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August 2008
TURF RUNDOWN
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The 2-Minute Tip for Success
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by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Founder of Quintessential Careers
Remember that your work is not done once you finish the interview. You can't sit back and wait for the job offer, so consider these key rules and strategies for following-up your job interviews.
• Do ask at the end of the interview when the employer expects to make the hiring decision.
• Do be proactive and consider follow-up a strategic part of your job search process. Follow-up can give you just the edge you need to get the job offer over others who interviewed for the position.
• Do use these follow-up techniques to continue to show your enthusiasm and desire for the position, but don't make it seem as though you are desperate.
• Do obtain the correct titles and names of all the people who interviewed you. (Ideally, do get each person's business card.)
• Do write individual thank you notes or letters to each person who interviewed you -- within two business days. Each letter can be essentially the same, but try to vary each a bit in case recipients compare notes. Don't ever fail to send a thank you -- even if you are sure the job is not for you. And do write thank you notes after every interview.
• Don't worry so much about hand-written versus typed thank you letters, but don't make a mistake by sending it through the wrong medium; make sure you know the best method of reaching the employer, whether by regular mail, email, or fax.
• In your thank you letter, do show appreciation for the employer's interest in you and do remind the employer about why you are the perfect person for the position. See some sample interview thank you letters.
• Don't ever have any errors (misspellings or typos) in your thank you letters.
• Do alert your references -- if you have not done so already -- that they may be getting a phone call from the employer.
• Don't stop job-hunting, even if you feel confident that you will get a job offer. Do continue to interview and attempt to find other opportunities.
• Do follow-up with a telephone call to the employer within a week to ten days (or sooner, if the employer had a shorter timetable) to ask about the position. And do continue to build rapport and sell your strengths during the phone call.
• Do be patient. The hiring process often takes longer than the employer expects.
• Do continue following-up, especially if the employer asks you to. Remember the adage about the squeaky wheel getting the oil. Just don't go overboard and annoy or bother the employer.
• Don't place too much importance on one job or one interview; there will be other opportunities for you.
• Do use other job offers as leverage in your follow-up -- to get the offer you really want.
• Don't burn any bridges if you do not get a job offer. And do try and turn the situation into a positive by bringing the interviewer(s) into your network, possibly even asking them for referrals to other contacts. Read more about the art of networking.
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News You Can Use
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The deadline to submit your Volunteer Interest form to be considered for STMA Board of Directors service is Aug. 31. STMA is seeking interest from all categories of membership. Director positions specifically up for the 2009 election are the categories representing: schools K-12, commercial, and professional (facilities used by professional athletes). To be eligible to run for the schools K-12 director position, you must be a voting member of STMA and manage one or more sports fields for an institution that provides education to students in grades Kindergarten through 12. A commercial director candidate must be an STMA voting member who is employed by a company engaged in a commercial enterprise that provides services and/or products to the sports turf profession. An STMA voting member who manages sports fields used by professional athletes qualifies to run for board service in the professional category. To indicate your interest to the Nominating Committee, fill out this form.
Leadership Expert to Address STMA Conference
Steve Farber, President of Extreme Leadership, Inc., will present the keynote address to kick off the Conference General Session on Thursday morning, Jan. 15, 2009, at the McEnery Convention Center in San José. Farber is an author, presenter and expert in leadership development. His first book, The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership is a recipient of Fast Company magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award, and his second book, The Radical Edge: Stoke Your Business, Amp Your Life, and Change the World, was hailed as “a playbook for harnessing the power of the human spirit.” Farber worked for six years as the Vice President and Official Mouthpiece for Tom Peters, Inc.
Coaching and inspiring Extreme Leadership at all organizational levels is Steve’s passion, and he does so with a style that is part strategist, part social commentator, part comedian, and all energy! You will not want to miss this opportunity to experience Farber’s powerful message and enhance your leadership talents.
STMA Pilots $55 Dues Proration
The STMA Board of Directors accepted the recommendation of the Membership Committee to offer prorated dues as a one-time offer to new members who join the association anytime now through September. Those who take advantage of the dues proration will receive membership benefits through December. This offer aligns the STMA membership benefits received during the shortened year with the cost of membership at $55.
This is an excellent opportunity for you to affordably introduce your staff to STMA and to encourage chapter members to join the association. It can also help those whose budget year begins in July to have immediate access to STMA as they plan for a full year of membership in 2009 at the regular price. Please feel free to forward this membership application to those who qualify. New members in the categories of Sports Turf Managers, Sports Turf Manager Associates, and Academics will pay $55 to join now through September, and Commercial members will receive the special rate of $148. As this pilot is evaluated, plans are to have this offer in effect for June through September in 2009.
Don’t Forget to Apply for STMA Field of the Year!
The STMA Field of the Year Application is online and we expect a record number of applicants! The STMA Awards Committee created the new STMA Sporting Grounds of the Year category to recognize fields that host unique sports such as rugby, cricket, horse racing, and field hockey. STMA may also present STMA Field of the Year at the Professional, College and University, and Schools and Parks levels in Football, Baseball, Soccer, and Softball categories.
The Awards Committee has revised the application and expanded the number of allowable photographs to 25 to encourage creative and unique entries for 2008, including field photos in the off-season and other events on hosted on your field.
All STMA Field of the Year Awards application materials must be submitted by October 15, 2008. Make sure to send in separate applications for each category and/or level for which you are applying!
Click here to access the STMA Field of the Year Application.
If you have questions about the new category or the STMA Field of the Year program, contact Patrick Allen at pallen@stma.org.
Two New educational Resources Available!
Painting Tips for the Volunteer & Bermudagrass Athletic Field Management Calendar by the University of Tennessee Extension are now available in PDF on the STMA website. Click here to download and print copies.
STMA Receives Solid Financial Report
Long CPA, PA, an independent auditors firm, completed the 2007 financial audit of STMA and its foundation, SAFE, and presented its findings to Treasurer Troy Smith, CSFM. Smith subsequently shared the report with the Finance & Audit Committee and the STMA Board of Directors. As a member of STMA, the audit results are available to you on the members-only side of the website. The auditors also report that ‘the accounting records were found to be in excellent order.’ STMA will be providing its Annual Report to the membership including the Financial Report in the October issue of SportsTurf Magazine. To continue to strengthen the financial position of the association, the STMA Board has authorized engaging the firm of Smith-Barney for investment advice, planning and services.
STMA Adds Big Brands to its Merchandise Line
Shirts, windshirts, jackets, and hats, made by Nike, Ping, Arnold Palmer, PGA and Izod brands, are available from the STMA Store! Go to the STMA Store, and click on Brands and on Items from Conference to see the selection. You can select the thread color of your choice for the STMA logo and our store also has the ability to place the STMA logo on the garment’s sleeve — just indicate this placement in the Special Instruction’s box. Order your STMA merchandise now in time to wear during your chapter’s fall events and at the annual STMA conference!
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