Athletic Training Management

Athletic Training Management Chapter 5 How to Get a Job Edited by Makoto Tsuchiya, MS, ATC

How to Get a Job • Four essential steps • Find the job • Prepare a resume • Write a cover letter • Present yourself well in the interview

Searching for a job • NATA Placement Center (membership required) • NCAA News • Local newspaper • Contact ATEPs • Chronicle of Higher Education • ACSM electronic job listing • Human Kinetics electronic job listing • atcplacement, a Yahoo group • NATA Placement Committee’s web publication, Athletic Training Placement Issues and Handbook an Guide is a useful tool

Searching for a Job • NATA National, District, and State Meetings all have some placement area • For June 2004 there were 355 FT and 201 PT jobs listed. At the convention there were 148 new listings. • During the convention there were 104 applications submitted by 27 candidates for 83 jobs.

Resume • Allows you to present yourself in a structured, controlled environment. • Point of reference when first applying for a job. • Allows a potential employer to learn the specific qualifications, experience, and interests of potential employees. • Most reviewers spend 30 seconds on a resume. That is the time you have to sell yourself or eliminate yourself from the pool.

Resume • Target the resume. • Computers are the best thing to happen to resumes because you can have a skeleton stored on the HD and then alter it to the job you are applying for. • You will need to decide on a resume format that appeals to you and to employers and then be consistent.

Resume • One very common format is chronological. • This format lists education, experience, etc., in reverse chronological order. • This is especially recommended for inexperienced candidates. • Another format is called functional. • This format emphasizes skills and deemphasizes dates.

Resume • Identifying information • Put your name at the top of the page, not ‘Resume’ • Include present and permanent addresses and phone numbers • Include your email addresses. • Do NOT include your social security number. • The object is to let them know how to get a hold of you.

Resume • Career Objectives • Focus this on the job you are applying for. • Lay out your long term and short term goals and the type of job that is your ideal • Education • List degrees in reverse chronological order, major and minor areas of study, and the schools attended. High schools are not included.

Resume • Certifications and licenses should be listed in the order of importance and then when they were obtained. Doctoral credential first, Masters credentials next, Bachelors degree credentials last. Dual credentials obtained at the same level are listed in order obtained. If you obtain both ATC and PT at the Bachelor’s level, the order is which one you finished first. • List your GPA only if it is 3.000 or higher on a 4.000 scale. Otherwise, omit the GPA.

Resume • Work Experience • Emphasize responsibilities and achievements in positions held. • Any type of co-op positions, internships, student teaching, clinical experiences should be listed here. • Volunteer experiences are here, also. • Use action verbs in phrases, not complete sentences.

Resume • Publications and Presentations • Any published professional papers or presentations should be included here. • List papers published in refereed journals, non-refereed journals, presentations made at national, district, or state meetings, presentations to community groups, and other things showing a commitment to athletic training. • Do not include letters to the editor.

Resume • Honors and Awards • College honors (Gold Key, Blue Key, Presidential Scholar, Dean’s List, etc.) • Outstanding student in the department, etc. • Nominations in Who’s Who or other listings • Military citations • Avoid credentials that are obtained by buying a book that includes the names of the people who buy it

Resume • Extracurricular Activities • Athletic training student organization • Other school clubs, student government, dorm government, volunteer agencies like Habitat for Humanity • Memberships • Professional associations such as NATA, district and state AT associations, ACSM, NSCA • It is wise to not include controversial organizations

Resume • References • ‘References available on request’ is redundant. If you want the job they certainly are available. • Clear permission with your references first. • Include contact information. • Common practice is to include three professional references. • Use a separate page for the references.

Some Basic Do’s and Don’ts • Do: • Make your resume clean, clear, and perfectly typed and proofread. • Start at the top of the document with your name, address(s), and telephone number(s). • Include career objectives. • Tell enough about yourself to interest the potential employer in learning more about you. The resume should get you the interview. The rest is up to you. • Take the time to prepare a resume that sells your skills for the job market.

Some Basic Do’s and Don’ts • Don’t: • Use colored paper; white or cream is best. • Use odd-sized paper. The standard 8-1/2" x11" is best. • Send a hard-to-read original typed on a faint ribbon or a poorly reproduced copy. Always send a clean original or a very clean copy. If you prepare your resume on a computer, use a laser printer, not a dot matrix printer. • Cross anything out. A surprising number of applicants cross out their addresses to write in a new one.

Cover Letter • Cover letters are the introduction to you and your interest in this job. • It highlights attitudes, character, and qualifications. • It tells the employer why you want this job. • It ain’t GOOD to have speling errers, grammatical errors, and/or typos in either the cover letter or the resume.

