Often seen hosting games at Dodger Stadium, Natalia Perez has one of the coolest jobs in sports.
So how do you get a job like that?
Perez recently sat down with Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez for an exclusive interview and provided tips for those looking to follow in her footsteps.
‘Don’t get ready for the job, be ready’
Perez said one of the keys to success is staying ready to take advantage of an opportunity that’s presented to you.
“A quick one is don’t get ready for the job, be ready for the job,” she said. “So, if you have to have a resume, always have your resume updated. Fix it every couple months because when someone’s going to say like, ‘Oh, yeah, send me your resume’… It is easier to have your resume ready to go rather than, ‘Oh, give me a couple days to get it together.’ No, have the resume together. If you want to do anything on camera, have your reel ready to go.”
So if you don’t have a resume or reel already, it’s time to get working on that.
Of course, you have to find someone and connect with them so they want your resume or reel in the first place.
Don’t worry, though, Perez has more advice for that.
Don’t burn bridges
Perez pointed out to Noel something that aspiring stadium hosts and sports broadcasters already know: There’s a limited number of these positions out there.
Yes, a person could annoy you, rub you the wrong way or even treat you poorly.
But you’d hate to miss out on an opportunity if that person is hiring, or if they get asked about you by another potential employer.
“My other advice is don’t burn bridges. And I would also say… just because we all know that there are only so many jobs sometimes, right? But there is room for everyone. There is room for everyone,” she said.
At the end of the day, though, sometimes it’s just a matter of who wants the job the most and who’s willing to go above and beyond to get it.
That can take on different forms, Perez said.
“Sometimes you have to create your own job to get to where you want to go,” she said.
In other cases, it might not be a paying job at all.
“It’s okay to work from the ground up,” she said. “It’s okay to work for free. Sometimes it’s okay to like put in those hours because it will definitely always pay off in the end.”
So there you have it, insider knowledge from someone who’s been there.
But be sure to check out Noel’s whole interview, which is full of cool stories and insights from Natalia Perez.
