over again. And in truth… most new bosses like to bring in their own people, people they know, that they have a level of familiarity with...and that means their people might be coming in to replace you.When I first left CNN and headed to Fox Sports in Seattle my first two months I kept thinking, I wish I had someone here I knew and trusted. I wish I had one of my people around me to rely on and help me teach and train my new staff the way I expected things. At that time I didn’t consider the fear going through my new staff… they were probably feeling as challenged as I was, wondering how best to work with me, wondering if I was going to start firing people, or replacing them with “my people.” There is anxiety in the building when major change happens.My GM at the time told me “the routine when a new person comes in is you fire an anchor or two anchors and bring in new people to freshen things up, you fire a few producers and bring in your people you trust, and then you bring in a few nw lower level people and give them a chance to grow.”And then he paused...and said “Let’s not do that this time.”My GM liked and trusted the staff in place, he wanted me to help them grow not just remove and replace them, which I appreciated.But this is the norm. New people come in, and the bring their old people with them. Change is a certainty. That is why today’s guest David Plati is even more impressive than his resume. He’s worked under 5 different athletic directors. At no time did an AD come in and say - let’s replace this guy.He’s worked under 9 different head football coaches - at no time did they say “I want to bring in my own person and replace David"Sure, we can list the accomplishments - He’s worked or covered over 2,200 CU sports eventsHas worked 5 BCS National Championship games, all 5 college football playoff title games, 8 Rose Bowls and 2 Fiesta Bowls.In the pro's he has worked 398 Denver Broncos games and has been the Rockies official scorer for 320 games.But at the end of the day, he made himself irreplaceable everyday. People wanted him to stay,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Vice-President of Content and Engaged learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…Before we get into today’s question - which I love -- but I’m a simple man, and love mostly all questions I get.Quick pitch for Wednesday’s episode -- coming up later this week is David Plati, Associate Athletic Director and Sports Information Director at the University of Colorado. That right there is an impressive title and a good reason to listen if you are considering a career in college athletics, but let me give you a little additional perspective on the legend David Plati.Worked with the Buffs for 42 years.Inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame (College Sports Information Directors Association)Has helped hundreds of students become employed full-time in sports information, Media Relations and Public Relations staff in pro and college.Has worked 5 BCS National Championship games, all 5 college football playoff title games, 8 Rose Bowls and 2 Fiesta Bowls.In the pro's he has worked 398 Denver Broncos games and has been the Rockies official scorer for 320 games.This guy knows what it’s like to be in D1 college program… and the Pros! He’s like a walking encyclopedia of knowledge! So excited to have him on, make sure you tune in on Wednesday to that.Now, let’s get to today’s question from Tyler in Missouri. “Hi Brian, I love the new Work in Sports Academy -- I just recently purchased all 4 modules as part of the bundle and I’m just blown away by the information and resources you provide for such a reasonable price. My favorite section so far is the coursework on networking. I am not a natural networker, but your advice is making the process easier for me. One question - you talk a lot about networking on social media, but you primarily focus on LinkedIn...what about Twitter, is it possible to network on Twitter? Thanks for all you do -- Tyler in Missouri.”Thank you, Tyler! For all of you who haven’t heard, what Tyler is mentioning is our new online courses. I’ve created four different online courses as part of our new Work in Sports Academy, which are all geared towards making the participant an expert in getting hired for sports jobs.You can purchase individual courses - or bundle them together for huge savings. Tyler likes the course on Building and Maintaining your Network, and I have to say, I really like that one too. I had to put a lot of deep thought and introspection into it because I am not a natural networker either. I teach the course from the perspective of, everyone needs to network, so how can we make this as painless and productive experience as possible.  Oh and if you are interested in the Work in Sports online courses -- check out WorkinSports.com/gameplanTyler makes a good point, I talk about LinkedIn a ton for networking efforts but didn’t put as much emphasis in other social networks. Here's the cool thing about the Work in Sports Academy courses -- once you purchase you have lifetime access, and that includes all updates. So if I decide to add a section on Twitter networking next week, but you bought it last week… no worries you get it too! For life!So let’s talk about this issue. Twitter networking. I’ll admit, I’ve sat back and watched and waited for many of you to show me how you network on twitter. I’ve waited and watched to see some great ideas on how to leverage Twitter… but to date, I haven’t seen it. I’m not scolding you -- but I’ll tell you what - no one has taken the ideas I talk about on LinkedIn, and tried to use tweak and manipulate them a little to fit other platforms. For example - I always talk about networking being based upon finding a common thread, an ice breaker, some common ground, and utilizing that to start building a relationship.

