Monday, November 17, 2014

World Series Champs!!

The last month has been crazy for the city of San Francisco to say the least. It's such a special thing to have your favorite team win a championship, but living within the city makes it that much cooler. But do you know what could make that experience greater far beyond just living here? Working for the winning team. My cohort was lucky enough to live vicariously through 4 members, each working in a different department. 
Top left to right: Joe Alioto, Spencer Serafin, Stephen Ellis
Bottom left to right: Alyssa Nakken, Stephen Ellis
After the win, I spoke to all of them about their experiences and this is what they had to say:

1. What is your position and what are your duties?

Spencer - My position is Ballpark Operations Intern. The main groups i work with are the operations team, security, guest services, maintenance, and the grounds crew.

Stephen - My position is the Media Relations Intern. I help take care of the Media's needs, help with stats, help with game notes, help run the Giants' Twitter accounts during the games, distribute notes and stats to the players, broadcasters, and coaches, create and distribute daily and weekly minor league reports, write field passes, etc. 

Alyssa - My current position is the Baseball Operations Intern. My day to day duties include editing amateur video sent in to us by our scouts all over the nation. I input many scouting reports into player profiles located in our scouting system software along with communicating any trades or transactions that take place across the MLB to our entire department. 

Joe I am an Intern in the Client Relations department. The duties of this position consist of supporting the Client Relations Vice President, Director, and Account Managers, while also helping the Suite Department.  Generally, this involves assistance with special events, projects, and daily tasks.  My primary responsibility is to answer customer questions, issues, and requests on our Season Ticket Member hotline. 

2. What was the application/interview process like?

Spencer - The application process started in November when the position was posted on the Giants website and I received notification from one of the many USF job posting emails. I submitted my application and resume online at the end of November and heard back from the Giants in early January. Since I was living in Southern California at the time my first interview was over the phone. I then received an offer for a second interview which i accepted and made the trip up to San Francisco. About a week after the second interview I received a call with an offer of an internship and without hesitation accepted.

Stephen - For the application, I had to submit a cover letter and resume. There were two rounds of interviews: in the first round, I met with the whole department and they all took turns asking me questions. In the second round, I met with the person who became my supervisor and the head of HR. They both just asked me a few additional questions. The whole process was relatively easy and the department was very welcoming. 

Alyssa - I noticed the internship opening during Thanksgiving break last year. I applied in early December. The application process was pretty simple--they asked for a resume, cover letter, and references. I had my first telephone interview with our Director of Player Personnel right before Christmas. In early February I went in for an in-person interview. I sat in front of about 10 people (the majority of the front office operations department including our VP, Director of Quantitative Analysis, and Assistant General Manager). My final interview was that same day and was one-on-one with Brian Sabean, the General Manager. The Giants look for a good "fit" for their organization. It wasn't so much about the things that I had accomplished, it was more about the passion I showed for the game of baseball and passion for working hard to add value to the organization.

Joe - The interview process was a very cool learning experience for me.  First, I had a phone interview with three employees that went really well.  Unfortunately, a few days before I was brought in for an in-person interview, I fractured my tibia and was in pretty bad shape.  I needed a lot of help being brought to my interviews, and preparing my thoughts was very difficult.  Luckily, the Giants did not hold my injury against me, and in fact, I think they respected the fact that I still made it to my interview despite my situation.  Everyone who interviewed me was very friendly, and they definitely liked that I was a student in the USF Master’s Program. After one phone interview and two in-person interviews, I was offered the position and happily accepted!

3. Besides being a part of a winning team, what was the coolest experience of being a Giants employee?

Spencer - The Giants really do a lot for their employees. There are numerous activities a month for employees to engage in such as movie screenings, trips to a minor league game, or even brewery tours. Also, they are a very open organization and even interns opinions are heard. But best of all has been the experience of working at a baseball stadium every day and experiencing almost every home game of the season.  

Stephen - Growing up in the Bay Area, I was always a Giants fan. As great as it was having my favorite team win in 2010 and 2012, I never felt as if I had actually contributed to the team and was never truly part of the experience. I think one of the best things about being a Giants employee was that this time I could say "we" won and not "they" won. 

Alyssa - The coolest part about being a Giants employee is knowing each and every day that I get to represent one of the world's top organizations. We are more than just the best baseball team--we continuously strive to make positive differences in the community and the world. This organization and the people that make it up are like family. That may be the coolest thing about being an employee. All of the perks are cool, too, of course--free games, health & fitness events during lunchtime, World Series trips, etc.

Joe - One was definitely working in one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world. Whether it was walking around the ballpark during a day game, watching batting practice, or helping out with pregame events on the field, I really enjoyed being a part of such a great experience at such a great venue. Obviously, being able to watch my favorite baseball team play during work hours was amazing too! I could go on forever about all the cool stuff I was a part of.

