Informational Interviews

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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.

Get In The Game Cracks Top Books

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It’s that time of year again, Christmas is right around the corner. This year, SportsNetworker.com posted a recent blog to help your gift giving search for that special someone working in sports business. Get In The Game makes the list as part of 30 books to help advance a sports focused career.

[button link=”http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2012/11/21/30-books-on-amazon-during-black-friday-week-to-advance-your-sports-career/?inf_contact_key=937f903419d6182ce7903bdb6b1d1e70548819535714eff010c7867d22c6afb7″ newwindow=”yes”] Full List[/button]

8 Networking Tips To Consider

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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

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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?

Sports Networker Webinars

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Hi Lewis here,

I get emails all the time from people telling me how frustrated they are in trying to land their dream job in sports. They tell me about all the resumes they’ve sent out and yet … they never get a response!  And, for many graduating students, the job search process can be even harder if you lack the “on-the-job experience” to help you stand out in a pile of job applications.

If you can relate to either of these statements above … then I have an exciting webinar announcement to share with you!

4 Step Sports Career Search Strategy – Live Webinar with Matt Crevin
Author of Get In The Game – The Ultimate Gameplan For Transition From College To Career

With more than 19 years in the sports industry and corporate America, Matt is going to share his “sports career search strategy” with you during this live, interactive webinar.

He has put together an enlightening, 4 step process that is quick, to the point and most importantly…..easy to implement!

  • How to POSITION yourself to the target market you are going after
  • How to PROMOTE yourself with professionalism and integrity
  • How to PACKAGE yourself to create a powerful personal brand
  • How to PARTNER with others to help spread your message

Making the shift to manage your sports career search as a “business” is one of the most vital changes you can make!

How To Join The Webinar (2 times available)

So, if you want in on this FREE webinar, all you need to do is click one of the links below, sign up and then join us LIVE!

Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Time: 12pm EST (9am PST)
Click here to signup –> https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/321515274

Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Time: 8pm EST (5pm PST)
Click here to signup –> https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/707279306

I know it can be frustrating at times trying to break into the sports industry. Or, if you are already working in sports, it can also be frustrating trying to climb that ladder!

Here at Sports Networker, we are committed to helping you take your sports career to the next level. So, make sure to sign up for one of the webinar times above and learn from one of the best sports career coaches in the business!

Stay Passionate!

Lewis Howes
CEO – Sports Networker & Sports Executives Association
http://twitter.com/lewishowes

Damon Bruce Show Talks New Book

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Matt returned to San Francisco last week with a busy schedule including the Pac 12 conference, plus a guest appearance on KNBR 1050’s Damon Bruce Show.  Matt and Damon had a great chat catching up on 49er’s football and of course talked about Matt’s new book Get In The Game.  Listen to the interview here:
[audio:https://voiceofthebox.com/podcasts/damonbruce_june.mp3]

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

 

 

What Concerns You The Most?

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I would like to share with you some of the key challenges I hear most frequently from both college students while I’m on my speaking tours as well as those that that take part in my 1:1 coaching sessions.

Below is a short list and my guess is that you can relate to some of these if not all of them…

1) Having a tough time starting the networking process or getting in touch with the right people.

2) Knowing what to say and how to say it once you get the chance to connect with someone live.

3) Being able to clearly and confidently share your “story” or your positioning statement.

4) The lack of results you are getting with your career search.

If any of these concerns resonate with you, I’ve got some good news to share.  My new book, “Get in the Game” addresses these concerns and much more.  I wrote the book with you, the sports industry hopeful, in mind.  It details how to focus on your core strengths, provides steps on how to create AND leverage your network as well as numerous tips on how to get the results you need.

After you read “Get in the Game” I am ready to give you the insight you need, privately, just the two of us, one on one.  I do this to make sure you are moving forward with the best possible strategies.

– I believe in making my clients think and act differently to get new results.

– Easy to implement strategies that are straightforward.

– Want to take action and Get in the Game?

Contact me today!

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

Get In The Game Debuts

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There is more than one way to have a fulfilling career in sports. Career coach and national guest lecturer, Matt Crevin merged his love of sports and his business acumen and made it a career that began with his “rookie” public relations internship for the San Francisco 49ers in 1991.

If you’re a young professional just starting your career, Get in the Game provides the opportunity to learn and develop a game plan for launching your career in the sports industry.

With wisdom, humor and insight, through Matt’s personal experience and industry insider interviews Get in the Game offers a wake-up call for sports industry hopefuls and reminds us there are jobs in sports beyond being an athlete and job search strategies that work best.

College students and young professionals are always searching for a leg up in getting their career started. Learning how to transition from traditional classroom based learning and leverage it into starting a real life work experience is crucial and often the hardest part of launching a career. Creating an easy to execute career search strategy is the main focus of Get in the Game. According to author Matt Crevin, “pairing my 19 years of real world experience specific to the sports industry and creating easy to implement strategies for the students really gives them the edge they need.”

Matt Crevin is Founder of Voice of the Box, and is on the advisory board of MTSU Sports Management Program and an invited guest lecturer throughout the US. He has appeared on numerous radio stations as well as hosting a weekly radio sports-talk program “Beyond the Game” Tuesdays at 9pm ET/6pm PT which features top sports-industry insiders taking listeners on a behind the scenes look at the business side of sports.

[button link=”https://voiceofthebox.com/products-page/”] Buy Now[/button]