Game Plan For Success

by

The new book by Career Coach Matt Crevin – Get In The Game – is on sale now! Buy it here.

As is the case with most endeavors, there is rarely one magic bullet, one piece of advice or one thing to share in terms of what would help others break into the sports industry. For the most part it is a series of events that must take place and an action plan put in place (and implemented) that will help secure the job of anyone’s dreams.

There is so much that goes into an effective career search for any dream job that is very tough to narrow it down to one suggestion.  Here is what I would suggest to anyone:

It is one answer broken down into several parts

Have a game plan:

Successful teams as well as businesses have strategies in place to achieve goals, in both the short and the long-term. Job searching and networking is no different.

  • Combine your passion with a specific technical aptitude to find your niche.
  • Make sure you position yourself and your message to the specific market(s) you are going after.
  • Surround yourself with people you can learn from and be available to return the favor in the years ahead.
  • Continually build an industry specific network and leverage your network effectively to eventually have your own “advisory board” that you can rely on and utilize for years to come.

A big key is to be seen. Like successful marketing plans and branding strategies there needs to be a differentiation aspect to you as a person and a professional. What is it that seperates YOU from EVERYONE else??? A skill, a degree, an experience? Whatever it is, it must be not only improved on daily, but also perfected.

If you really pushed me to provide one thing that would ensure anyone to have a successful career search…BE AUTHENTIC

What does that mean?

It means to go about your career search with passion, integrity and professionalism but first and foremost be yourself and let that be your guiding principle. Too many people try too hard to be someone they are not and get caught eventually.

Why not show your true colors and be genuine right from the start. It will help you differentiate yourself and also it will set realistic expectations because at the end of the day, people hire people.  Sure you need all the traditional information to support your case (resume, cover letter, (positioning statement) but when given the opportunity to meet/interview with someone, be authentic!

The new book by Career Coach Matt Crevin – Get In The Game – is on sale now! Buy it here.

How To Win In Your Job Interview

by

Whether I am on college campuses or talking on the phone with coaching clients, I’m asked for advice on how to break into the sports industry all the time. I really enjoy when some little bit of advice really resonates for someone and makes a difference in his or her search –

The consistently best bit of advice I offer, that has come back to me time and again, is this:

When it gets to that part of the live interview with your future boss where they ask, “well, do you have any questions for me?”, say yes, and ask:

“How do I help YOU get a great review next year?”

This bit of advice has helped more people in more interviews than any other bit of advice I’ve shared over the years.

Why?

Well, the interview process lends itself to self-absorption. We spend so much of the time talking about ourselves that we forget that we sound like one of those people who only talks about themselves.

People typically ask all sorts of questions about the job and reporting structure and how it fits in with the company’s five-year plan and so on. We get so obsessed with the details of the job that we forget about the work.

Working together and being a good addition to the team means being concerned with how you are making the team successful. And that means being concerned with how much you are helping to make your boss successful.

Asking this question shows that you have empathy. It shows that you have an interest in your boss’ career and future success. It shows that you are not just a self-absorbed “what’s-in-it-for-me” kind of person. And it shows that you know you are there to “give” as much as you are there to “get”.

The “get a great review” question is an easy tip to implement in your job search: it’s easy to do, easy to understand, and it’s easy to measure.

And that makes it my best bit of career advice ever.

Are you ready to get in the game?

The new book by Career Coach Matt Crevin – Get In The Game – is on sale now! Buy it here.

Informational Interviews

by

HOW THEY CAN BE A BIG PART OF YOUR STRATEGY

An informational interview is not a job interview.  Therefore, your expectations should be genuine and your objective should be to gain insights and information into the profession, not to be offered a job.  Since you scheduled the meeting, you will want to be prepared to conduct the meeting and have a set of questions to ask. You will want to bring a copy of your resume and be prepared to share it with them if they ask. Do not provide them with a resume if they do not ask for one.  Arrive early, dress professionally, and be prepared.

Format

As you enter the meeting, you will want to do your best to stay on track:

Introduction – Introduce yourself and graciously thank them for meeting you. Some small talk might be appropriate to break the ice.

Tell Them Why You Wanted To See Them – Be honest and let them know that you want to know more about the industry and their role (as well as periphery roles they may be familiar with).  Everyone likes to talk about themselves and this a good chance to ask some good open ended questions about how they started in the sports industry and what steps, series of events and actions they took to get to where they are now.

