By Craig Chrest

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) began in 1937 with the formation of the National College Basketball Tournament. The tournament was founded by a group of local Kansas City business men and Dr. James Naismith, the creator of basketball, who wished to provide the community with an exciting opportunity to witness an amateur competition. The Tournament would also provide a way for colleges to determine a national basketball champion. At its inception, the Tournament included 8 teams, but expanded to 32 the following years. In 1940, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) was formed to manage the tournament. The NAIB began sponsoring additional sports in 1952 and became officially known as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Socially progressive, the NAIA made history by opening its intercollegiate postseason to African American students in 1948. In 1953, the organization invited black colleges to become members. In 1980, the organization opened itself to female athletes. More recently, however, the NAIA has shifted its focus to encourage higher level of academics in athletes. In 2008, the organization changed its structure so that athletes missed fewer classes.

Today, the NAIA is home to more than 600,000 student athletes and grants millions of dollars in student aid. The NAIA strives to find ways to enhance the student-athlete experience through promoting a philosophy that features five key values: respect, responsibility, servant leadership, sportsmanship, and integrity.

About Craig Chrest: A former professional football player, Chrest attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he played as a starting wide receiver in the NAIA Division I. Today, he runs an executive recruiting firm in Houston, Texas, The Top Gun Executive Group.

In addition to his work as Principal of The Top Gun Executive Group, Craig Chrest enjoyed a long and successful career in football. After earning top honors at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW) and capturing a place in the UW Hall of Fame, Chrest signed on with the Green Bay Packers following the 1981 supplemental B draft. One of the most successful franchises in the history of professional football, the Packers have captured 13 league championships overall, more than any other team in the NFL. The Packers are also unique in that they are the last community-owned NFL team and one of the last remaining small-market teams.

Since the founding of the team in 1919, the Packers have operated under the ownership of the public. This factor has almost certainly contributed to the fact that the team has never moved from Green Bay, a relatively small town of just over 100,000 people. The team has enjoyed considerable support in both Wisconsin and the Midwest throughout its history, even electing to play three games in Milwaukee until moving all home games to Green Bay during the 1995 season.

Although there is nothing restricting the sale of the Green Bay Packers to a corporate entity or individual, a clause in the Green Bay Football Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation required that all leftover money after completion of the purchase be donated to the local Sullivan Post of The American Legion. The clause, recently changed to identify the Green Bay Packers Foundation as the primary beneficiary in the event of a sale, effectively eliminates any financial incentive for interested parties, and it has kept ownership of the team in public hands for nearly a century.

The Packers operate under the leadership of a 45-person Board of Directors, governed in turn by an Executive Committee of seven. The primary functions of the Executive Committee are approving major expenditures of funds, managing corporate concerns, establishing policies, and monitoring the performance of management. The Packers also maintain the Green Bay Packers Foundation, which assumes an active role in supporting programs in health services, youth programs, civic affairs, human services, and education. To learn more about the organizational structure of the Green Bay Packers, visit the team website at www.packers.com.

Prepared by The Top Gun Executive Group

In general, many potential employers pay more attention to an applicant’s work experience than any other information on the resume. For that reason, potential employees should carefully study what every potential employer is likely to want to see in this section. Although the task may seem daunting, the most appealing applicants are those who customize their resumes for each position they desire. By researching the employer and the specialized skills that the position requires, applicants are able to highlight the responsibilities and projects in their histories that clearly demonstrate their mastery of those skill sets. By pinpointing the facts that the employer will find most impressive, the applicant gives his or her resume an immediate advantage over other applicants.

The extra time required for this sort of customization can truly help sell the individual to the employer, making it well worth the investment. As recently as a decade ago, employees listed their prior employers along with titles, dates, and supervisor contact information. This sort of structure no longer proves adequate. Many human resources professionals who read countless resumes will be inclined to pass over applicants who simply create a laundry list of responsibilities and skills involved. When writing a resume, an individual should always strive to engage the reader. If the reader enjoys the time spent reading the resume, he or she is more likely to want to meet the individual behind the paper.

