September 23, 2014
The Sports Resume: ESPN Recruiters Share Tips for Gaining Employment
ESPN, a subsidiary of Disney, is one of the top global brands in sports (top global brands in sports). The company generates billions annually as it commands north of $6 per subscriber per month from cable and satellite operators.
The sports network is also one of the most popular and sought after employers for those seeking jobs within the sports industry. ESPN receives hundreds of applications per job opening. The company uses the Kenexa applicant tracking system software platform to screen candidate submissions. ESPN is very active in using social media platforms for recruiting efforts, which includes Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Tierra Patterson, Stacy Williamson, and Jason Hernandez are arguably the most active of all ESPN recruiters who use social media to promote open positions and collaborate with job seekers. This includes hosting Twitter Chat Sessions (The next event is scheduled for today, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. EST., using #ESPNCareers.)
I recently conducted a question and answer session with the three recruiters. They provided some valuable tips for job seekers, which includes common applicant mistakes and information on the company’s hiring strategies.
Most common job applicant errors:
The most common types of job applicant errors are typos, misspellings, and inaccurate information. Job applicants should always research the company they seek employment with and tailor their résumé to fit the position. Job applicants should also make their résumé easy for the recruiter to read, where formatting should be consistent throughout the entire document.
LinkedIn use for job-seeking candidates:
LinkedIn is a great tool which allows recruiters to attract top talent, including those not initially seeking employment with ESPN. LinkedIn allows recruiters to share information about open positions (Outside of the job description), stay informed of industry activities, and increase personal networks. Recruiters also have the ability to read job seekers responses within various groups pertaining to a variety of subjects. Job Seekers are allowed to share their personal story, list accomplishments connected to individual employers, skills, and share instant feedback. Résumés are sometimes limiting.
Twitter Chat sessions:
The Twitter chat events bring awareness to our open positions and enhances the ESPN brand as an employer of choice within the sports industry. Social media platforms provide opportunities to cast a wider net and get targeted information to a larger audience than what can be reached by standard recruitment and job posting processes. These events also allow us to collaborate with multiple ESPN business units and hiring managers, where we develop marketing strategies for promoting job opportunities within individual company sectors (e.g. technology, analytics). Participants benefit by receiving an inside look at the roles and responsibilities of open positions. Twitter chat sessions also give participants an opportunity to build professional networks and gain a better understanding of the qualifications recruiters seek. The constant recruiter and job seeker interactions also helps to remove the notion that candidates job application documents enter a “black hole” when submitted to ESPN.
ESPN Employment Contacts on Twitter:
– ESPN Careers (@ESPNCareers)
– ESPN Technology (@ESPNTechology)
– Stacy Williamson (@RecruiterStacy)
– Tierra Patterson (@ESPNRecruiterTP)
– Jason Hernandez (@ESPNRecruiter_J)
– Aaron LaBerge (@aaron)