Steve Delsohn, Founder and President of Delsohn Strategies Public Relations firm and former Investigative Reporter for ESPN's Outside the Lines joins us on the Work in Sports Podcast!Hey It’s Brian --- today on the WorkinSports podcast Steve Delsohn former investigative reporter for ESPN’s Outside the Lines and current owner operator of a sports PR firm representing clients all across the sports landscape… but before Steve, let’s talk about the Work in Sports Academy.Everyone listening to this show is trying to learn things that will help them in their sports career, right? Maybe you’re looking for that first job, maybe you dream of getting hired by ESPN like Steve, or maybe you’re in college trying to find your way through the sports career options. Well, we’ve created a series of online courses that will teach you the strategies and tactics necessary to get hired in sports. You don’t want to just blend in with a bunch of other resumes applying for jobs, you want to stand out, and our courses are there to help. Extremely affordable, each course is just $39 or you can buy all four courses for a massive cost savings. Check it out today - WorkinSports.com/gameplan Alright let’s start the countdown...  Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Vice President of Content and Engaged learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…When I first started in the sports industry back in 1996 as a production assistant at CNN/Sports Illustrated, I was a sports fan. I loved watching games, debating players, arguing strategies and playing as often as I could in my spare time.Sure, I had some skills for the job or else I wouldn’t have been hired, I could edit video and audio, operate a camera and things of that nature. But I lived for the events.I grew up with a subscription to Sports Illustrated, and while my grandmother, who got me the yearly subscription, thought I was really engaging with all the longform storytelling, truth is I was lazy. I’d read the opening 20 pages of short stories based on what happened with the teams I know and loved… and then when it came to the langer articles with meaning, from Frank Deford, Leigh Montville, Tim Layden and Sally Jenkins… I’d skip through and look at the pictures.It wasn’t until March 14th, 2000 -- four years into my career at CNN Sports Illustrated that I truly grasped the power of journalism, reporting and storytelling.Our investigative reporting team toiled for months and month on a story about Bob Knight, the bombastic coach of Indiana University. A man feared for his temper tantrums, but admired for his winning. He was a God to many in Indiana, but not everyone. I won’t rehash the story - I can link to some old articles if you arte interested in reading more - but suffice it to say our reporters blew open a monumental story into events that happened behind the scenes of his empire that would have made your head spin. I’ll tell you, as someone who had nothing to do with the story, but had access to the reporting, there were dozens of horrifying stories that didn’t make the final cut….and that final cut was still a full 30 minute story that left people with their jaw dropped.Bobby Knight was fired shortly after our programming aired.I remember talking to one of the people who worked on it closely, he was being pressed on what it meant to be part of a story that got the great bobby knight fired… and he consistently said - the job of the journalist is to present the story as reported, not to strive or reach for any result, he wasn’t trying to get Bobby Knight fired, he was trying to present the truth. I admired this approach -- this idea that now people know what happens there. You can still decide to go to Indiana, or later Texas Tech and play for knight, but if he strangles you on the sidelines,

Going from internship to full-time role, that's the goal! We explain some techniques and strategies to get you there in this weeks episode of the Work In Sports podcast.Hi It’s Brian - before we get into todays’ episode - I want you all to check out our new Work in Sports Academy courses - you all reach out to me daily with questions about your sports career - and I love it, but it also showed me there is a huge demand for sports career advice.  You all want to know about subjects like gaining the right experience to impress employers, building your network, mastering your resume, learning how to interview… so we built some incredible online courses full of videos articles, worksheets, cheat sheets and more.Check out workinsports.com/gameplan for more information on all four of our available courses. You can purchase them individually, or as a price chopping bundle of all four.If you like this podcast, know these courses are the best of what I have to offer, deeper and more impactful than anything I’ve created prior. And when you buy, you’ll have lifetime access to them including all new content and concepts I add! Check it out -- workinsports.com/gameplanAlright, let’s start the countdown…Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…I just got back from a weeks vacation, and I have to tell you, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t think about anything related to my job. I didn’t consider the podcast, my coming guests, questions I should ask, angles I should delve into or anything really. I completely unplugged and it was glorious. Yes, I still peeked at my phone and checked in on sports news, but that’s because this is the industry I love, I want to keep up, I don’t feel obligated to do that. So yes, I checked in on Kawhi and Kemba - and then I went back to being outdoors and out of reach. I was never good at this when I was younger, I never unplugged and it damaged my relationships.  