Job Q&A
by Charlie Drozdyk
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Monster.com: When you got out of college what did you think you'd be doing right now?

Paul Speaker: I thought I would be an independent film producer. I actually did that last year. I'm the executive producer based on the film DOOM with Ivan Reitman at Universal. It's now in development.

Mc: So you were working in film.

PS: I was in L.A. working as a feature film producer with a background in marketing and promotions for the feature film industry.

Mc: Why did you leave L.A. and the film business for the NFL?

PS: I didn't like Los Angeles too much. I'm a fan of New York. I don't know if I should say I hate L.A., but, ah...

Mc: Let's be honest, you hated it.

PS: Yeah, I guess.

Mc: So how did you get this job? It's kind of a big shift.

PS: It was through a friend who knew a friend - that sort of thing. Someone at the NFL overheard in the office that they were looking for someone to do marketing, so this person gave me a call.

Mc: So it helps to have friends?

PS: It helps to have friends, without a doubt. If I hadn't expressed an interest to my friends of taking my skills and going in another direction, applying it somewhere else, I would have been pigeon-holed doing just feature films.

Mc: It sounds like you lucked out.

PS: It was totally luck.

Mc: What were your interviews like for this job?

PS: I stayed all day and had 7 interviews. I think the overall experience told me that you should never try to be what you think they *want* you to be. Just be who you are. If I had been the type of person I thought they wanted to hire, I would have been a straight-laced, conservative individual. I just went with who I was and they dug it. And now I'm in a position where I can just be myself.

Mc: So what do you actually do?

PS: We create fully integrated marketing programs. Everything from national promotions that go down to the retail level, commercials, sweepstakes, fan enhancement programs and large national promotions.

Mc: It sounds like you kinda like it.

PS:: Yeah, I love it. It's the NFL, who wouldn't like this? I'm a huge sports fan. Movies and sports. I'm banging out all my hobbies in my work day.

Mc: But you said that when you graduated you thought you were going to be in film. Are you disappointed your not?

PS: No. I'm more concerned about what I do on a day to day basis than whereI do it. I don't think there's a big difference between promoting a film for Disney, promoting the NFL or promoting Frito Lay, Visa or Avis. The most important thing is to understand the work environment, understand who's there, who works there.

Mc: Exactly, you might be working at the most glamorous film company in the world but they might be a bunch of jerks.

PS: Right. Within two weeks of doing any job I think the cache wears off. The NFL is the coolest sport by far. We do $3.5 billion of retail business every year. This is the creme de la creme of sports and it rivals Disney and Warner Bros. for all of entertainment. With all of that said, it's still a job. And because you're in love with the Jets or the Giants or the Dolphins does not make you the perfect candidate to work for the NFL.

Mc: What does?

PS: If you're in love with 13 hour days and working with the most intelligent people in one of the top 100 corporations in the world, then it's a turn on. Football just happens to be the product that we sell

Mc: So how hard is it to get a job with the NFL?

PS:There is a very, very loyal group of people that work here. I'm one of the lucky ones who came in at anything above an entry-level position. We promote from within before we hire outside of the company. Most people have come in right out of college at an entry level position.

Mc: Any perks?

PS: You can fly to any game you want to go to on a weekend. Not everybody, but the senior managers can.

Mc: Best moment?

PS: Last year at 12:00 am when I turned 32 I was standing next to Don Shula and Dan Marino on the sidelines of the Monday night game. And I'm a huge Dolphins fan. It was pretty awesome. I immediately went in and called my dad from the Miami locker room

Mc: Sounds pretty cool.

PS: It is, but you don't do it because of those moments. You do it because everyday you work with the best people in the world. Everybody raises up to a level 'cause it's competitive and its fast and we've got a great product to work with.

Mc:The worst thing?

PS:Paperwork.