Cover Letter • Start emphasizing the skills mentioned in the job description • Address the letter to a person, not ‘To whom it may concern’ or to ‘Director of Personnel’ • Do your homework • Call the organization to find out the chair of the search committee

Cover Letter • Types of cover letters • Detailed application letter • Allows you to be specific to the job • Emphasizes important aspects of the resume • Gets to the point and requests an interview • Flattery is inappropriate here • Asking too many questions or trying to impress with big words is not acceptable, either • Be blunt and get to the point

Cover Letter • AIDA method • Attention • Get the employers attention by making them feel the organization is important • Interest • Use phrases like ‘As you will see from my resume…’ to entice the employer to read further • Desire • If the steps above are enough they will want to proceed • Action • Tell them you will call to be sure they received your materials • Ask for an interview

Writing an Effective Cover Letter • Write to the advertisement. If they ask for a certain skill, make sure they know you have it. • Use a high-quality grade of paper in white, ivory, buff, or gray. Use the same paper as your resume. • Never send a handwritten cover letter. • Send correspondence to a specific contact person. Take the time to call and get their name. • Be sure to follow up with a phone call. • Proofread everything before it goes out for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. • Avoid using clichés.

Interviewing • Types of interviews • Screening interview • Group type interview that only gives the information about the job and possibly collects resumes • Determines if the applicants meet the basic criteria • Contact interview • A first step personal interview to determine if the applicant meets the criteria and helps shrink the pool for the serious interview candidate

Interviewing • On-site interview • More formal process • More people involved including area supervisor and someone from human resources • Tour work facilities • Possibly tour the surrounding area for living accommodations • Who will pay for the expenses • Varies greatly by setting • Pro, college/university employer will pay full costs.

Interviewing • Most clinics pay full costs • High schools rarely pay the cost • Industrial settings are the most variable • If expenses are to be paid by the employer, are they paid up front or reimbursed? • Receipts are very important • Detail tapes, not total tapes from restaurants • Many public institutions will not reimburse alcohol • Keep receipts for travel costs (mileage, tolls, parking, air fare, ground transportation), hotels, and food.

Interviewing • Transportation • Most convenient and economical choice • No first class on planes, trains, etc. • Document mileage • Baggage costs should be documented • Meals • Include tax and tips • Most organizations know the average cost of an interview. If you are way high it is a bad sign.

Interviewing • Non-covered expenses • Travel insurance • Personal phone calls • Hotel stopovers on the way • Expenses for others accompanying you such as parents, spouse, and/or children • Any questions, ask in advance rather than get stuck with the bill

Interviewing • First impressions are lasting impressions • Take the time to make a call and find out the secretary’s name, then greet him/her by name • Visualize your entrance • Good, firm handshake • Eye-to-eye with the interviewer. Don’t sit below eye contact level • People equate power with height, so don’t slouch

Interviewing • If the interviewer is in a wheel chair, always sit before speaking. Be at the same eye-level • If it is necessary to make important remarks, standing is OK • Move slowly. Quick, jerky movements are less credible. • Candidates benefit from the space they take up.

Interviewing • Be sure to sit straight • Do not put your hands in your lap or at your side, but on the arms of the chair • Leaders take up more space than followers • Emit positive energy, emphasize strong points • Ask questions where appropriate

Interviewing • Body language is important • It can tell the interviewer you are disinterested or arrogant or potentially a good employee • Body language is a product of culture, family, geography, economic position, social position • The first few minutes are most important • Be aware of breathing, eye contact and movements, hand and arm motions, and torso movement

How to Promote Yourself During an Interview • Listen intently. • Smile often. • Never miss an opportunity for a good handshake. • Update skills and knowledge according to professional trends and job market. • Prepare for the interview with an honest self-evaluation of goals, work style, and financial needs. • Research the institution; then weave the information into the interview. • Dress appropriately for the interview; your peers may not be the best judges. • Project the attitude of being positive, confident, and pleasant. • Relax, but remain alert throughout the interview process. • Memorize everything on the resume and be able to answer employer’s questions stemming from the resume.

How to Promote Yourself During an Interview • Answer questions in a confident, honest, and straightforward manner. • Answer all questions that are posed, remembering that tough questions, even ones that are discriminatory, offer additional opportunities to reinforce competence and desire for the job. • Communicate strengths and goals. • Ask questions to elicit information about the job and to demonstrate energy and active participation in the interview process. • End the interview on a positive note. • Follow up the interview with a letter.

