JJ Redick and the 4-Year Interview
What job seekers can learn from JJ’s appointment as Lakers head coach
It’s official. JJ Redick will be the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speculation about Redick’s forthcoming appointment reached a fever pitch in the last couple of weeks, with basketball pundits preemptively decrying the Lakers for selecting a head coach whose only coaching experience is his son’s youth basketball team.
What’s more, some believed that Redick’s hiring was a function of LeBron James pulling the levers from behind the scenes, exerting his outsize influence to get his podcast partner hired.
Could it be that simple? Might James have forced the issue? It’s possible, but I think there’s something else at work:
Redick has spent the last four years publicly showcasing his basketball acumen.
While vying for head coach of a professional basketball team is not your typical job search, a traditional route exists: collegiate-level coaches graduate to professional-level coaches, and assistant coaches graduate to head coaches. It’s not always so linear, but that’s the general path.
JJ’s unconventional journey may be a microcosm of a broader trend in job seeking: Supplementing or even forgoing a typical route by…