Tell Them About Yourself – This is a chance to mildly sell yourself by sharing your story (your Positioning statement).  Be mindful of the 4 C’s of communication at this stage:

Be CLEAR

Be CONFIDENT

Be CONCISE

Have a CALL TO ACTION

Ask Questions – Make sure you are prepared for your meeting and that you have a list of questions to ask.  Have a pen and paper, and take good notes.

Ask For Referrals – Because he/she has met with you, you have now earned the right to ask your new contact if they are open to connecting you with any appropriate contacts of theirs.  As he or she provides you with names, ask them if you can mention their name as the one who recommended that you contact them.

Thank Them – Being careful not to abuse their time, graciously thank them for their time, and ask if they would mind if you stayed in touch with them.  (a nice CALL TO ACTION)

Follow-up – Send a thank you letter to them and personalize it from the notes you took at the meeting.  Continue to stay in contact with them (even a short note) every three to four months.

The insight you can gain from these meetings can been invaluable, and can yield great results from proper follow-up after the meetings.  Start the process of being an active networker within the profession.   Remember, ultimately the job will go to the candidate who is prepared and who effectively executes the basics of the job interview process. In all you do, you will want to EXECUTE FOR SUCCESS!

The new book by Career Coach Matt Crevin – Get In The Game – is on sale now! Buy it here.

Launching A Successful Career Search

by

Getting what you want out of your career search is a simple (though not necessarily easy) process. First, you need to know where you want to go. Second, you need to plan your strategy and then supply yourself with the right information to get there. And third, you need two key factors that many successful people have.

What are they?

“Have a strategy in place” and

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

You and every single successful person you know are alike. In fact you have every capability that the most successful person has. And you’ve got access to the same (if not better) information then many of the ultra successful people started out with.

So what does it take to succeed? You’re about to find out the answer based on my experience. Over the past two decades I’ve made connections and become friends with a wide variety of people in the sports industry. They have all shared with me their unique stories about their career evolution.

Some of my connections have endured trials and tribulations on their way to career success. Over the years I dug deeper with some of my trusted connections in my inner circle to see if there were any common themes I can tie together to share with my audience.

But, what’s been the most enlightening for me is to learn how important it has been to observe where my contacts started and what they went through to get to where they are now.

The real lesson is that if they can succeed, anyone can – so long as you take action.

It is very easy to just say you need heart to get it done.  The one thing that EVERY successful self-made person has is heart. And those that are unsuccessful lack it.

This is true to a certain degree. I truly believe that we’re all the same in every way. We’ve got the same capabilities and the access to the same information, and the same number of hours in a day…

… but the thing that makes some of the difference is HEART.

Heart to realize that you deserve more.

Heart to want to change your circumstances.

Heart to want to step out of your comfort zone.

Heart to be willing to do some things differently to get to where you want to be.

Heart to realize that you are going to stumble (often) and knowing that failure is the price that you must pay from time to time to gain experience.  But, I also believe that you’ve never really failed if you get back up and try again. It’s the folks who fall down and stay down that end not reaching their goals

And you need…

Heart to make some tough decisions that others won’t.

Heart to take action.

Heart to be willing to take a risk.

And heart to be willing to deal with fear, doubt, rejection and uncertainty.

Listen, if you’re sitting around waiting for one major secret to success then you’re probably feeling pretty let down by now. And anyone who says they have one magic secret career search tip to make you successful is not being realistic.

If you’re waiting for permission to become successful. I give you permission. Better yet, look yourself in the mirror, and give yourself permission because no one is going to give it to you.

I don’t know where you are on your career journey right now, but what I do know is that if you’re reading this article then you probably want more or different results from your efforts.

Well, all you need to do is put the information you have to work for you, and you need to have a desire for getting more out of your search process.

But please don’t forget this: Getting information and APPLYING information to your career search are two different things. See, I know plenty of people with all the information they need to succeed but that still struggle.

It all starts with having a strategy and asking for help.  Voice of the Box is prepared to help you in both areas.Voice of the Box can assist with tactics, resources, action steps, strategies and ideas to improve your career search process so you can be as successful as you want to be.

But what I can’t give you is heart.

What I can’t do for you is take action.

All you need to do now is get out of your own way and get it!

Are you ready to “Get in the Game?”

The new book by Career Coach Matt Crevin – Get In The Game – is on sale now! Buy it here.

Getting The Results You Need

by

Is your career search bringing you the results that you want? Don’t know how to start the job search process? Looking to match your passion with a role that fits? Do you have a strategy in place? Need some help to take you to the next level?

Job searches can be life-altering experiences.

Everyone goes through change in their life. Some types of change can be difficult and you may need someone objective to talk with, someone to really hear you.

