In the News
BIZVOICE: 'Dream job' tips from a sports agent
By Tom Sabulis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Molly Fletcher's top client just left one dream job for another. You may have heard of him, took a bigger deal, pitching for the Boston Red Sox.
But you're not John Smoltz. You don't have major-league organizations bidding over your services. You'd like a plum position, but you're not sure how to get a foot in the door.
Fletcher's new book, "Your Dream Job Game Plan," might help.
Her own up-by-the-bootstraps experience serves as backdrop. At 37, Fletcher, a mother of three, is president of client representation at Atlanta-based Career Sports & Entertainment. Aside from Smoltz, she represents Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers and college basketball coaches such as Paul Hewitt (Georgia Tech) and Billy Donovan (Florida).
Her Web site describes her as "the world's leading female sports agent." We talked to Fletcher recently in her offices on the 19th floor of the Cobb Galleria.
Q: In this economy, when finding any job is a challenge, how do you find your dream job?
A: I think every job right now in many ways is a tough job to find; that's somewhat synonymous with a dream job. You need to set yourself apart by doing a lot of things I talk about in the book, by being a five-tool player —- having the passion and the fearlessness, by being able to execute, having a game plan. It is a very interesting environment, and it's more important than ever to differentiate yourself ... to build relationships.
Q: Finding a dream job still means sometimes starting at the bottom?
A: No question. Certainly for young people, you're probably not going to get your dream job out of college. But you need to understand that you're in the lane that's going to help you get there.
Q: When you worked entry-level jobs, did you feel like you were on the right track?
A: As long as I was in front of people that I thought could make me better and that were the kind of people that could help me, I felt like I was. When I was working at the Super Bowl [in Atlanta] and I was around the Paul Tagliabues [former NFL commissioner] and the heads of all the key sponsors, those were all things that at the end of the day led me here.
Q: Any special advice for all these mid-career people striking out after getting laid off or bought out?
A: You know, I've had commercial real estate attorneys, supreme court judges and CEOs all say this book isn't just for young people. I've had executives say I'm going to buy this for the 50 people at my office and pass it around. The principles are the same. The five tools can also be used to make sure you're successful in the career you're in.
Q: Sending out a lot resumes is not the way to go. Why?
A: People hire people; they don't hire paper. It's casting a large net and it's sort of like finding a needle in a haystack. Particularly in this environment employers are looking for people focused on a particular company. All companies right now are getting resumes from incredibly successful, over-qualified people. So you've got to come in there in a pretty focused way, with a good story that's specific to them. One of my approaches is, find 10 people that you know and 10 people that you don't know that you think you want to be.
Q: How many resumes do you see these days?
A: As an agency, I bet we get several hundred a week. Personally, I probably get 50 a week.
Q: A lot of people who have read the book are coming at you with your own techniques, aren't they?
A: Yes, they want their 15 minutes.
Q: Is it harder or easier for women to find a dream job?
A: Women need to understand that they need to focus on just being good at what they do. If you're really good at what you do, it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. I'm in a room a lot of times with a whole lot of men and I forget that I'm the only woman in the room. I try to be better than the other people that want to do what I do.
Q: You talk about the intangibles of hooking a client, like learning that baseball player Mark DeRosa liked M&M peanuts. Has anybody come at you with their own research?
A: Once I had a financial manager who sent me a Michigan State T-shirt, which I thought was pretty smart. Still, as I say in the book, 1 or 2 percent of the people really understand how to do it.
Q: It's not like you're not busy enough, why did you write the book?
A: I grew up with two awesome, wonderful parents, but my dad [a pharmaceutical sales rep] never loved what he did. You work 100,000 hours in your lifetime. That's a lot. And it's heartbreaking to think about the amount of people who don't do what they love.
Q: How did you find time?
A: It took me about two and a half years to write. I would go to a coffee shop by my house when my twins were napping.
Q: So why'd you let Smoltz leave town?
A: It was a unique situation in Boston. The way the Red Sox approached the process was refreshing. The way the contract was laid out with Boston put John in the best position to pitch for many more years to come. John is in tremendous shape both physically and mentally and we all felt that the Boston contract allowed John to come back in a time frame for which he felt most comfortable.
MOLLY FLETCHER
- > Age: 37
- > Roots: Born Molly Jean West, raised in East Lansing, Mich.
- > College: Graduated Michigan State University, 1993. B.A. , Communication Arts and Science.
- > College sport: Tennis
- > Personal: Married to Fred Fletcher; three daughters, Emma, 6, and twins Meg and Kate, 5.
- > Favorite tennis player of all time: Chris Evert. "She was classy. Focused, but always classy."
- > Favorite restaurant: Blue Ridge Grill … and Moe's Southwest Grill, she adds, laughing, "because of my girls. They love it."
- > Favorite sports movie: I don't watch movies. It's a waste of time.
- > Web site: yourdreamjobgameplan.com