4. With there being 81 home games, how were you able to balance school work?

Spencer - The nice part about our program is that it is built around students working and having internships. With class only one night per week I was able to rarely have to miss a day of work or a game. The biggest part for me was being focused because I know this internship is a great step towards the career I want and I needed to do the best I possibly could. I found time to do my homework either after work when the team was away or in the mornings before a night game. It did get tricky on longer home stands to leave time to do school work but in the end I was able to handle it without missing out on too much sleep. 

Stephen - Luckily, my department had two people in it who had graduated from our program. So, when it came to games on Wednesday nights, they were very understanding about me going to class. Although there was a lot of work to balance, I was able to catch up when the team was on the road. 

Alyssa - I was fortunate enough to not have too many game-day responsibilities which allowed for me to have a more consistent schedule, making it easier to balance the school workload. It also helps that all of my supervisors went through the Sport Management program. They have all been able to help me with papers/projects, and understand that sometimes I need to take time during the workday to complete an assignment or catch up on reading. It's not easy, but it pays off.

Joe - The Giants were great at making sure I always had adequate time to get my school work done.  If I needed to leave early to practice a presentation or get some extra work done, they would ALWAYS accommodate. That being said, I think I did a good job of managing my time so that school and work rarely conflicted. Since I usually worked Monday-Friday, I did most of my work on Sunday. 

5. If you could do it all over again, would you do it and why?

Spencer - Without question I would do it all over again. Baseball has always been a passion of mine and to have the opportunity to work for a major league club was a dream come true. While it was difficult moving, I knew that if i wanted to work for a team the options were limited and moving  a major possibility. I believe that you need to do whatever is necessary to achieve your dreams and not to settle. Plus it didn't hurt to be a part of a World Series Champion Organization.  

Stephen - No question. I would definitely do it all over again. In just one season, I met a lot of people and have a good sense about how PR departments operate in Major League Baseball. This internship was great because I was treated as a coworker (not just an intern) and was given the opportunity to get hands-on experience.  

Alyssa -  If I could do this all over again, I would. This has hands down been the best year of my life thus far. I've learned so much not only about the baseball world, but about myself. I've been challenged in so many ways. Being the only female in the department definitely made me tough. Some days have been harder than others, but looking back I'm so happy to have gone through those hard times--it pays off and I've definitely earned the respect from some of the top people in the MLB. This has been a fascinating experience, and has opened a lot of doors for me. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Joe - Without question I would do this internship again! At first I was skeptical that I was going into a department that was fairly unrelated to what I want to do with my career (basketball operations), but it ended up being valuable in so many ways. I learned so much about myself, and I now have a better understanding of my strengths and my weaknesses. I know I sound like a broken record, but there were really so many cool experiences that I will never forget. When a team you work for makes the postseason, especially in baseball, there are just endless fun activities and celebrations. It definitely helped that the team was very good on the field, but regardless, I still would've had a blast this season.

6. What lessons did you learn/will you take away from your experience when moving forward in your career?

Spencer - Some of the biggest things I have learned interning for the Giants is to stay humble and work hard. While working for a sports franchise is very fun it also requires a lot of work. To get the best product to the field requires many departments coming together to create something bigger. Working as a team really makes a difference and makes everyone's jobs that much easier. If you do your part and make sure to help everyone around you then you really can be a part of something amazing, which is what happened this year with the Giants. 

Stephen - I think one of the biggest things was overcoming the anxiety of talking with people that you don't know. It was extremely helpful getting to know the PR personnel from visiting teams. Also, during the playoffs, a lot of people come to your stadium who work for MLB. Creating positive relationships with these types of people can only spell good things for your career. 

Alyssa - The biggest lesson I've learned is to hold on to the vision, and trust the process. I've always been someone that sees the future and focuses solely on that, but forgets to enjoy and learn from the present. We have to trust the entire process and the vision will one day become a reality. I couldn't agree more, and I've applied this to my own life in and out of the office and will continue to embrace this lesson throughout my career.

Joe - One lesson I took away from my experience was to ALWAYS ask questions. It is so much better to get clarification on something than to try and figure it out yourself. Often times I tried to do things by myself and got tangled in my own confusion. Rather than putting myself in a tough position, I know now that I should always ask for help if I am unsure on anything. 

7. Lastly, will you get some bling!?

Spencer - I sure hope so! I haven't heard anything yet but i know the process of designing the rings and getting the orders takes a while. If not the experience alone was more than enough of a reward. 

StephenI think so! Stay tuned. I know that I'll at least get the opportunity to buy a ring, which is a pretty tough opportunity to pass up.

Alyssa - Yes, I will be fortunate enough to get a World Series ring! The hardest part is figuring out which finger to put it on.

JoeI am not 100% sure, but I believe so!

A big thank you to Spencer, Stephen, Alyssa and Joe for being a part of the blog to share their experience as a Giants employee during the 2014 World Championship season.