SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/30215
STMA in action Knoxville Regional Conference promises education and fun at great value WHILE THE FOCUS of the upcoming STMA Southeast Regional Conference, June 15-16, in Knoxville, TN will be sports turf-specific education and agronomy, you can bet that there will be some fun, too. In addition to taking in more than 12 hours of sports turf-spe- cific education, the more than 200 expected attendees will be treated to a night at Smokies Park for a game between the Dou- ble-A Tennessee Smokies (Cubs) and the Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers) Wednesday, June 15. Included with each ticket will be a coupon good for a hot dog, chips and a drink at the park. >> LAST SUMMER’S REGIONAL EVENT in Seattle included a surprise visitor during the Seattle Seahawks’ practice facility tour: head coach Pete Carroll. After a day at the University of Tennessee’s Center for Athletic Field Safety featuring demos, seminars by leading researchers and practitioners, and a product exhibition, you can be sure that at- 5 tips to getting the job Editor’s note: this advice originally appeared in “STMA News On- line”; visit www.stma.org to learn how you can begin receiving it. 1. Interview like a jobholder, not a job hunter. Job hunters might come across as needy, dejected and too willing. 2. Too much honesty isn’t necessarily a good thing. Being too honest and revealing too much can turn against you in the job hunting process—especially, if you’ve been laid off or let go. When an employer asks you, “Why did you leave your last job?” or “Why were you let go?” he’s really asking: “What’s wrong with you?” An example response is: “My company suffered a severe downsizing. My immediate boss had no choice but to let me go and after she let me go, she was let go.” 3. Would you hire this guy? Don’t come into the interview cocky. Dress professionally. Go after every interview like it’s the last one you’ll ever have. 4. In salary negotiations, the person who mentions the num- 42 SportsTurf | May 2011 ber first loses. When they ask you how much you are looking for, say that you don’t want to disqualify yourself by a number, can you tell me how much you have budgeted for this position? You can also give employers a ballpark, saying that your current com- pensation package is in the $60,000 range and that you want to stay in that range. Lump all your compensation together. By throwing out numbers you might sell yourself short. After all, you don’t know the company’s range of salary or compensation. 5. Say thanks by sending thank you letters within 24 hours of each interview. If three people interview you at one company, send three separate thank you notes. Cohen says that when com- petition for a job is tight, thank you notes have the power of swaying an employer your way. ■ Attributed to Barry Cohen, University Employment Coordinator, City University of New York, published in Job Hunting: Get Aggres- sive to Get the Job You Want by Lisette Hilton www.sportsturfonline.com tendees will be ready for a night at the ballpark. The next morn- ing kicks off at 8 am, with sessions being offered on two tracks: football and baseball. Each will include a panel discussion with the facility managers, more turf docs, and other sports turf man- agers from around the country. There will also be a tour of each sport’s respective stadium at UT. While focusing on sports turf managers, STMA encourages attendance by members, crew, coaches, administrators, and volunteers, and will be providing ed- ucation for all levels of sports turf experience. In addition to the education, exhibition, and baseball game, lunch on both days, dinner at the ballpark on Wednesday and breakfast on Thursday, are all included with the $95 registration fee ($125 for those who aren’t members of STMA national or the Tennessee Valley, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Car- olina or Virginia Chapters). Members of STMA national may regis- ter online by logging in to their STMA.org member account. Non-members may download the registration brochure from www.STMA.org. STMA has also negotiated reduced rates at two Knoxville area hotels. The Holiday Inn (1-865-522-2800) has a rate of $84 per night plus tax, and is in downtown Knoxville. The Marriott Knoxville (1-865-637-1234), also downtown, has a rate of $109 per night plus tax. Tell either hotel you are with the Sports Turf Man- agers Association (STMA). Put June 15-16 on your schedule and start talking to your em- ployer about making sure that you are able to attend this incredi- ble educational opportunity. If you have any questions, please contact STMA at 800-323-3875 or STMAInfo@STMA.org. Interested in exhibiting or sponsoring this event? Please contact Patrick Allen, STMA Manager of Sales and Marketing, 800- 323-3875 or pallen@stma.org. ■