In this episode, we chat with the VP of Human Resources at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kristin Hamwey. Our conversation revolves around internship interviews, how to approach them correctly, how to be prepared for them, and what we should avoid doing in them. Kristin shared some examples of networking done right, what she looks for in a candidate during an interview, and much more. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review.  

**********************************************************************"Don't be afraid of making that connection with someone in sports. You may not get any answer, but, someday you will. And I assure you it will open doors." Kristin Hamwey. 

Kristin is an accomplished Human Resources Executive with over 30 years of experience helping organizations reach their goals and succeed. She is a creative thinker, focused on matching the needs and skills of employees with the mission of the organization they work for. 

Kristin worked for 25 years in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. She started as Human Resources Director in 1985, then she acted as Operations Manager and Sales Manager, finally spending another 7 years as Human Resources Director before joining the Buccaneers. 

Today, Kristin shared excellent insights on how candidates should prepare for an internship interview. She explained how they almost immediately can tell the difference between someone ready for an interview and someone just logging in on Zoom to join a meeting on their calendar. 

We also talked about approaching interviews from a different perspective, understanding the person interviewing us is trying to solve a problem and is hoping WE are the person they're looking for.

Resources:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers website: https://www.buccaneers.com/
• Kristin Hamwey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-hamwey-sphr-shrm-scp-403a837/

Today's episode is a special one; we will cover some of the new exciting things we are cooking for Red Shirt Scholars, the changes on the podcast show, and the type of content I'll start sharing from now on. We will also go through some top tips to clinch your ideal job, the briefcase technique, the dos and don'ts during job interviews, and more. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review.  

*****************************************************************

Although we mentioned it several times in the show, we can't stress enough the importance of networking. When networking is done correctly, sometimes a job interview can be just a formality to introduce us to the staff or formally present us to management.

Proper networking, being specific and strategic about the applications we submit are some of the key elements we talk about today, which will put you closer to your dream job in the sports industry. 

In today's episode, we chat with Rachel Gutting, Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Our conversation revolves around the internship at the Hall, how many applications they get every summer, how they go through them, and what characteristics they look for in future candidates. Rachel shares how a day 1 of an intern looks like and describes her work before Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review.  

**********************************************************************

"Out of the 1500 plus applications we receive every summer, 90% of them say they want to work at the Hall because they love sports. (...) What else do you love? Do you love the business side of sports? You should love sports but also be interested in something more; just because you love sports doesn't mean you'll be great at Marketing." - Rachel Gutting.

Rachel Gutting started as a Communications Assistant and worked her way up to becoming the Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives at the Hall. She holds a B.S. in Kinesiology and Sports Communication from Indiana University and a J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law. 

Every summer, at the Hall of Fame, they receive over 1500 applications from students interested in their internship programs. The selective process takes months because they go through the applications one by one and dedicate the same time and effort applicants did. This is done to respect the time applicants put in filling the forms and knowing the candidates better. 

Throughout this episode, we talk about the process of getting an internship at the Hall, what makes candidates less interesting for the position, and the questions every student should know how to answer in their interviews. We also go through the job interns perform at the Hall archive and what characteristics communication interns should have. 

Visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame website: https://www.profootballhof.com/

Or connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-gutting-b7924461/

In this episode, we look at internships from the expert point of view of Leah Babbitt, Human Resources VP at the Dallas Wings. We talk about writing the perfect resume and the importance of matching candidates' personalities with the type of work environment. Leah kindly shared details of how she approaches job interviews, her take on unpaid internships, and transferable skills. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review.  

**********************************************************************"Writing a resume is a little bit of an art. There is a balance between making sure you represent yourself with enough details to get someone's attention without completely filling a page and distracting them from your overall message." - Leah Babbitt.

Leah Babbitt is the Vice President of Human Resources at the Dallas Wings. She is also a Strategic Business Partner of Human Resources at American Fidelity. Leah holds a degree in Forensic Psychology from the University of Maryland. 

When conducting interviews, Leah focuses on trying to get the essence of every candidate's personality. Asking questions about the candidate's past experiences, Leah can get a better understanding of what motivates or frustrates that person. For her, working in an incompatible environment is as frustrating as being led by a disastrous manager. 

Leah also shared her opinion on unpaid internships, the present and future projects at the Dallas Wings, and how COVID affected the flow of internships. 

You can visit the Dallas Wings website:

https://wings.wnba.com/

Or connect with Leah on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-babbitt-a8857915b/

This week, we talk about the importance of making contacts in sports while we are in college. I've noticed many people find themselves graduated with no experience and with no connections to make things worse. I'll share what I did and still do to enlarge my contacts list and what we can do to reach out and get in touch with people in the industry. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review. 

In this episode, we answer a controversial question: overall, do unpaid internships help or hurt your professional career? We look at unpaid internships' pros and cons and their alternatives for those who want to go through a different path. I'll also share my personal experience with unpaid internships, what I think of them, and the results they gave me. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review. 

Today, we continue talking about how to be prepared for a job interview. I'll share some questions I've got from a sports talent acquisition specialist that'll be helpful for future interviews. We'll explore questions asked for both entry-level and managerial positions, and we will also look at the proper posture, attitude, and mindset before an interview. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review.  

Continuing our episode series on tips to clinch job interviews, we answer a question all of us should be ready to answer, why should I hire you? We discuss how to approach this question correctly, what to avoid when answering it, and the best way to prepare ourselves for an interview. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review.

In this episode, we talk about something most applicants fail to answer correctly during a job interview: "tell me about yourself." I share with you some tips to consider when answering this during an interview, so you can put together a compelling story about yourself. We will look at the length and content of a proper answer, what we need to avoid, and what we must focus on. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a five-star iTunes review.