Networking Interview:Trent Baalke

General Manger of the San Francisco 49ers

By Rob Cesarano

• Trent was born on February 14, 1964 and grew up in Rosedale, Wisconsin.• Baalke played Outside LineBacker at Bemidji State University in Minnesotta earning an All-Northern Sun Conference and All-Midwest Region honorees. • At the University he was a double major receiving Bachelor Degree in Health and Physical Education. He went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Secondary Education as well as Sports Administration whilecoaching at North Dakota State. • He began his coaching career at North Dakota State as a graduateDefensive Line Coach in 1989. The team finished with a 14-0 record and went on to win the Division II National Championship. • A year later Baalke was hired by South Dakota State as a D-Line and Strength and Conditioning Coach. He held this position until 1995. • For the next 3 years Trent was an Athletic Director at Shanley High School, in North Dakota. • In 1998, he was hired by the New York Jets where he would spend the next 3 seasons as a Personnel Scout.

• Baalke spent 4 seasons as a scout for the Washington Redskins from 2001-2004. His responsibilities included traveling the country in search of rising talent, until his final season with the team when he served as College Scouting Coordinator.

• From 2005-2007 Baalke served the role of Western Region Scout for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2008, he became the ‘Niners Director of Player Personnel. A year later he was named Vice President of Player Personnel, and was then promoted as General Manager of the team in 2011, the position he still holds today.

• Trent choose his career path for 2 different reasons. One was his love for football but the reality that he wasn’t good enough to make it to the NFL. In an interview with his hometown paper he stated, “I was a competitive athlete good enough to go play Division II and have a solid career. It was my dream to play pro football but, bottom line, I wasn't good enough.“

• The other factor that made him what he is today was the hard work of his parents and growing up where he did gave him a sense of purpose. "Both my parents were hardworking, Small-town America gives you a sense of purpose. It gives you an idea of the working class. How to work, how to handle yourself."

• Biggest Challenges of the job:• Salary Cap/Contract Extentions• Player Suspensions • Injuries• Media creating a nonexistent rift between he and

Coach Jim Harbaugh• Expectations• Time for Family

• Mr. Baalke spends most of his time coordinating all business-related activities for the team. During the playing season he is usually with the team 7 days a week. Trent travels with the team from city to city for away games. The offseason is his busiest time of the year as the team prepares for the NFL Draft, signs free agents, negotiates trades, and resigns players as well as staff members.

• Serving the role as General Manager of a Professional Sports Team is a job that requires 365 days a year with long hours, and limited to no vacation time.

• Advice:• Believe that you have the best job in the world,

regardless of what you do.• Give new things a chance.• Never give up.• It’s never to late to follow you dreams.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snURDMS9GC8

• Sources• http://

www.49ers.com/team/staff/trent-baalke/8551a07d-d52e-4bb6-8e3e-c5c1244cad74

• http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000344195/article/trent-baalke-jim-harbaugh-rift-rumors-off-base

• http://mmqb.si.com/2014/06/10/nfl-san-francisco-49ers-general-manager-trent-baalke/

• http://www.ninersnation.com/2014/6/14/5808596/49ers-general-manager-trent-baalke-facts-biography

• http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/rosendale-roots-helped-49ers-gm-baalke-dig-in-6l8iiig-188954731.html

Greg WileyPublic Relations Professional

At Freelancer Marketing & Designs

Freelancer is a global marketplace, which allows potential employers to post jobs that users can then bid to complete.

Greg is responsible for developing and implementing publicity efforts to generate business opportunities, sales and brand awareness for multiple clients and agencies.

Clients that he has worked with include Vizion Group PR, Kevin Sullivan Communications, college basketball analyst Drew Nicholas, Cokin Communications and the National Dog Show Presented by Purina.

Wiley attended and received his degree from York College of Pennsylvania.

His experience includes: Assistant Account Executive at Giles

Communications. (1998-’99) Director of Public Relations for the Philadelphia

Charge from January 2001-September 2003, Senior Writer/Editor for The Sports Network

(March 2004-January 2008) Director of Communications, Philadelphia Soul

from January 2008-July 2008. Account Supervisor for Vizion Group Public

Relations, January 2008-November 2012. PR Manager at the NephCure Foundation from

March 2009-November 2012

Advice/Interesting Points: Smaller organizations allow you to do more outside of what your

initial responsibilities are. “You want to get a background in everything.” “You want to make yourself as best as possible.” On being an intern: “Not worrying about their job being on the line

allows them creativity.” “You don’t need to have all the experience in the world to work

with me.” “I look for people who are eager to learn and want to take on

responsibility.” “Get the most out of it. Do as much as you can. Learn as much as

you can. Get to know as many people as you can.”