A job search requires understanding and guidance into what may be best for you, and the steps to take for a successful career search. Family and friends are not always able or qualified to help.  A career coach brings the skills, knowledge, and the guidance to help you get through this challenging time.

Career Coaching is about:

  1. Support & Understanding
  2. Taking Action
  3. Achievement
  4. Creating the career you want

A Career Coach has the savvy, which comes from a high level of training and breadth and depth of life experience. They operate out of a unique blend of mentor (teacher) and counselor, skillful at clearing the mental and emotional speed bumps standing in the way.

When working with a career coach you can:

  • Have a supportive partner that helps you facilitate a successful career search process.
  • Receive an independent, objective perspective
  • Create balance in your approach.
  • Sharpen the tools to help you realize your vision, goals, and desires
  • Discover your skill set(s) and values
  • Receive support as you put your ideas into action
  • Be challenged to reach your goals

With a career coach you can:

  • Be motivated and held accountable to someone who is experienced in job search techniques
  • Significantly shorten the job search time frame
  • Develop and implement a plan to reach your career goals
  • Understand and master interview techniques
  • Master “soft skills” such as speaking and listening to improve your job search success

What a career coach will do for you…

  1. Help you achieve greater success in your search
  2. Listen to what you are really saying. By listening carefully, the coach will fully support you in improving the end result…a job in the sports business.
  3. Help you clarify your values and set goals based on those values.
  4. Assist you in setting goals and support you in achieving goals, guiding you through the process and celebrating your successes.
  5. Will be your advocate. A coach will support you in all aspects of your search.
  6. Tell you the truth when no one else will.  To be objective and will offer another perspective to situations.

ARE YOU READY TO GET IN THE GAME?

Branding Today’s Sports Job Seeker

by

Ritz Carlton hotels say “Let us Stay with You” and the Four Seasons boasts, “Fifty Hotels. Twenty-Two Countries. One Philosophy.” These brand names and their respective branding statements conjure luxury and high-end customer service. What does your brand say about you?

Do such marketing terms as reliable, efficient come to mind? What about, consistency, integrity, professionalism? Of course our personal branding statements will differ from the corporate space. It would be very odd to have your personal brand identity be “just do it.” Now ask yourself this, how you would go about attaching a branding label when it comes to marketing yourself for a career search?

[button link=”http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2012/10/27/branding-for-todays-sports-job-seeker/” newwindow=”yes”] Read More [/button]

 

 

Big Ears, Small mouth – The Discipline of Listening

by

As the up-and-coming vice president and CEO candidate for a Fortune 500 technology corporation sat before the CEO for his annual review, he was baffled to discover that the feedback from his peers, customers, direct reports, and particularly from board members placed unusual emphasis on one potentially devastating problem: his listening deficit. This executive was widely considered among the best and brightest in his company, but it was evident that this issue needed immediate attention if he ever hoped to advance to the top spot.

He wasn’t alone in that regard. My knowledge from my days with FedEx and Microsoft, of corporate leaders’ 360-degree feedback indicates that one out of four of them has a listening deficit—the effects of which can paralyze cross-unit collaboration, sink careers, and if it’s the CEO with the deficit, derail the company. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Despite today’s fast-paced business environment, time-starved leaders can master the art of disciplined listening. Conventional advice for better listening is to be emotionally intelligent and available. However, truly good listening requires far more than that. As you move toward truly empathetic listening, consider these tips:

Pan for the nuggets. I saw how a former CEO did this. Sitting down with a business unit leader presenting him with information about a $300 million dollar technical investment opportunity, the CEO divided a sheet of paper about three-quarters across. On the larger left side of the paper, he scribbled detailed notes; on the smaller right side, he occasionally jotted down two or three words, capturing what he perceived to be the key insights and issues being brought to his attention. It was a simple technique that disciplined him to listen intently for the important content and focus follow-up questions on points that really mattered. Whether or not this is your method, you should train yourself to sift for the nuggets in a conversation. Then let the other person know that they were understood by probing, clarifying, or further shaping those thoughts. The benefits of this go beyond ensuring that you heard it right: first, the person on the other end of the conversation will be gratified that you are truly grasping the essence of their thoughts and ideas; second, this gratification will motivate and energize them to create more thoughts and solutions. Listening opens the door to truly connecting and is the gateway to building relationships and capability.

Consider the Source. When working with peers, in and across teams, work to understand each person’s frame of reference—where they are coming from. This is extremely important when disagreements arise. When you truly understand the perspective of others, you are most likely to reach productive solutions; further, all the participants will feel heard, whether their solution is adopted or not. Even better, it’s likely that the solution will not turn out to be one that was brought to the table by any one party; it will be a new approach crafted in the conversational environment you created. Active listening and probing (with humility, not aggression) energizes groups, encourages them to reach consensus, and helps them arrive at new and better solutions.

