Here is most of a letter I recently sent to a man who asked my advice on making the move from his position as an Athletic Director at a private high school to college.  This is what I wrote:

A few questions:

• Are you willing to relocate?
• Is there one part of athletics that makes you more excited than any other?
• Do you like fundraising or see it as a necessary evil of athletics?
• After being an AD, are you content that you will be living the vision of someone else?
• A high percentage of Division III AD’s are also coaches.  Is coaching something you would be qualified to do?

Now a few suggestions:

• Here is the link for the membership job board at the NCAA:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/ncaa/ncaa/about+the+ncaa/overview/employment

Scroll down to the bottom for an especially interesting section called the Pathfinder.  This may answer more questions than I can pose (the difference being that you are getting my advice for free – may be what it is actually worth (smile) – and they charge).

• I looked at some jobs.  You will be in the experience conundrum.  This is where you need to be creative.  Look at jobs you think you are overqualified for and under qualified for.  Analyze what experience and education they require and aim for the middle.
• Get on Google Maps (any mapping software will do, actually) and put yourself in the center.  Draw a circle around yourself seventy five miles from the center and find every higher education institution in that circle.  Include every school from community colleges to national universities.  Reach out to every athletic director and ask them the same questions you are asking me.  Do not ask for a job.  Get their advice.  I would contact three to five a week until you have exhausted the list.  Ask each of them the same questions and compare their answers.  This will not only get your name out there it will help you focus on what you really want to do within the athletic department.  Take your time defining this list.

This should keep you busy for a while!

Please keep in touch and let me know how your search is going.

Until next time!

Jude Russo Caserta

AthleticBudgetCoach.com/blog

Twitter: JudeCaserta Linkedin: Jude Russo Caserta

E-mail: judi_caserta@athleticbudgetcoach.com

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