Spring is almost here, meaning hiring season has arrived and the inevitable job changes will start taking place. Many of these changes will be simple as employers have a designed succession plan in place. It is common to see a current employee be groomed for promotion when his/her boss’s position is vacated. One of the most familiar scenarios is when a Head Professional moves on and their seasoned assistant is promoted into that role. This is ideal because the golf operation doesn’t miss a beat and things keep humming along.
However, when a succession plan is not in place, opportunities do open. If you are interested in making a change, you must be ready. It is important that you tailor your resume and cover letter to put your best foot forward.
However, before you submit, you should learn as much as you can about the position. In addition to asking fellow professionals and researching the club online, give me a call. I work closely with employers with open management positions to refine details. This is part of the CareerLinks service, which then does a marvelous job sending out notifications to those PGA Professionals meeting the employer’s candidate criteria.
In order to receive those notifications, you must complete a CareerLinks ProFile questionnaire on PGA.org. You provide information about your skills and work experience plus details about any preferences you have for opportunities in the future. Those details include desired job titles, facility types, compensation levels and PGA section relocation preferences. I recommend every PGA Professional update their CareerLinks Profile every year, ideally now as the hiring season is underway.
To access your ProFile, sign on to PGA.org and go to “Employment” then look for “CareerLinks Profile”. Read the information about creating and managing your ProFile, then click the link for “Get started editing now”.
I am happy to discuss how to maximize your CareerLinks profile to generate notifications. Or if you want to chat about strategies in landing a new position, please contact me. I am happy to relay what I know about facilities, their open jobs and the many ways to get prepared.
Carol Pence, Certified PGA Professional/LPGA
Employment Consultant
PGA of America (PNW and NorCal PGA Sections)
E: [email protected] O:(707)282-9252