The Golf Professional Growth Project

EP 017: Tools to Be the Job Candidate that Stands Out

We’ve been hearing so much about jobs, hiring, and the issues in the workforce today.  But the focus in this episode is on the candidates.  What can you do to try to stand out?  How about some tips on what the best resumes look like?  And what I believe is an underutilized resource, LinkedIn.  How can you optimize your profile and use the platform to help you land your next great job.  Believe me, LinkedIn can help. We discuss all this with Jeremy Nichols.  Jeremy is a recruiter for Gecko Hospitality focusing in Florida and specifically the Tampa area.  With Jeremy we get a little different perspective than the golf industry focused conversations we typically have.  Jeremy understands the hospitality industry and has been recruiting for a wide variety of positions for over 20 years.  He talks to tons of employers and candidates every day, and he knows what works and what doesn’t.  Speaking of LinkedIn, follow Jeremy for daily tips and insights into the hiring world and subscribe to his YouTube channel where he’s creating regular videos that can help you with anything from interviewing, negotiating, getting hired and more.

EP 016: 5 Ways to Stop Burnout

Spend more than a few minutes in a room with a group of Golf Professionals these days and you're bound to start hearing about some level of "burnout".  The affect of the pandemic on golf and the labor shortage have come together to put even more pressure than normal on today's Professionals. In this episode, we cover the 5 reasons we can feel burned out and go over practical solutions to address this issue.

015: Don't Be Afraid to Try Something New- Wednesday Match Play Podcast Interview w/ Dean Kandle

In this episode, we flip the script as Dean takes questions about his career, the development of Golf Professional Growth, how he actually left the golf industry while in college, and much more! Thanks to Ricky Potts, host of the Wednesday Match Play Podcast for the opportunity to share my story.  Be sure to check out Ricky's show and subscribe HERE [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dean-kandle-pga-golf-professional-growth-episode-no-258/id1242094788?i=1000530254618]

EP 014: How to Create Your Future | Don Rea, PGA of America Secretary

You likely know him now as the Secretary of the PGA of America, in line to be the President of the Association in just a few years.  Don Rea's background and his experience as an owner/operator of Augusta Ranch Golf Club have provided him with a unique perspective that we don’t often see in PGA leadership.  He’s a creative programmer, he knows how to build relationships, and he understands the importance of creating a winning culture on his team at Augusta Ranch.  Following from afar, I have been optimistic about what Don can bring to the PGA of America, and this conversation only reinforced that belief. What does Don think about one of the biggest challenges we face today as an Association, recruiting and retention?  Let’s find out.

EP 013: How to Say "No" - The Golf Professional's New Dilemma

With the record numbers we're seeing at courses throughout the country, Golf Professional's are now faced with the challenge of often having to say no to their members and customers.  No there aren't any tee times, no there isn't any space in that event, no we can't host your outing...and so on.  This is new for many of us since we've been trained to say "Yes" and to constantly seek out ways to grow rounds and revenues. As I found out in a conversation a few years ago, knowing how to say no and tell someone something they don’t want to hear, is literally a science.  Experts in behavioral psychology have studied the tactics that are most effective at delivering your message in a way that diffuses angry situations and will limit the push-back you get from our now disgruntled members and customers. Our expert that we’re learning from is Richard S. Gallagher, author of “The Customer Service Survival Kit”. [https://www.amazon.com/Customer-Service-Survival-Kit-Situations/dp/0814431836]Some of the critical lessons we’ll hear from him are: being nice and polite is great, but it doesn’t help an upset person feel better, leaning into criticism is much more effective than explaining “why” or playing defense, and the key to diffusing a difficult situation begins with acknowledgement.