Some Questions that Will Be Asked • Why do you want to work for our (university, high school, clinic, etc.)? • What duties does your present job include? • What do you like to do in your leisure time? • How do you feel about working with minority or disabled coworkers or patients? • Why should this (university, high school, clinic, etc.) hire you? • What can you tell me about yourself? • What do you expect to be doing five years from now? • What do you like and dislike about your present job? • What are your salary requirements? • What is your greatest professional accomplishment? • How often do you work overtime at your present job? • What is your work history? • What are your strengths and weaknesses? • What can you contribute to this (university, high school, clinic, etc.)? • What would you do if . . . ? (hypothetical situations) • Do you have any questions?

Questions Ponder If a Position Is Worth Pursuing • Investigate the turnover rate for the position. A high turnover rate suggests that the job cannot be adequately performed as structured. • If it is a new position, determine if it is well defined. • Remember that working for an institution in transition can be just as risky as working for one in trouble. • Verify the management philosophy of the supervisor with others in the institution. • Make sure that the job is possible to do as described. • Pay attention to your inner voice; if it tells you something is wrong with the position, the voice may be right.

Salary and Benefits • Geographic location, setting, experience, and many other factors influence your potential salary. • Find out a ballpark salary range paid by the institution • Find out if you know someone who knows someone at the site and talk to them • Find out employees names not in the interview process and ask them

Salary and Benefits • Discuss possible range with peers, former professors, or current coworkers • When determining individual value do an honest self-appraisal and estimate your worth to the organization • Athletic trainers have historically underestimated their worth and have often accepted positions for salaries that nearly qualified them for welfare

Salary and Benefits • One of the interview questions will be ‘What salary will it take to get you to work here?’ Know the answer. Do not overshoot (you will be eliminated) or undershoot (you could have had more) • $22K for a 12 month job with 4 weeks paid vacation is not an acceptable starting point for a college graduate with a professional credential • Minimum should be $28-30K depending where you are • Remember $90K in NYC or San Francisco may not be as good as $65K in Kansas City

Salary and Benefits • Benefits range from 10-12% of base to 35% of base depending on setting, usage, and location • Greatest variability is in health care costs

Paid vacation Health insurance Prescription drug insurance Retirement Life insurance Long-term disability insurance Dental insurance Vision insurance Tuition remission for the employee and/or dependents Child care Profit sharing Sign-on bonus Personal leave days off Christmas bonus Credit union membership Discount on purchases Parking Automobile allowance Meal allowance Clothing allowance Moving expenses Benefits

Cafeteria Plan • Cafeteria plans • Assign each benefit a dollar cost • The employee gets a fixed dollar amount to apply to whatever benefits he/she wants • Example:

Say you are given $6000 to spend on benefits HMO = $2400 BC/BS single = $1400 PPO = $2000 BC/BS family = $3000 Dental = $1000 Dental-ortho = $1500 Vision = $300 Life Insurance self = $200 Life insurance spouse, children = $600 Drug card = $1000 Personal Leave = $80/day Child care = $1500 Parking = $2400 Choose what fits into your budget. Obviously, these costs vary greatly from location to location. (i.e. parking for Boston downtown around Harvard Medical Center may cost more in a month than an entire year at another location) Cafeteria Plan

Benefits • Know the difference between benefits and perks • For example, in some colleges, full time athletic department staff are entitled to 4 season football tickets and 4 season basketball tickets • HOWEVER, if they take them they are taxable income and the employee will get a 1099 Form which is turned into the IRS for income tax purposes • Free clothing from Nike, Adidas, Reebok is the same, IRS 1099 forthcoming

Follow Up! • After you interview, send them a letter thanking them for the interview and letting them know you are interested in the job. • After you get the rejection letter, send them a follow-up letter thanking them for the opportunity to interview and reminding them to keep you in mind for future positions.

Networking • As previously mentioned, while we are a large profession with over 30,000 ATCs, we are also a small profession in that most ‘old timers’ know someone they can call to get the info on you they need. • No formal position announcement would state “A successful candidate must possess an excellent network of mentors, colleagues, and other successful professionals who positively influence the candidate.”

Networking • A superbly constructed resume and cover letter may not be enough to get your foot in the door, but an informal endorsement from the right 3rd party might. • At some institutions all full time athletic department staff ATCs have ties either to the institution as a student or to another institution where some staff athletic trainers previously worked or went to school

What Networking Is • It is about • Helping and supporting others • Learning from others • Constantly strengthening the bonds between people • Seeking help from others • Part of being a professional • Part of a job search process • It is not • Getting ahead of others in the profession • Flattering others or being patronized by others • Using others • Quick fix during the job search process

Athletic Training Management