Is that a Gimmick Offense?

This is the question Mack Brown (Head Coach of the University of Texas) asked opposing coaches whose team lost to Boise State in 2010. Bryan Harsin was the Offensive Coordinator for Boise State last year. Coach Harsin is the new Co-Offensive Coordinator for Texas.

This in-depth investigation and analysis speaks volumes into the hiring process Coach Brown uses when making staff changes. What do your counterparts think about your coaching abilities? Was it the coaching or did talented players “hide and mask” coaching weaknesses?

On paper (The Résumé), address and be specific in listing team progression in the category you are responsible for coaching (Ex. Defense –Secondary, Defensive Line, etc.. # of interceptions, sacks, etc…). When listing areas of improvement, list the number of replacement players from the previous season. A category that shows consistency and improvement with new personnel speaks volumes on a candidate’s coaching ability.

Watch the enclosed video to get an in-depth look of Coach Brown’s hiring process. Use this information to your advantage when going forward with your employment search. Use opposing coaches as references (Important: Put them on notice about your intentions).

“In some cases, the writer is essentially a keyboarder who takes the information you provide and puts it into a simple format without asking questions.”  – Michael Farr, Same Day Resume

It is always to your benefit as a candidate to shop around before hiring a company to help with career planning. Many companies provide unrealistic claims and guarantees (Ex. We guarantee you will get an interview……).

The Sports Resume (TSR) approach is based on realistic assessments. We make no guarantees about employment, but always provide insight learned from speaking with industry insiders and hiring managers. Listed below are a few details explaining our procedures:

Resume/CV: after customer submissions, a brief interview is conducted to pinpoint the candidates Sports Industry “area” of interest. We then review the submitted resume and check for any errors in grammar. With customer input, a new resume design is created (if necessary). The last step is in documenting “any” of the candidates Results/Achievements in the employment history that are relevant to the current position.

Cover Letter: customer submits a copy of their current Resume/CV and the job description. The next step is in determining whether the candidate meets any or all of the employers REQUIREMENTS listed in the job description. The final step is in the design.

Again, we are more than professional writers and examiners. The need for your input is critical. The final product should “always” be a reflection or mirror image of you as the candidate and not the penmanship of TSR writers. We do not create FICTIONAL CHARACTERS.

Take a look @ our Facebook Page for the list of upcoming Career Fairs and Coaches Clinics.

We published a story some time ago regarding the relevance of References in the job search process. Our message was that reference submissions appear to only benefit the candidate. We arrived at this conclusion where most if not all candidates list those people as references who will state nothing negative, making the candidate appear flawless (Ex. A Fictional Character).

References don’t benefit employers when making evaluations on a person’s candidacy. To make an informed decision, employers “need” the complete picture (Although very unlikely to receive this). This is the reason many employers are now conducting Backdoor Reference Checks (BRC’s).

Backdoor Reference Check (BRC): an employer’s act of speaking with a candidate’s previous and current co-workers whom were not submitted as a references with the job application materials.

In layman’s terms, a BRC is an employer’s attempt to get a complete picture of a candidates behavior, work habits, attitude, etc… This would ultimately benefit the employer, assisting them in making informed decisions before bringing a new person on board. Should candidates beware? What would that co-worker say about you who was not included on your reference list?

More employers are conducting BRC inquiries, in which we feel they should. Also, with the popularity and growth of social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn), current and former co-workers will be easy to locate. When asked about your work habits and attitude, what would be the response? Ironically, the subtitle for the LinkedIn website is that “Relationships Matter.”

Candidates should always consider employers conducting a BRC search in today’s environment. Also, remove the “References available upon request” tab from your Resume/CV. This is not in an attempt to hide information but once again our premise is that Reference submissions are useless to employers where many companies are adjusting their background checks to reflect this.   

-TSR writers

Obviously by providing the writing services, this writing should be considered a sales pitch.

However, the writers at TSR never want a Sports-Industry candidate to be put in a situation where you are called in for an interview for the purpose of being mocked. It does happen and surprisingly very often.

We will continue to advocate to all that you should never submit a Resume/CV or Cover Letter without getting a 2nd or 3rd set of eyes to view and analyze prior to submission. This is done to save candidates from becoming “time puppets” or “lunch-time entertainment” to Hiring Managers.

REAL SCENARIO:

One of our writers, while at a previous employer, had the opportunity to participate on an interview panel. A week prior to the interview date, a co-worker placed the candidates’ Resume on the main counter for all to see. Every grammatical error was highlighted. Special emphasis was placed on the candidates’ undergraduate major (B.S. in English).

Although granted an interview, this person was not selected for employment. This decision came as no surprise given the employer conduct prior to the interview.

This scenario can happen to anyone. Do not take the content of your Resume/CV for granted. You want your candidacy to be taken seriously and not as an employers side show.