(January 11, 2012) When searching for his next gig, Adam Seidel didn’t wait for the perfect opening to be listed somewhere online – he went out and dug up the position that wasn’t quite open yet.
An STAA client, Seidel has been named Director of Media Relations and Play-by-Play for the Great Falls Voyagers. The Voyagers are the short-season Class-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. He replaces fellow STAA client Jared Sandler, who left to pursue other opportunities.
Seidel beat the rush of applicants by taking early initiative in contacting the Voyagers before the position opened. While attending baseball’s Winter Meetings Seidel heard there might be end up being an opening. A follow up phone call confirmed it. A week later the Voyagers called for an interview.
“I kind of got there first because I contacted them before the position actually opened up,” Seidel says.
Before heading off to Winter Meetings, Seidel spent some time with STAA to strategize how to make the best of use of his time.
“[STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik] and I had several in-depth conversations prior to the Winter Meetings. As a result, I went to the meetings knowing how to talk to employers and what they were looking for. Having a strategy, I think, is why I uncovered some of the [job leads] at the meetings that I did, including Great Falls.”
In addition to broadcasting and media relations, Seidel will have some social media and sales duties, both of which play to his strengths. A 2011 graduate of Northwestern University, Seidel spent the last two years as a broadcaster and salesman for the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network. Seidel was also the media director and lead broadcaster for the Wisconsin Woodchucks.
“The Pioneer League is a really, really great league and it’s a chance to get into affiliated ball and to lead the broadcast, which is really exciting. This will be an opportunity to design my own programming as much as possible and to get all the innings I can and to get a chance to improve.”
Seidel says the best thing a job-seeking sportscaster can do is getting out and networking. “Talk to everyone you know. You’ve got to maintain those contacts and if you hear anything about a potential job opening, call the employer and get there first. You can’t be passive.”
“I really got this job by getting on the phone and being proactive with people. If you can get in there before everyone else, it does two things – it saves you from having to be in the big fight with 150 other people before you even get the interview, and it gives you a chance to get on the phone with the employer before they are inundated with calls from other applicants.”
(Visit Adam’s STAA Talent Page).