When I haven't been getting beat in racquetball or training for Pat's Run, which is a 4.2 mile run held in Tempe on April 16, 2010 to raise money for the Tillman Foundation, I've been spending most of my days in the living room. Its rather depressing that I'm here in this new, beautiful climate and haven't really taken the time to explore it very much. I have, however, met up with a high school friend on the other side of town so I've at least seen more of the city since the previous post. Additionally, I went to an Arizona Cardinals football game this past Sunday, which proved to be an event and not because of the football either. Suffice it to say one of our tailgaters got a little out of hand in the pregame festivities and was kicked out of the stadium before he could reach his seats - fortunately for me and one of the other guys in our group, we were a few steps behind and therefore were not associated with him and stayed to watch the game. In my defense, I'm broke as hell and I paid a scalper for my ticket, I wasn't about to miss out on my first NFL game experience, with one of my favorite teams no less, because some guy couldn't control himself at the tailgate.
So, if you take out the work outs, racquetball and a few weekend activities thus far, I've had a fair amount of free time on my hands. A high priority has obviously been to find a job and I went out in search of work after I got settled. Tired of retail and other operations that, in no way, have anything to do with my degree, I concluded that those would be a last resort option. I stopped in at a few golf courses to inquire about pro shop help since the busy season for Arizona golf courses is now upon us (snow birds and all...). I also asked at the racquetball facilities we've been frequenting and a new gym is opening near the house so I checked with them as well.
Before moving out here, I sent out emails and checked in with some people I've met through networking and other stops in life. One such connection was my current roommate who had a friend working for the Cardinals ticket sales staff. As luck would have it, she was leaving the position soon but before she did, she was kind enough to pass on my resume. I attempted to make contact with all the local contacts I had been given prior to leaving Iowa at this point as well. I wasn't having much success getting a hold of anyone and the pro shop idea didn't seem to be gaining any traction when I finally received a call from the Cardinals organization. The gentleman on the other end, Ron, wanted to know if I was still interested in talking to him about the ticket sales position. Of course I said yes, even though I wasn't entirely sure what the position was all about. Before I moved, I was basically looking for an in any way I could get it, so if that meant sending my resume along to the Cards ticket operations without really knowing what, if any, opportunities were available, I was all for it. Ron and I scheduled a time for an interview and I was happy to finally have a lead.
The next week I interviewed with Ron and learned more about the position - seeking out prospective clientele, placing calls to potential customers, etc. The interview was pretty standard (where do you see yourself in 5 years, strengths, weaknesses, and so on) and we ended the conversation with a plan to have a decision by the end of the week. Friday came and Ron asked if I was still interested. I was and we moved forward in the process. I was to fill out some paper work so they could run a background check on me. After sending that information back over I had to wait until Tuesday the following week to officially be extended an offer which I received while in the weight room at the Chicago White Sox spring training facility.
I accepted and will begin working with the Arizona Cardinals ticket sales staff on November 30th. It somehow seems oddly appropriate that after years of endless planning and a resume comprised primarily of intercollegiate athletics experience that I would find my first job in a field I have no experience with, in an industry I always considered secondary to where I wanted to work, and all after I moved over a thousand miles away on a whim. Funny how life works sometimes.
This is the start of a new chapter to be certain, but certainly not the end of the book or this Act in the show for that matter. This is Fresh 35: An Intern's Foray Into the Business of Intercollegiate Athletics. Intercollegiate, not professional. We're making progress team, but we aren't there yet. Clearly this opportunity will provide me with the opportunity to be a little more selective in new opportunities while gaining some valuable experience in a field that is absolutely critical to the success of any athletic organization - professional, intercollegiate or otherwise. As I stated in my interview with Ron, in order to reach my goal of one day becoming a senior administrator, I find it crucial that I experience as many aspects to athletics that I can so whenever I'm calling the shots, I can draw from personal experience and will be able to relate to problems and concerns from whoever is working that position then by saying, I've been there, I understand, lets work together to find a solution.
I was asked after my round of unsuccessful interviews this summer if I had learned anything from the experience. I wasn't sure at the time, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to think the variety of my experiences were crippling, rather than enhancing my chances with these employers. In every case, it was always the same reason they chose another. "This person had more experience in sports information." or "He had more graphic design experience." I began to think maybe I should have focused in on one area rather than trying to broaden my experience, which was frustrating to think. It wasn't until that I remembered my long term goals and aspirations that I again became confident in my professional and educational choices. Variety and broad horizons enhance rather than detract in almost every aspect of life in my opinion and its because I still feel strongly about that fact, I know, while this is a great step for me personally, it is only a means to an end.
With that, I'm off to get beat in more racquetball...
More later
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