Mailynh Vu Cleveland Indians Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition

Looking to get a job in sports? Mailynh Vu, Cleveland Indians Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition joins the Work in Sports podcast and shares incredible career advice!

Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…

There is a mystery that surrounds the hiring practices of professional sports teams, like your grandmother’s secret meatball recipe, no one really knows what goes into the process.

This is frustrating.

The people in our audience ask daily – how do I stand out from the crowd?  Do I need more experience? How do I nail a phone interview? What should be on my resume? How and when do I follow up after an interview?

There is really no where to get these answers. Well… until today.

Honest and important topics like this aren’t posted around the internet, there isn’t a legit place to research these questions. Sure you’ll find theories, you’ll hear from people like me who share their experience…but if you want the real inside story of how to get hired in pro sports right now, get out your pen and paper, and get ready to take some notes because Mailynh Vu Cleveland Indians Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition is letting you in on the process.

Mailynh has been with the Indians for 8 years, and in this far reaching interview we go really deep into the process of hiring at the pro team level.

• The trends she sees emerging from a hiring stand point –
• Her process of narrowing the field.
• What type of things make her notice a resume
• The things people do wrong on their resume
• Nailing the phone interview
• Mastering the in person interview
• Following up after the interview

And so much more. After this interview you are going to have yourself one heck of an action plan for you future. Let’s get to work – here’s Mailynh Vu.

Questions for Mailynh Vu, Cleveland Indians Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition

1: In our audience we have people looking to work in the sports industry, but we also have people who specifically want to work in human resources and talent acquisition – so let’s start with that side, what led you to your career in talent acquisition and why sports?

2: I read a recommendation written for you on LinkedIn by a former co-worker and they said “Mailynh was a large part of my success while with the major league franchise's marketing team. She is a supportive colleague who listens and has a knack for helping. She is a compassionate and caring team player, who offers advice and guidance to new employees.”

That’s pretty amazing!

How important is that style and personality to be successful in Human Resources? Your connection to the employees and desire for them to succeed doesn’t stop on their first day of work, right?

3: Let’s talk about the hiring process in a little more detail, in your 8 years what are the trends you see emerging from a hiring stand point – are there more requisitions in certain aspects of the business? Is it constantly changing or pretty standard from year to year?

4: So you have a requisition open up – what is your process for narrowing the field? Do you look through mounds of resumes? Use some computer tools to refine things?

4a: I know the demands of each job and requirements are different – but what stands out to you? What type of things make you notice of a resume?

4b: What about for the wrong reasons – are there certain things you see in resumes or cover letters that are a pet peeve? 

5: Lets get back to process, after you narrow down the field to candidates who meet the job requirements, I imagine it’s a phone interview first? What recommendations do you have for people on the phone interview, that can be an awkward experience for many – what makes you hang up that call and think… ”alright, that person stood out for the right reasons!”

6: You keep narrowing down the field and then eventually you are at the in person interview – I imagine you’ve sat in on hundreds of these, or conducted them yourself. How does someone really master this part of the process? What makes someone a stand out interviewee?

7: what is your take on the right way for someone to follow up with you? This is likely the most common question I get – “I interviewed for a job but haven’t heard anything, what should I do!”…well, Mailynh, what should they do?

8: Many teams have an entry level program to hire new staff and train them in their ways – the Indians are no exception, you have a 10 month rotational Business Development program – can you tell us a little more about that?

9: How competitive are these roles…and what type of skills, majors, experiences do you look for when hiring to this program?

9a: What percentage of these temporary employees go on to get full-time jobs with the Indians, and if not with the Indians do you help place and recommend them to other teams/leagues?

10: Most teams I’ve spoken with have a mission statement or an organizational standard they look for in staff, a hiring mantra I guess you could say – what is the philosophy on hiring for the Indians? How would you characterize what you look for in staff?

11: Well, finish up with this, for entry level job seekers or people in college who will soon be seeking entry level jobs… what advice would you give them to make themselves the most desirable to professional sports teams once they graduate?

Listen in to the podcast episode for great sports career advice from Mailynh Vu, Cleveland Indians Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition!