Leaders at some of the executive search firms that work across sports shared insights and advice with SBJ about the new jobs available in the industry and how people seeking those roles should approach their search.

CHAD BIAGINI, President of Excel Search & Advisory

TRACY MURDOCH O’SUCH, Global Managing Partner of Media, Entertainment and Sports for Diversified Search Group

DIANA BUSINO, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at TurnkeyZRG

Interviews have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

What advice can you give to job seekers who want to land one of these roles?

O’SUCH: Research, research, research. If you want to understand the entire ecosystem, you really want to research similar roles within companies and brands that you admire. If you love a sports team, go to the website, check out the job openings, look at some of the backgrounds of the titles of the people who are sitting in the jobs that you want, and reach out to those people. It’s not novel advice, but network.

BIAGINI: I find it can be tempting for candidates to look at something and say, ‘That sounds like a great job,’ but if it doesn’t work for their family to move elsewhere, then it’s not even relevant or practical. So why flirt with the opportunity? Or if you don’t necessarily have the ability to add all the value that the rest of the market could add, then you’re naive. You’re applying and interviewing for a job that you have a very low likelihood of actually securing. So know what you’re good at and know what your peers are good at and differentiate.

BUSINO: If you can get an interview, look at that time as a way to flex your muscles. That’s a way to really show how you think and what’s important to you. It’s your time to connect the role you want back to what you’ve done. So take that time and use it well.

Are there any common mistakes which you see often? Something that candidates should avoid?

BUSINO: Employers want to see curiosity out of you. I like it when people kick tires and will take a call. The people that really stand out, to me, are the ones who come prepared with real questions. But not like “What’s the head count?” or “What’s the budget?” or any of that kind of stuff. It’s somebody that is almost looking at it from a diagnostic perspective, trying to get to the root of the problem.

O’SUCH: You need to find a unique way to do outreach. Don’t just barrage someone through LinkedIn. The common pitfall when you’re out of a job for a while is that it feels like no one is returning your calls. But you need to stop whining about it and just find a creative way to get interactions and connections.

BIAGINI: I see too commonly that people don’t know how to tell their story well. Your résumé shouldn’t be undervalued. It’s an opportunity for you to showcase to an organization what you think you’re good at and why you mattered in your last organization. So be specific about accomplishments, so employers can understand more about what you actually did beyond your job title, because that only gives you a piece of the story, but not the whole thing.

Where should job seekers go to find these opportunities?

BIAGINI: You need to be the best person you can be at your current job. When I’m conducting a search, I might call a chief marketing officer and say, “Who’s the best chief marketing officer in the industry?” because we use a sniper approach. We’re less excited by the people who say, “Hey, I heard you have this opening and I want to apply.” Frankly, these high-end jobs are not publicly posted and word of mouth is powerful. You only get that by being amazing at your job.

BUSINO: It really depends on the level. At a certain point, jobs are going to go through search firms. So you need to establish relationships, especially if you’re after an executive-level position. Newsletters and looking at postings are a good way of staying informed, but it’s sometimes not enough. You really want people that will vouch for you and get your name out there.

O’SUCH: I think there’s a lot you can gain from websites like LinkedIn. So write out five companies you admire and go to their open roles and make connections from there. It takes a lot of research, but I find that younger generations are so much more savvy with tech that they can connect naturally with people.