I was never present, I was always somewhere else thinking my mental presence was necessary at all moments. That not the subject for today’s podcast, but I just wanted to let you all know, in the future, you won’t remember the extra phone call or the micromanaging of a project, but you will remember the experiences you are fully present for. Years from now my kids will remember sliding down a 60 foot rock into a 55 degree river in the Pisgah National Forest...and so will I. Don’t starve yourself of experiences in the name of grinding out a work life.Alright, preach complete.   Today’s questions comes in from Marnie from Mississippi -- “Hi Brian, I love the Work in Sports podcast. I have learned so much. I signed up for the online courses and I am already blown away. The depth and step by step advice you share is just so helpful. I have so much more confidence now I am making the decisions that will change my career![Ok some of you may be thinking - that is self-indulgent of Brian to read a rousing review of his new online courses and you know what I’d say to that… you are 100% right, it is self-indulgent. And I want more of you to purchase the course, so of course I’m going to share when people like it!]Ok back on track -- Marnie’s question - i just landed and internship at an organization i have always wanted to work for. I am so hopeful this turns into a full-time role. I know I am supposed to focus on doing my absolute best in the role first, but how else can i try to turn this experience into a full time role?”Marnie - great question and thanks again for joining on for our online course, and for being such a fan of the podcast. I’m glad you find the courses to be unique and powerful, but just a repeat or overlap.But let’s get to the basics of your question...

Vince Gennaro, Associate Dean of the NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sport, dishes on baseball, analytics, cool ranch Doritos and the new Masters in Global Sport at NYU on this edition of the Work in Sports podcast!Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Vice President of Content and Engaged learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…A few months back I interviewed Lewie Pollis, Philadelphia Phillies Lead Quantitative Analyst for Amateur Scouting… and something he shared during that interview has really stuck with me. While in college, he took it upon himself to conduct a research study into evaluating players impact on the collegiate level, and pitched it to various college teams, leagues and conferences in hopes of landing a position.This was his proof of concept, his calling card to the teams to not just say he was a worthy addition, to prove it with action. It is also a leap of faith in himself - he put in a lot of time and effort to do a thorough investigation, but there was no promise of return. He could have invested time and effort creating the doc, and then sending it out to teams, following up with leads, digging for action… and had nothing come of it. But it did. One college program had their interest piqued by what he sent, talked with him and eventually offered him a job… which eventually led to an even better job with the Phillies. All because he went an extra step, a risk.He's not alone, Brian Killingsworth, CMO of the Vegas Golden Knights came right out on our show and said - when you apply for a job include something that makes me take notice. He cited doing research into the value and impact of eSports or pitching a new social media concept. Crafting a research document -- anything extra to help you stand out.This concept sticks with me because we’re always looking for ways to help you differentiate yourself. I was reminded of this again in my research for today’s guest on the podcast, Vince Gennaro, associate dean of NYU’s Tisch School for Global Sport.Back in 1974, Vince was 27 years old - an economic consultant to various industries in addition to working as an economic analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.  He had his MBA and a passion for baseball. Inspired by veteran right-handed pitcher Catfish Hunter signing a then-lucrative free agent deal with the Yankees - Gennaro decided to analyze if the contract was a real value to the Yankees. He reached far beyond performance metrics, he applied statistics, mathematics, and technology to dig into the overall impact of the player, not just performance, but economics as well  -- how many additional tickets would he sell? After this extensive research, Gennaro concluded that Hunter's value to the Yankees that first season was $680,000. This was the beginning of his Player Valuation System, which, in addition to analyzing the value of specific players, shows how winning percentage, promotional days, ticket prices, attendance, and other factors interact and affect the bottom line in the operation of a major league club.Teams took notice of this new methodology of evaluating a player's true value. Since that time Gennaro has consulted with various baseball teams, owned a women’s professional basketball team, written endless columns for outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Sports, is the president of SABR society for American baseball research, hosts a baseball show on SiriusXM and is the Associate Dean for NYU’s Tisch School for global sport. Not a bad resume. He’s one of the wisest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of interviewing -- he’s Vince Genn...

Mark Coscarello, Talent Acquisition Manager for the USGA joins the Work in Sports podcast to discuss how he finds the best talent for the job.Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Vice President of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…There is nothing quote like Sundays in the summer with golf on the TV. I’ll admit I don’t have the time to sit down and watch 4 hours of a tournament every weekend, or for that matter to get out and play, but there is something special about the US open and father’s day. The United States Golf Association’s biggest event of the year, it’s the perfect marriage of fatherly celebration, perfect weather, and the relaxing comfort of a day perfectly tailored for golf fans. But the USGA isn’t just a one trick pony, focused on a singular championship event. They are the governing body of golf in the US and Mexico - in charge of establishing the rules, creating the national handicap system, testing golf equipment for compliance, and conducting 14 championship events and two international team competitions each year.To accomplish these types of yearly goals takes staff, lots of staff, ranging from Data scientists and Senior Directors of Championship Administration to museum librarians and interns. The opportunities are vast at the USGA and they all channel through a talent acquisition team headed by this weeks guest Mark Coscarello. Mark knows better than anyone, an organization thrives based on the strength of their employees. He knows it’s his over-arching goal to attract the best talent to come work for the USGA and then help to establish a culture and environment that will make them want to stay. But I guess I should let him tell you all about that... Here’s Mark Coscarello, Talent Acquisition Manager at the USGAQuestions for Mark Coscarello, Talent Acquisition Manager at the USGA1: You’ve been in talent acquisition for over 20 years and have experience at major institutions like Google, Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer - as you compare those huge operations to your current role in Talent Acquisition for the USGA, what makes sports different from an employment standpoint?2: So many people play golf and are fans of golf -- but we both know that doesn’t necessarily qualify them to work in golf. What is your process for finding people that have the right skills to work in your operation3: You’ve been at the USGA for almost 3 years now, have you observed any patterns of demand? Are there certain roles or positions that are growing in need? 4: Let’s talk about the hiring process in a little more detail, you represent a premiere brand, one that hundreds, likely thousands of people, would love to work for. When you have an opening, what is your process for narrowing the field to a manageable number5: Every student I talk to has an innate fear of being just another resume in a stack of applicants. How does someone catch your eye in the process?** Follow: What about standing out for the wrong reasons? Are there any pet peeves you see on resumes, cover letters or other materials? Things that make you cringe?6: When you are going through the process with a candidate - whether it’s a phone interview or face-to-face - you’ve been doing this a long time, do you work off gut feeling, or a more data-centered process?7: Obviously every situation and every role is different - but as you look back over the people who have been hired during your time in sports, is there a certain trait, skill or aptitude that is consistent across those who become successful?8: what is your take on the right way for someone to follow up with you or someone on your team? This is likely the most common question I get – “I interviewed for a job but haven’t heard anything, what should I do!”…well, Mark, what should they do?

Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp…. Wait for it… Vice President of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Not sure that rolls off the tongue yet, I need to work on the new title. I was in such a routine saying director of content for WorkinSports.com ...I could say it in my sleep. We have a lot to talk about today. First what the heck does it mean that engaged learning is on my title now?Well, outside of my work on the podcast I’ve been working in developing online courses as part of our plans to educate our audience on WorkinSports.com. I’ve been developing content for 6 years now, with over 500 blog posts and approaching 200 podcast episodes...but we wanted to ramp things up a bit, and online learning is the way.We’ve just launched our first four courses under our Work in Sports Academy courses are perfectly targeted for college-age students, or people trying to change careers into the sports industry. In these courses I’m not teaching you how to sell tickets, or scout a prospect - I am teaching you the tactics and strategies behind getting hired. Course 1: Gaining the RIGHT experienceCourse 2: Building and Maintaining your NetworkCourse 3: Your Resume, Cover Letter, and Personal brandCourse 4: Interviewing for Jobs and Internships.You can purchase them individually based on your needs… or bundle them as a package and buy all four for a discounted price. I’m pretty pumped about this -- and it is why my title now includes Engaged Learning.Now, on to today’s subject.We need to discuss Authentic Communication -- because I fear I have failed all of you and it’s been bothering me all weekend. So I get this promotion and I update my LinkedIn profile. I’m a LinkedIn addict, this is very normal behavior for an addict. As you all know LinkedIn makes your change in title a news item on your connections notifications pages. So, I have 5,600 ish connection and the onslaught of messages begins.Now, before I get into my rant I want to make something really clear - I appreciate all the well wishes, I really do and I am not scolding people for saying “Congrats on your promotion!”BUT, we need to really think about our actions. Ok, so dialing back a second, after the promotion gets posted on LinkedIn I’ve had 1084 reactions -- that’s messages, likes etc. 1084 people did something related to this notice. There were 4 types of responses:1: An open-ended response2: A customized response3: An autoresponder response4: A simple like of the status update.Let’s break these down a bit and get at the root of their purpose, thoughtfulness, and impact - starting with the open-ended response.This is the best of the best. Someone responded something like “Whoa, this is great news congratulations… so what kind of new responsibilities will you have?”Why is this the best? Because it actually engages your subject in real, authentic communication. Asking a question is the best way to get a thoughtful response, show you actually care about the person and prove you aren’t just blitzing through the networking steps. If you want to build relationships with people, that have depth and meaning, you need to ask more questions about the other person. Get them talking and sharing and explaining. They just got promoted, they are excited! Take advantage of their opportunity to deepen their relationship with you. Out of 1084 people do you know how many people did this?

We're headed north of the border for today's podcast episode with Greg Amiel Community Engagement Coordinator for Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group. Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…I was speaking yesterday to a friend of mine from the University of Florida, sorry all you Florida State fans...cough Jake Kernen…, anyway we were discussing some of the trends he sees in his students. I like to keep up with what’s happening at the student level, the trends the pain points the problems and fears, and the best way for me to do that is to speak with students, and with professors, administrators at the college level. One of the things we discussed was online learning, something that we didn’t have as I came up in the industry. And what’s really cool about online learning, from my friends perspective, is that it opens up possibilities for so many more people to be part of the educational experience. I love that. I felt inspired after hearing that. I think about my college experience, and for me, it was never a doubt, I was going to college.  That’s not to say we were rich, we weren’t at all, we were firmly middle class, but college was happening for my brother and I. I was going to pick a school, relocate and live there and be in charge of my own existence and dedication.This is not a reality for the majority of the world. College isn’t a foregone conclusion, it’s a dream, a fantasy, a concept that can’t be taken for granted. Over the multiple years since I graduated, college has become even more cost-prohibitive, which means the education gap, and in turn, the wealth gap, has increased.This is scary. We shouldn’t be a world of have’s and have nots.  I’m not going to politicize this, but I do believe opportunity should be more readily available. And before some people get on me, I’m speaking of opportunity, a chance to thrive and grow. Online programs, their growth, and importance, can’t be underscored. These programs when done right, especially at some of the top level institutions who are now investing, open up doors to so many people. Those who need jobs to survive the day to day, those with physical ailments that may make a traditional campus experience difficult, those with complex lives who have uphill climbs but want to better themselves for their future. I choose people for our podcast interviews in executive roles, mid-level managers, and entry-level staff. You know the common thread for all of them -- they have a college education, many in fact have their Masters. They had the opportunity to thrive. Without getting too preachy, and I’m trying really hard to just speak honestly without trying to sermonizing,  I realize more than ever I had an opportunity. I never questioned whether or not I’d go to college, I never doubted I’d get a high-level education, and play sports, and have the equipment and new cleats, and someone to drive me to and from practice. I never doubted these things. I was lucky. Not everyone is. Keep that perspective as you walk through your journey, take advantage of the opportunities you get, don’t feel any guilt about them, but you sure as hell better make the most of them. And look around, outside your comfort zone, notice not everyone has it the same way you do, pick someone else up. Help someone else out. Train someone, mentor someone, hire someone. That’s how you change the world. Today’s podcast guest is Greg Amiel, Community Engagement Coordinator for Ottawa Sports and Entertainment group -- owner of the Ottawa REDBLACKS (CFL), Ottawa 67’s (OHL)& Ottawa FURY FC (USL)...which means even just 2 years into his postgraduate sports career, Greg has a ton of experience… Let’s get into it with Greg Amiel…Ques...

You can figure out how to answer interview questions when you consider why they were asked in the first place. Let's run through some examples on this episode of 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.As you hopefully know by now, we have a private Facebook group for this podcast. It has a very inventive name -- we call it - the Work in Sports podcast private group. I know right? Lots of branding meetings and focus groups went into the creation of the name. Quick side story -- this is a new record, I've barely even started and I’m already into a side story -- anyway, I was at the NASSM conference a week or two ago and met with many sports management professors. One was Dr. Karen Boleska, from Husson University, I’ve spoken in her class before and it was nice to meet her first hand. Well, she told me about another podcast she listens to called “How to Be Awesome at Your Job” and she kept discussing what made it great, and all I could think of the whole time was… damn, that’s a much better name for a podcast. I mean outs is brand relevant since we are WorkinSports.com, and it’s clear we’re going to talk about working in sports… but “how to be awesome at your job” podcast is a pretty good hook.Ok back on track -- maybe mine should be called the tangent inside a diversion wrapped in an aside podcast -- anyway the reason I brought up the facebook group for the 10,000 time is because I’m going to do something kind of fun and related to it this beautiful Monday morning - I’m going to use it as the launching point for our discussion.Group member Erin Preuter posted last week:As I prepare for an interview tomorrow I wanted to ask everyone what was the hardest or most unique question you’ve ever been asked during an interview?Well, the group responded and I’m going to highlight some of those responses here and then explain a little about why they may be asking them, and how I may answer them.1: Scott MacDonald --  I was once asked who was my hero and why, and I got kind of emotional talking about my late father, but I feel like it helped humanize me a bit in the interview.2: Jeff Gillis: I was asked who I was.3: Ashley Potts: I prepared for a lot of logistical job questions and then got asked which Game of Thrones character I would be and was totally caught off guard haha.4: William Edward: I was asked what movie or character represented my sales career so far. Caught me off guard!5: Ramon Sanchez How would you organize weekly tasks?6: Kevin Wilson:  My question was to describe how you would change the culture, without negatively impacting morale? 7: Before the last filter at my last hiring process, I set my mind telling myself “this job is mine.” The interviewer was an extravagant guy who asked me what I saw first in his office as I crossed the door, then he made me tell him a real story and a false story, and, finally, he said: “imagine I’m an oracle that will answer any question you may have, what would you ask me?” I said: “how far will I go?” He thought for a second and said: “you’ll break into the top.” They hired me over a year ago and now he says he “relies on me blindly.” Today's Sponsors!Hey everyone it’s Brian, we’ve got a really fun podcast episode coming up today, but first let’s talk about the Masters in Global Sport from NYU -- the associate dean of the program is an  industry leader, Vince Gennaro, he’s consulted with major league baseball teams, been one of the originals in the world of analytics, and is totally dedicated to the globalization of sport and all that goes into it. I just conducted an interview with Vince for the podcast, and I’ll be honest i was ready to run through a wall… well, metaphorically speaking. He got me fired up,

 Sometimes finding your fit in the sports industry requires you to figure out what you don't like before you figure out what you do like. Andrew Sidney of the Houston Rockets explains in this weeks Work in Sports podcast.Hi, everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.A few weeks back on our little program I mentioned the idea of having a company first attitude towards job seeking. We all so often look for roles that fit our skill set, which makes sense, and is still a logical way to search, but I also espouse the benefits of looking at the companies that fit you, your personality and your career goals -- even better, when they have a reputation for training and developing staff.Think of it this way -- your fit, early in your career, matters for your overall ceiling. Would David Carr, #1 draft pick of the expansion Houston Texans in the 2002 draft been a more successful player if he hadn’t gone to an expansion team and get 249 times over his first 4 years in the league?Would Tom Brady have been as successful if he hadn’t landed under Bill Belichick and played in one system his entire career?Would Devin Booker be a household name if he wasn’t putting up huge numbers for a terrible team in Phoenix?  