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5 Mistakes to Avoid during Golf Job Interviews

By Kris Hart

Lets face it, getting a golf job is tough! There are thousands of people who want to work in the golf industry and there are only a limited number of golf jobs available. Over the last 10 years while working at Nextgengolf and hiring many employees over the years, I have seen some great candidates not get the job or internship we were hiring for given they made some mistakes during the interview process. The list of 5 mistakes to avoid during golf job interviews showcases true stories which happened to me personally or I heard from my colleagues during the interview process

1) Lack of company knowledge - During the interview process, a candidate should find out as much information about the company and she or he can. Avoid the mistake and never ask the hiring manager "Tell me about the company". You should come into an interview well prepared and never ask someone to tell you about the company. It amazes me when anyone comes into an interivew without adequate company knowledge and it's pretty easy to tell when someone is unprepared. 

2) Don't oversell that you love golf - The majority of people who apply for golf jobs love the game of golf. If you are interviewing for a golf job, I would suggest not trying to oversell the fact that you love golf. Most golf jobs don't allow employees to be playing/practicing golf every day unless you are going to the PGA Tour so I would not stress the fact that you love to play golf and look forward to playing a ton of golf if you get the job. 

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3) Not sending a thank you note - Hiring managers are busy people and the interview process for hiring takes a lot time. Avoid the mistake of not following up and sending a thank you email or note in the mail at the conclusion of the interview. Many hiring managers will not even move forward with your application in the process if you do not send a thank you note. 

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4) Lack of respect for everyone in the room -  Hiring managers are part of a team and everyone's opinion matters. If you are interviewing for a golf job and do not respect everyone in the room from the lowest level employees to the CEO, you may as well kiss your chance for the job goodbye. Over the years, I've really liked certain candidates, but members of my team did not feel the candidate was respectful to them and ultimately they did not get hired as a result. 

5) Don't lie - This seems like a pretty simple mistake to avoid during the interview process for golf jobs, but it's happened a few times over the years. Even a small lie such as an exaggeration about the number or years you worked at a certain company or your sales numbers can get you caught if the hiring manager does diligence at the end of the process and calls your prior employer to confirm. I know this from experience since a candidate lied on his application about the number of years he worked at a previous company. He was let go in April, but said he worked at the company til November. Just don't do it!

Nextgengolf provides job resources, advice, and a job board which lists golf jobs all around the industry. 

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