Frontpage Features

BY J.J. STOKES

Trying to land a job in today’s market is tough for anyone.  So to find a job making $150K+ is virtually impossible…unless you have an Engineering degree or are an elite football player with resume in hand looking to make an NFL roster.

Today, a college graduate, diving into the real world will go through two to three interviews answering the typical questions: “Why are you a good fit for this company?“ and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?“

The NFL on the other hand runs it’s own job fair at the Indianapolis Convention Center known as the Combine. Like corportae America, the Combine includes some of the standard interviewing techniques, but it is the non-traditional methods that set it apart.
Most typical interviews do not include the Wonderlic test (NFL’s version of an intelligence test), a 40 yard dash, a bench press, and a vertical jump. In most job interviews, a background check and your word is what future employers use to determine whether you will get the job.

In the NFL, there is no opportunity to embellish your resume. All of your accomplishments and shortcomings are documented on paper and film, and you are judged based only on the facts. This by far is one of the most competitive interviewing processes in the United States. Only the top one percent are actually granted an interview—and from there, only a select few will land a job. Last but not least, it is the “runway walk” where players are asked to parade across the stage with nothing more than a pair of shorts on while NFL executives and staff view and eye, some with envy, the physics of the finest future athletes.

They are taking these athletes’ measurements as though they can determine their success by the size of their quads and width of their chest. In corporate America, an interviewee put through these same interviewing methods as an NFL candidate, would have legitimate rights to file a sexual harassment claim. There is nothing comparable to the Combine.

Here’s the real question: “Is all this really necessary?“ By now, all organizations have had access to the millions of DVD’s that are on file for each athlete. If there is any skepticism about a prospect, the team can put the athlete through drills that help determine if the football player is a good fit for that team, similar to a regular work interview.

Each year when the Combine begins, the athletes have already been scouted for years and their strengths and weaknesses, on an off the field, are detailed in a full report so the organization knows exactly what they are getting. In my opinion, the Combine is one of the most glorified meet and greet interviews I’ve ever seen. Despite the series of questions and mental and physical tests, most of the teams know at this point who they are interested in.

Memo to all 32 teams: Your first instinct about the player is accurate. Go with your instinct.