Your fit matters. Athletes don’t have a choice, you do. I know it’s idealistic when you are first starting out to think you can demand anything, or be selective in your roles. We are all guided by fear and when you are job searching you tend to go wherever someone is interested in you.But, consider for a second, how important culture and role and development and training really are to your future. I started out at CNN/Sports Illustrated and I look at that like I was getting my Masters from the experts in journalism. That was a perfect fit for me and set me up for every success I have had.If I took another offer, at a small station in the midwest, I may have toiled there and never really took off in my career. I may never have developed a profile, or really enhanced my skills.I remember starting at CNN and we had a few weeks of training before we did a damn thing. That was the best possible thing that could have happened to me. It made me comfortable, and it set me up to succeed.I was watching Bar Rescue the other day, yeah I watch some bad TV I’m sure you do too, but anyway, they were talking about national food chains, your Chili’s and Applebee’s and the training they put all of their servers through. The steps of service I think they called it.They take the effort to train their employees so their customers get an expected level of service and come back again and again. What does this have to do with sports jobs?Well, it’s simple, when you begin to isolate organizations you really want to work for, part of your research should be into their training and their culture. How much effort do they put into making their employees the best they can be?Today’s guest Andrew Sidney, Houston Rockets Director of Group and Inside Sales, spent 5 years with the Frisco RoughRiders, double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. And as Andrew will tell you, they were dedicated to training staff, teaching them best practices, how to operate, and how to succeed. They set their staff up with apartments in the area, and clearly cared about their development. That is what you are looking for in your first jobs and internships. An organization that sees you as more than a means to an end, an opportunity to solve their problems -- you want to be part of an organization that will help you develop and learn.  Take a note out of John Elway's playbook -- the top-rated player in the 1983 draft, Elway was going to be drafted by the woebegone Colts and basically say “no” Forcing a trade to the Broncos.Had he not invested in himself and his future, spurning the Colts for the more established Broncos,

How do you craft a resume to stand out in the sports industry? That's easy, listen to this podcast episode.Hey, everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Coming up later this week on the Pod, Andrew Sidney Houston Rockets Director of Group and Inside Sales… just conducted this interview late last week and it was awesome. Andrew has a cool background, interned with 3 different minor league teams while in college - dabbled in PR, operations, coaching...ended up getting a sales job with the Frisco RoughRiders and loved it, has never looked back and now just 10 years into his career he’s an executive with an NBA team. More on his story coming up on Wednesday...tune in for that. But today...it’s a fan question! I love Mondays, maybe it’s my ego because in these episodes I get to talk a lot more, on the Wednesday's I have to consciously tell myself to shut up and let them talk...but on Monday it's all me, baby!So let’s check the question for today -- it comes in from Bradley in San Diego… Bradley what would you like to know?Hi, Brian, this is Bradley -- I’ve been really focused on your tips for creating great resume lately since I’m not sure mine is up to quality yet. You mentioned the importance of metrics having data in your resume to prove you are capable of making a tangible difference, but what else can you share...any new ideas or concepts that can help us stand out for the right reasons?Bradley, it’s a good question - I admit I don’t do a ton of resume advice for a couple of reasons. 1: It's such a subjective thing -- every person reading your resume is going to have a different style they are looking for, or content they seek, or format. So for me to provide advice that may or may not be right for that scenario freaks me out. I like to give advice that works, and I’m never sure resume advice is all that black and white. That said, there are best practices to follow, standards of operation, that we can lean into and follow. 