Resume for a Super

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I have my own thoughts as to how a young ambitious Super would build his resume. What do you guys in the profession feel are the better paths to a great job?

[Joe Hancock]

Honesty, maturity and confidence.....

Joe

[tlavin]

Get a good education.  Get certified.  Get good experience as an assistant at a reputable club under an experienced super.  Go through a tournament or a renovation and gain some experience that way.  Add it all up and you have an impressive piece of paper to go along with the person.

[RJ_Daley]

While I'm not in the profession, I'd still say that having a period of time working on the edge of the profession would be helpful.  I mean like working on a golf course construction crew, or being the super or assistant on at-least one grow-in project.  That includes being on the grow-in staff of super or construction crew at the installation of an irrigation system.  

[Anthony_Nysse]

Work for a very well respected superintendent in an area of the country that you enjoy- where many of the supers past assistants have moved on to become superintendents. It's doens't hurt to be at a club that shows up in writing....lastly, bust your hump...

Tony Nysse
Sr. Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

[Joe Hancock]

I sure did things the hard way, apparently....

Joe

[Pat Brockwell]

The best way to build a resume is to use your imagination.  What you really want is to build a career.  Do what you have a passion for doing and don't work for people that will make you hate it.  The resume of the place you look for work is very important, make sure your jobs will give you what you want and then give it your heart and soul, right behind your wife and family.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I had in my mind over and above the character and ambition traits, one should study turf management/agronomy. I also like what Dick said about working on a construction crew with a solid architect from conception past grow in. Then try to work under several solid and well respected Supers at good clubs in the are of the country you want to live. I think a balance or private, daily fee and resort would give one some balance as to different levels of expectations and the budgets needs for each. I would hope one or more of these would host significant events giving one the opportunity to see how to move in to event form and to ease back out of it.

[Joe Hancock]

Is it possible to build a reputation on purpose? Or, is it more likely that the person's reputation will be an accurate description of the person?

Setting goals and doing things in a certain way are OK. Deciding what level of golf to train at is OK, but in the end, the character and ambition of the person will decide where they end up.

Joe

[Bill_McBride]

A solid education followed by OJT working under a true mentor is always a fruitful path, regardless of one's profession.

[Dan_Lucas]

I think it helps a lot to work at least one year at a low budget facility. You learn how much you can do without and how to provide good conditions with what tools you have. You learn how to maintain grass culturally because you don't have the money for a lot of chemicals.

If you do get that plum job someday you will save a club a lot of money.

[Eric Morrison]

Working at a well known course so you can put that course on your resume seems to work very well up here in the northeast, even if that person only syringed fairways there. Guys with strong backgrounds are getting passed up for assistants who have these courses on their resume and might not know the first thing about running a golf course on their own.    
In any event, education is obviously important. The focus might not have to be on turf 100% though. The way the business is today, having a little background in business or finance along with turf will make someone stand out. Clubs are always looking for a guy who knows agronomy, but proving fiscal responsibiltiy will be a big plus to the hiring committee. Varied backgrounds is also a plus...work at different clubs with different budgets. Even working for a pro in your younger years so you have experience with how that operation works can help. Work hard, be honest, and soak up as much knowledge as you can. Also, LEARN how to interview. Very important.

[Ray Richard]

I agree on Erics post-in the Northeast we have plenty of top superintendent jobs going to people who have worked at a year or two at U.S.Open venues and that opens plenty of doors. Some of these people had minimal roles, like mowing fairways, but these clubs like to brag that they hired the assistant at (name the course) and thats all it takes to get the position. Many of these tournament courses have multiple assistants.