By Brian Gerrity

Brian Gerrity is a 2005 graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where he was a two-year captain and a 1,000-point scorer for the men’s basketball team. In 2006-07, Gerrity worked at Yale University as an intern in the varsity sports office, where he acted as contest manager for Yale’s nationally-ranked women’s soccer and women’s hockey programs. Gerrity has accepted a fellowship to attend Springfield College in the fall of 2007 to pursue a master’s degree in athletic administration. From time to time, he will share his experiences with AthleticManagement.com.

Labor Day weekend marked the beginning of my career as a graduate fellow and administrator at Springfield College. Although classes did not begin until after Labor Day, as part of my fellowship I was in charge of staffing and managing several contests over the holiday weekend. Springfield was hosting three tournaments—women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and field hockey. One of the aspects of my initial Springfield experience that I found very interesting was the requirement placed on students in athletic-related majors.

Springfield College sports management and athletic administration majors are required to work events and encouraged to move outside of their comfort zones while working. One of the student-workers at the first event I managed had started as a freshman usher and by junior year had earned the nickname “The Voice” for his considerable talents as a game announcer. I learned quickly that while he sounded like a veteran on the microphone, he had to be pushed to try it for the first time. Through required event staff jobs, Springfield students develop a level of comfort with setup, breakdown, and the many variables involved with running a successful collegiate event. By the time the students graduate they are well versed in everything from scoreboard operation to game protocols—and their resumes can reflect that experience. I found the willingness of the student workers at Springfield to try all aspects of contest management refreshing—and vital to their future in pursuing careers in athletics. Several administrators have told me that one of the keys to gaining an interview and employment is to have a resume that separates an applicant from the rest of the pool. Springfield graduates will have bullets on their resume due to their class requirements that the average student will not. This isn’t to say, however, that students at other schools can’t gain the same type of experience if they want it. While at Yale, I had several workers from area schools who worked as event staff at football and basketball contests. Within the department we had a law school student work for one month during the summer on a volunteer basis to gain experience with compliance. In other words, if students are willing to volunteer or make themselves available to work events, there are opportunities that can be had. Over the course of the last couple years I have come up with several ways to improve my resume without spending a tremendous amount of time and money. This list is in no way complete. There are hundreds of ways to improve a resume. All it takes is persistence and creativity. Hopefully this list can help my readers become encouraged to step outside their routine and improve themselves.

1. Classroom Work
One way to improve is through single classes. By taking a targeted class, many times it is possible to gain a certificate or certification in a helpful area. For example, I recently took a class in “crowd management” at a college in New Haven. The class met only five times and cost sixteen dollars. There was no homework, a short quiz at the end of each class, and the final was working an actual event. By passing this class I attained a certificate in crowd management. In other words, for very little money and effort, I attained a certificate that will look great on my resume and set me apart from other candidates who might be applying for a job that I want. By taking this class, it also shows a potential employer that I have an interest in getting better at my job, rather than treading in place or learning as I go.

I have also found it is helpful to look for classes or seminars at the school where I am employed. At Yale, free classes in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Publisher, and a host of other programs are offered. Seminars in leadership and other areas are also offered. In most cases, these are single meeting classes and seminars. They only last an afternoon, and by participating you receive a valuable boost to your resume. Finding these programs is as simple as checking the human resources webpage. Employers are impressed with candidates who are proficient in multiple computer programs.

2. Sports Camp
Over the course of my senior year of college, I decided I wanted to start my own summer basketball camp. I wanted something on my resume that I could call my own. I wanted something unique that showed my abilities as a leader, my creativity, and my entrepreneurial potential. Growing up I had always attended basketball camps, and after high school I spent a majority of my summers working camps. I felt that starting my own camp was the next logical step.

The beauty of camps is the small initial investment. Facilities, meal plans, and lodging are all based on either an hourly rate or per head. They also do not require payment until the conclusion of the camp. The only upfront costs I incurred were a lawyer fee for creating a corporation, insurance, and marketing. By using Bates College’s computer lab, and exercising all of my basketball connections, I was able to minimize my marketing costs. For legal fees I worked out a payment plan with my lawyer. The only cut-and-dried upfront cost was insurance. The policy did not have to be purchased until a few weeks prior to camp—after I had already collected a portion of the camp tuition from attendees. I ended up making multiple thousands of dollars, learning a tremendous amount about running and managing a business, and adding the following to my resume:

Northern Elite LLC
Kents Hill, ME
Founder and Director
Summer 2004-Present

Created business plan, curriculum, and advertising campaign for overnight basketball camp for high school upperclassmen and recent graduates. Explored insurance options, applied to seven schools to establish program site and developed contract, establishing LLC through work with lawyer, and opened corporate account. Actively recruited players, involving contacting college and high school coaches, as well as coaches, lecturers, and officials. Launched advertising campaign, including creating logo and brochure. Conducted outreach through mail, phone, e-mail. Worked with dining services manager to create menu.

Program established: Summer 2004 and runs semi-annually.

3. Fundraise or Start a Charity
One of the major positives to starting a charity or fundraising for a cause is it takes almost no start-up money or time to be successful. The key is finding a worthy cause that is important to you personally. By having a personal interest in the cause, raising money or putting together an action plan will not feel like work. There are hundreds of fundraisers for regional or national causes such as the Jimmy Fund or the March of Dimes. However, for a grassroots fundraiser to be successful, it must be creative and different.

A great example was the high school student who spearheaded an effort to collect old prom dresses in her state to send to Hurricane Katrina victims so they could attend prom. She attracted national attention for her creative approach to solving a problem that no one had put much thought into previously. I started a fundraiser that was very simple. I came up with t-shirts through my company and sold them to raise money to give scholarships to high school kids to attend a summer camp, clinic, or seminar. I was able to raise about $1,000 after paying off all of my costs. This translated into two scholarships for high school student-athletes.

There was no real loser in this resume-building endeavor. The two scholarship recipients are happy because they have been given an opportunity to take part in a program they would otherwise not be able to attend. The donors are happy because they got a t-shirt for their money on top of the satisfaction of knowing they helped two worthy kids. Finally, I was happy because I was able to outfit teams, friends, and family in gear that looks good and promotes my company, and add a strong community-based element to my resume.

4. Volunteer
If creating something out of nothing seems overwhelming, volunteering can also be a good avenue for gaining relevant experience. Every business, school, or company would love free labor from a capable and motivated person. Volunteer jobs in the work world tend to be the lowest of all jobs. Volunteering usually ends up including work that others do not want to do and busy work. The positive aspects of volunteering include being able to write the company or school name on your resume, networking, and getting a foot in the door.

5. Get Published
Writing takes time, effort, and skill. Nothing is more impressive than a potential employee who has been published. Being published speaks to work ethic and the ability to follow through. Being published does not necessarily mean a novel. This could also mean writing a column for a local newspaper or Web site, such as this one. It could also refer to an article being published in a magazine. Local magazines and local newspapers are the easiest route to being published.

Self-improvement is a never-ending campaign. Administrators with decades of experience still attend conferences and workshops. With the athletic industry becoming more and more competitive and specialized each year, it is vital to continue to improve personally. One of the most effective ways to become noticed is by following through with something above and beyond what is expected.

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