Consider this example of CEO of a massive tech company. Earlier in his career, as a business unit manager, he recognized that he must cut costs. But his division’s operations department was adamant it could not be done given the tremendous complexity of its processes. The CEO understood their frame of reference, which was that they were in favor of simplification, but couldn’t achieve it without the collaboration of the product departments. He got the two sides to collaborate and much better solutions were found. Not only were costs cut, but operations became more focused and simplified.

Prime the Pump. After GE achieved its goal of being first or second in several of its businesses with exceptional margins, then-CEO Jack Welch faced the challenge of how to spur continued growth. He actively listened to a Business Management Course team at GE’s Crotonville learning center. They suggested that, if a GE business had become the biggest fish in its pond, it was thinking about the pond too narrowly. The definition of the market needed to be changed based on an expanded understanding of its customers’ needs. As business unit managers prepared their next round of strategy presentations for the Chairman, Welch told them all to redefine their market in such a way that their share was less than 10 percent. This released GE managers’ energy to grow their businesses with new ideas. One of those ideas was to grow the services businesses across GE. Today, GE has a $200 billion backlog in its services business.

Slow Down. There is a reason that, over the years, you have lost your ability to listen. It feels too passive, like the opposite of action. It’s much faster to move to a decision based on the information you already have. But in doing so, you miss important considerations and sacrifice the opportunity to connect. Understand that as you begin to change your listening style to a more empathetic one, you may often feel inefficient. It takes time to truly hear someone and to replay the essence of their thoughts back them so that both parties are clear on what was said. The payback is dramatic, but it comes over the long run.

Keep Yourself Honest. No habit is broken without discipline, feedback, and practice. As well as installing a personal mirror to reflect on your own behavior, find a colleague to give you honest feedback on how well you are tuning into the thoughts and ideas of your colleagues, managers, board of directors, and others. Explicitly lay out an exercise regime by which you will practice empathetic listening every day and strengthen your skills. Make a habit of asking yourself after interactions whether you understood the essence of what was said to you, the person’s point of view, their context, and their emotion. Also ask yourself whether that person knows that they were heard and understood.

For leaders, listening is a central competence for success. At its core, listening is connecting. Your ability to understand the true spirit of a message as it is intended to be communicated, and demonstrate your understanding, is paramount in forming connections and leading effectively. This is why, in 2010, General Electric—long considered the preeminent company for producing leaders—redefined what it seeks in its leaders. Now it places “listening” among the most desirable traits in potential leaders. Indeed, GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt has said that “humble listening” is among the top four characteristics in leaders.

Truly empathetic listening requires courage—the willingness to let go of the old habits and embrace new ones that may, at first, feel time-consuming and inefficient. But once acquired, these listening habits are the very skills that turn would-be leaders into true ones.

The new book by Career Coach Matt Crevin – Get In The Game – is on-sale now! Buy it here.

8 Networking Tips To Consider

by

Networking is an on-going process of building relationships with people you like.  Make it a life long practice and you will be rewarded in the long term.  Here are 8 tips to jump start your efforts:

1. Give more, get less > Offer book recommendations, people to connect with etc.

2. Be present > Don’t look around the room and search for the next conversation

3. Listen more, talk less  > Big ears, small mouth

4. Think about long-term relationships  > Don’t push your agenda on anyone right away

5. Do not over commit or feel guilty  > It’s OK meet lots of people, but you don’t need to stay in touch w/ everyone

6. Be yourself and be honest  > Straightforward but often overlooked

7. Take action right away  > Make a connection, send that e-mail, etc. Do it right then and save yourself from tasks that pile up later

8. Only go to events that really excite you

Take a hard look at where some of your best connections have come from.  Was it from traditional networking?  Was it from another unexpected method?  Make sure to replicate what has worked for you and focus on those positive networking experiences you’ve learned.

This is certainly not a complete list, merely just a start.  I look forward to hearing your comments about what has worked for you?

Get In The Game!

~Matt

The new book by Career Coach Matt Crevin – Get In The Game – is on-sale now! Buy it here.

How It All Got Started

by

The year was 1992.

In the NFL as well as 49er universe the planets were about to go through a major shift.   The legendary Joe Montana was about to play his last season as a 49er and Steve Young was poised and ready to take control.  The Cowboys and 49ers were on the brink of revisiting their championship game rivalry.