2: The other reason I don’t do a ton of resume advice is because I get tons of agitated feedback every time I talk resumes. When I talk about including metrics in your resume like “increased twitter followers by 23%” or “implemented a social media campaign that resulted in a 17% increase in revenue” or “created a mentorship program that resulted in 80% less turnover in 1st-year staff”...When I talk about this stuff, which is super powerful, and you should do immediately, I invariably get 100’s of emails saying -- YEAH BUT, how do I do that for my career! My career doesn’t have metrics. And then I spend the next 32 hours writing back to people telling them, yes it is, here's 3 examples...now you do the rest. See I’m a bit crazy and I respond to everyone, and next thing you know I’m in this black hole of responding to people’s resume inquiries and proving them wrong that they can create metrics to measure performance, then I pull what’s left of my hair out. And it’s a viscious cycle. So, Bradley, for you, and for the sake of this podcast, I will venture into the resume waters again. Just don’t hate mail me, people. I would also like to add that in the upcoming release of our online course, The Sports Career Game Plan, brought to you by yours truly and WorkinSports.com - for purchase soon on our site -- I have a whole course module on resumes, cover letters and personal branding. The course is bonkers, if you like this podcast you are in for a treat, and we’re making it super cheap so everyone can get involved. Ok, back on track - let’s talk new resume ideas. And new is relative. Let’s say it’s ideas that make sense and work.1: Start with your purpose. We’re going squishy to start. Nothing black and white here, we’re starting with tone and feeling! If you are somewhat lost and scrambled in your career goals and aspirations -- that will come through in your...

Listen in to the podcast interview with Emily Jaenson, Reno Aces General Manager to learn more about MiLB, leadership, gender equality and much more!Hey, it’s Brian, coming up today on the show Emily Jaenson General Manager of the Reno Aces Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks but before all that greatness -- let’s talk about the University of Dubuque and their Masters in Sports Management program.I was just at the NASSM conference and got to met one of the sports management professors at the University of Dubuque, Kevin Cattani, very impressive dude. Ok, back to the program details -- 30 credit hour program, that can be completed in one year - they have face-to-face and online options, love that flexibility, and they focus in on, amongst other things, leadership training. This stood out to me their emphasis on leadership because as you know I have a thing for leadership. But seriously, this is how you reach high in your career -- everyone you compete with for jobs will have skills, but not many are leaders. People with only skills may reach Director level roles in their career - those with skills and leadership become SVP’s and CEO’s. The other great part about the University of Dubuque program - lots of opportunities to gain experience   - integrated field experience and professional development opportunities.This education can change your career ceiling -- check out dbq.edu/MMSM for more informationNow let’s start the countdown…Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the WorkinSports podcast.Finding the best guests is often about reading and staying up on what’s happening. I scour trade magazines looking for people who are quoted in articles. I look at conferences and search through their speaker lists. I read feature articles to see who is out there changing the industry.I approach it this way for a few reasons -- if they are speaking at a conference that means they have a point of view and are comfortable sharing it. That’s important on a podcast.If they are quoted in articles, again, they are a respected thought leader with a point of view. And if they are featured in articles, well, that speaks for itself… they are interesting and they have a story to share.This week’s guest hits on all three. Emily Jaenson is everywhere and it’s well-deserved. As the highest ranking female in Minor League baseball, she’s garnered much national attention...but you know what I learned, she’s way more than just a novelty title. As the GM of the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, she’s a smart, creative leader who is motivated to make positive changes in her organization. But you know one trait that really stood out to me during this interview we conducted last year. She’s a listener. And that is the first sign of a leader.She ascended to the GM role in May 2018 - mid-season - and instead of saying “we’re going to change how we operate and do things in my vision!” She spent the first season going forward with the previously established plans, listening and learning from her staff. That takes self-confidence. Most new managers in any role, think they HAVE to change things or else they aren’t bringing value. This is misguided. Change for change’s sake isn’t inspiring to a team. Coming in guns blazing trying to shake up the apple cart isn’t leadership, it’s chaos.The best leaders enter with calm confidence, listen, ask questions, learn, observe...and then, make changes when they are sure those changes fit this organization. Not all ideas work in all markets, you can bring cookie cutter ideas into a new location.I personally learned this the hard way. When I was at CNN we had top of the line equipment, we established industry best practices, we ran like a machine (most of the time). When I eventually left CNN and headed to Fox Sports,