To engage a potential employer, applicants should discuss specific projects and events rather than generalizing about their former roles. As mentioned before, tailoring these anecdotes to fit each desired position is bound to have the greatest impact. The work experience section of your resume should show that you are highly skilled, rather than simply claim vague success. Whenever possible, include exact numbers, figures, and dates to give context. Even those with a relatively short work history can find ways of filling out the experience section. For example, one may have volunteered in the community, worked with a church, or participated in sports teams. Many of these experiences build skills that translate directly to the workplace, particularly the ability to act as an effective leader and work efficiently and harmoniously in a team setting.

--- Craig Chrest founded The Top Gun Executive Group in 1999 and currently serves as its Principal Executive. With a 70 percent placement rate, the firm has become one of the foremost recruiters of senior executives. The Top Gun Executive Group maintains relationships with corporations around the country, giving clients a unique advantage in the job search process.

In just over a decade, Craig Chrest has grown The Top Gun Executive Group into an industry leader in executive recruiting. Widely recognized for his proactive approach and proven marketing methods, Mr. Chrest brings more than 25 years of corporate experience to his role as Principal Executive at The Top Gun Executive Group. Although his clients are familiar with his commitment to producing exceptional results, they may not know that their career coach also volunteers as a youth sports coach and enjoyed a successful college football career.

Mr. Chrest completed his undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications. As a dedicated student-athlete, he split his time between studying and playing for the NAIA Division I Eagles football team, receiving All-Conference and All-American selections as well as an invitation to the 1981 Senior Bowl. Eventually, Craig Chrest pursued a career in the corporate world and advanced quickly to senior roles in sales and marketing. Always dedicated to honing his skills, he completed a short course Master of Business Administration program sponsored by the University of Dallas and received further training in some of the most well-respected selling processes in the industry.

In 1999, Craig Chrest founded The Top Gun Executive Group, drawing on his deep knowledge of sales and communications to establish a successful search service as well as his one-on-one Executive Talent Program. In addition to gaining designation as a Top Echelon Network Preferred Firm, The Top Gun Executive Group has expanded its offerings to include business recruiting, and the firm continues to thrive in the industry. Craig Chrest maintains membership in NAPS, Inc. (the National Association of Personnel Services), and holds the Certified Personnel Consultant credential.

Outside of the office, Mr. Chrest remains active in athletics and volunteers his time as a youth coach for football, soccer, baseball, and basketball.

In an increasingly competitive business environment, job seekers are discovering the need to move beyond traditional employment search methods to more dynamic and active techniques. Traditionally, people seeking employment do so by locating open positions listed in want ads or online job boards. Once they have located a suitable position, job seekers submit a resume and await a call for an interview. This type of job search is a passive one, because once the job seeker has submitted the resume, he or she sits back and lets the employer decide whether to initiate contact.

As a highly successful executive placement firm, The Top Gun Executive Group knows what it takes to secure top-level positions. The passive employment searches described above frequently yield poor results for executives seeking a job. In contrast, The Top Gun Executive Group recommends more active, less traditional forms of employment searches that put well-matched candidates in front of the companies that need their services.

1.    Network: This time-tested strategy often provides access to the “hidden” job market of positions that exist beyond those advertised on job boards and in want ads. Talking to everyone you know about your skills and abilities while asking them about their companies’ needs often serves as the perfect matchmaking method to link candidates and positions.

2.    Research: Many companies use social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. When researching a company, go beyond its ads on job boards and look at what it says in social networks. You may discover unadvertised positions for which you are the ideal candidate.

3.    Volunteer: Unpaid positions, such as volunteer jobs, board memberships, or internships, represent an opportunity to demonstrate your abilities to potential employers. The positions also serve as a means of extending your business network.

4.    Retain a placement firm: Executive placement firms such as The Top Gun Executive Group utilize active strategies to get your information in front of employers. With a 70 percent placement rate, The Top Gun Executive Group makes successful executive-employer matches on a regular basis. To learn more, visit www.topgunexecutivegroup.net.

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