The Art of the Job Application and Interview
Interviews can be one of the most stressful and daunting experiences in your professional life. Anytime the unknown is obscure, there will always be indecision, doubt, intimidation, nervousness, and a feeling outside one’s comfort level.
To counter these characteristics, one should begin with the application process by gaining as much information on the position, the facility, and the hiring entity as you can. I am always amazed when a candidate has not properly researched the club/facility and properly prepared for the process. Know the answer to these minimum questions:
How many courts and type of courts (hard, soft, grass, indoor, pickle, paddle, lighted)?
How large is the membership and the median age of the members?
What type of candidate are they looking for and the areas of expertise that are desired?
Who will be your immediate supervisor?
How large of a staff is in place or planned for a successful operation?
What type of club/facility (municipality, private, public, profit, non-profit, resort, commercial)?
A successful job interview works in a yin and yang fashion. The candidates are asked questions by the employer to determine if they are the right fit for the club/facility. At the same time, there are questions they may wish to ask the General Manager and/or the Search Committee:
JOB POSITION QUESTIONS
How long have you been the General Manager at that club/facility?
How many Directors has the club/facility had in the last 10 years?
Is there a tennis or racquets committee? And what is their role?
How many personnel are currently active in the tennis department?
Who hires/fires the assistant professionals and who do they report to?
What would a typical work week look like? (What day(s) do you have off?)
Can you teach non-members for an upcharge fee?
Are you considered an employee or independent contractor?
Is there any type of retirement plan or benefits package?
Is there a meal allowance?
Can immediate family use club amenities such as pool and tennis?
Is there a relocation expense?
Is there a line item in the operating budget for tennis / pickle / paddle balls?
MEMBERSHIP QUESTIONS
What percentage of members live within three miles of the property?
How many families with children are members?
Is this a member equity club?
OPERATIONS QUESTIONS
Are you at liberty to disclose what the total tennis department budget is? What percentage is that of the overall budget?
How does billing work? Members charge to account? Chits? Club accepts cash?
Who sets lesson rates?
Is there a brick-and-mortar office?
Is there a line item in the tennis department budget for: Continuing education? Professional dues?
Is there a maintenance or grounds crew to assistant with court maintenance?
Is the club open to hosting USTA-sanctioned events or outside events?
RESUME AND COVER LETTER
Everyone is familiar with the phrase, “You only get one chance to make a first impression!” Well, that begins with your resume and your cover letter. Your resume should have a professional appearance and convey your name and contact information; personal statement; educational background; work history (in reverse chronological order); professional designations; any relevant honors, awards, and significant achievements; and skills and/or work-related tools.
Some common pitfalls in preparing resumes may include:
Your name and contact information are not prominently displayed. Make it easy for the hiring entity to contact you and include both your personal cell and email address.
Attempting to put too much information into your resume. No more than two pagesis sufficient to describe you as a candidate.
Gaps in work history. If there is a situation where your work history demonstrates a significant time gap, make sure your address the reason(s).
Resume is too plain. Be careful of creating a resume with just one font and font size in black and white. Often, you are competing against as many as fifty resumes to reach the next level in the application process and your resume should stand out, perhaps by adding color, eye-catching headings, and unique formatting.
Resume includes data/numbers that are not measurable. Consider comparing both past and improved numbers in your accomplishments and percentage increases.
Your cover letter is your opportunity to highlight your accomplishments, particularly connected to the job description that has been provided. Consider using similar key words that appear in the job description. Don’t ever assume that your potential employer will read every word of your resume. Your cover letter is your chance to make sure your potential employer reads and becomes familiar with some of the key points of your career that you wish to bring to their attention!
Some common pitfalls in preparing cover letters may include:
Cover letter is generic. Make sure your letter is personalized to the employer. You never want to give the impression that you are simply seeding the job market with your search.
Cover letter is plain in appearance. Again, presentation separates you from the masses. Consider developing your own stationery template with color and prepare your cover letter on your own personalized stationery.
Grammar and spelling counts. Review, review, and review your cover letter before sending it out. Misspelled words or incoherent sentences give your employer the impression that you are careless.
Your submitted cover letter and resume was constructed in an unfamiliar software program. I always recommend saving your documents in .pdf formats so that they can be universally opened. Make it easy for the employer to learn about you!
The job application process and interview can be a long and painstaking endeavor. Consider recording yourself as practice for a job interview and speaking into a mirror to develop a comfort level. The entire exercise is anything but routine, but then, you are preparing for a potential life change. Best of luck with your searches!
McMahon Careers offers career coaching and executive education programs for racquet sports professionals and executive search services for employers. The firm also manages and delivers all services offered through USPTA DirectorSearch. For information visit: mcmahoncareers.com or USPTADirectorSearch.com