In 1992 many great moments in 49er history took place on the field and at the team’s headquarters there were epic press conferences.  Up in the press box and in the locker room on game-day the energy was incredible.

I was very fortunate to witness it all as the Public Relations intern in 1992.

Moving forward to the 2012 season, it will mark my 20th season with the 49ers game day staff and my 14th season being the voice of the press box.  I have met and worked with many talented individuals internally at the 49ers in addition to working with many of the best TV and radio broadcast teams.  Such icons as Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy, Marv Albert, Matt Millen, Joe Thiesmann, Boomer Esiason, Howard David, Don Criqui and the late Jack Snow, Harry Kalas, Bill King and so many more.  Not only was standing shoulder to shoulder with broadcasting legends an amazing learning experience, I also was able to learn from the producers and engineers in the broadcast booth as well.  Together, it was the start of a fantastic sports industry education.

During my first seven years I had the opportunity to learn the “football industry” from the inside out.  Having access to not only the front office groundwork during the week but also the pre game preparation on the field, the inner workings on how the game is covered by the media in the press box, as well as the truly eye opening environment of a post game NFL locker room.  Simply put, there is nothing else that compares to the truly electric environment that every NFL Sunday provides.

The connections I made in 1992 have led me to where I am today.  Not only did I establish my sports industry education back in 1992, I was able to create lasting connections with hundreds of sports industry executives across a wide range of the sports landscape.  The early days of investing my time in building those relationships has put me in a position to continue to learn from them as I have progressed in my career.  The associations I have formed and the real world knowledge I have gained have helped me develop in such a way that can’t be taught in a class anywhere, its called…real world experience.

I have packaged all those great learning moments, the many lessons learned and all the real world experience to form Voice of the Box a few years ago.  My mission is simple yet powerful:

“To help develop the next generation of sports industry insiders.”

Whether it is offered through my innovative career counseling, my in-depth interviews on Beyond the Game Sports Radio or my highly interactive guest lectures or even my book, Get in the Game, the goal is the same, to help those that are dedicated to break into the business side of sports create a career search strategy that works!

Are you ready to get in the game?

7 Tips To Rev Up Your Job Search

by

With the year almost half over, it’s time to size up your progress.

Your career may look like an amusement park, and you might feel like you’re stuck in a line that’s barely moving. Or maybe you rode one roller coaster only to see the other rides (goals) differently.

Just how far along are you on your career goals for this year? And what can you do now to assure that by fall, you’ll have advanced a couple of them, whether you’re looking for a new employer or to launch a side business or land a new client?
A mid-year review of your professional and personal career goals can help you refocus your energies and establish new mini-goals to advance them.

Here are seven steps for assessment and renewed engagement on your plans:

1) Write down your goals

“When you write them down, you are committing” to them. Without a written record of them, “you sort of let yourself off the hook.”

2) Clarify what you really want

Take time to consider what really matters and what is not so important, six months later. Decide which goals you could abandon and which ones are crucial. Pick a No. 1 and No. 2 goal and start visualizing what success would look like when you achieve them.

3) Measure what you’ve accomplished so far

Count the number of networking events you’ve attended. Go back and see how many letters of praise you’ve received (and how many of those have been forwarded to your boss). How many blog posts have you written, or have ready to post when you launch? How many potential clients have you approached? What else have you accomplished that wasn’t on your official list? Write down your stats and status updates.

4) Break down your top priorities into small parts

Some people find it helpful to put a weekly reminder on their calendar to check on their goal or to move it forward, others like clear action steps mapped out or written into a file.

5) Uncover your motivations

Sometimes we forget the real reasons we want a promotion or a new client. If those are the means to a beautiful honeymoon or a way to pay for your kid brother’s college costs, make that emotional connection clear to yourself again.

6) Reward yourself

If you’ve achieved one of your goals, it’s time to celebrate. And a Facebook post does not really equal a celebration. Go out for a sundae or take your goal buddy out for an afternoon of jet-skiing.

7) Take a break

“Think about other things that are important in life.” You can become burned out if you have applied for jobs non-stop while working full time. So give yourself a week away to savor summer, friends, recreation, and life. That will help recharge your batteries – and make it easier to reconnect to your goals.

Some people will find that by mid-year, they’ve checked off many of their goals. If that’s true, then they need to establish some new ones – and make them as high as the giant Ferris Wheel at the state fairs this summer. Others may be disappointed to see how little they have accomplished. They need to buy some new tickets to success, and take along a goal-buddy or career coach for accountability on the ride to success.

The new book by Career Coach Matt Crevin – Get In The Game – is on-sale now! Buy it here.