** THREAD **
Inspired by an awesome story from @joshbtucker, here are a few thoughts on the question of “how do I get a job at the NFL?”:
The whole thread is here: bit.ly/2o4ReDn. You should read it.
Inspired by an awesome story from @joshbtucker, here are a few thoughts on the question of “how do I get a job at the NFL?”:
The whole thread is here: bit.ly/2o4ReDn. You should read it.
Tl;dr: It’s hard out there. To get the job, you need to show why you’re special.
Creative professionals can showcase their portfolios. But what do you do if you’re on the business side?
First – get an interview. Doesn’t matter if it’s just an informational. Get a foot in the door however you can. Don’t know anyone at the NFL? I didn’t either.
First – get an interview. Doesn’t matter if it’s just an informational. Get a foot in the door however you can. Don’t know anyone at the NFL? I didn’t either.
Work your network. LinkedIn. Social media. Your college’s alumni network. Even if you graduated more than 10 years ago. Pick a few targets and send carefully worded DMs. Ask if they’d be willing to share any advice they have.
Be gracious, be humble, be yourself. Give a good reason why that person should respond. People in sports get a lot of cold inbounds, but if you’re considerate and sincere, your hit rate should be above the Mendoza line.
Read everything. Cynopsis is free and there are job postings in it. REDEF, Axios, DealBook, Hashtag Sports, Ad Age, Digiday, MediaPost... all have free newsletters. SBJ costs money but your local library will have a subscription. And a card catalog. 
On informational interviews, you should have two goals: 1. Learn something. 2. Get another contact. Ask your interviewer “is there anyone else you’d recommend I speak with?” Plant seeds and nurture them.
Stay in touch. Keep the people you meet with updated on your job search. Always thank them again for their continued support. Thank them even if they didn’t do anything. They’ll be more likely to help you get an interview when there’s a job opening in the future.
Just don’t be annoying.
Interviewing 101: Have “presence.” Make eye contact. Speak clearly and with conviction. Share your enthusiasm. And be prepared with a good answer when you’re asked why we should hire you.
Interviewing 201: Listen to your 8th grade English teacher: Show, don’t tell.
Ask great questions. Ask about something you read and want to learn more about. Demonstrate that you have a point of view, and are eager to go deep. Show that you “get it.”
Ask great questions. Ask about something you read and want to learn more about. Demonstrate that you have a point of view, and are eager to go deep. Show that you “get it.”
Operations-minded? Ask us about process to understand how a bill becomes a law around here. Or how we define objectives, set goals, and measure performance.
We’re lucky to get many amazing candidates with the skills and experience to do the job. Often the person who gets the offer distinguished herself by asking the best questions.
Nothing about this sounds specific to the NFL? You’re right. We’ve met great, diverse candidates from finance, consulting, technology, entertainment... Key theme: they all did their homework.
Want to join our amazing team and work on some of the most exciting areas of the sports and media business? We’ve got three great new roles to fill:
Director, Media Strategy & Business Development: bit.ly/2LeQ6Gt
Director, Media Strategy & Business Development: bit.ly/2LeQ6Gt
Director, Business Development Operations: bit.ly/2wjaoJj
Manager, Media Strategy & BD Ops: bit.ly/2Ng3V9a
These roles range from 10+ years of experience to people relatively early in their careers.
Go apply online. We look forward to hearing why you’re the right person for our team! [End.]
These roles range from 10+ years of experience to people relatively early in their careers.
Go apply online. We look forward to hearing why you’re the right person for our team! [End.]
