Here's Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Job at Nike

A Nike employee shares information on how get hired there.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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To people in the sneaker community, working at Nike is a dream job. But actually obtaining employment at the company is not as easy as many would hope. It's a destination career, where many people are willing to relocate just to work in the company's Beaverton, Ore., headquarters. There are, however, certain things that will bolster one's chances of getting paid by Nike, and Cosmopolitanrecently spoke to Monique Matheson, the brand's vice president and chief talent and diversity officer, about all of this.

For starters, according to Matheson, Nike is looking for people who are "curious, flexible, resilient, self-starters with high personal standards, optimistic, and great team players," the brand is also looking for its most help in these fields: retail, digital, brand marketing, and social media marketing. 

Along with a love for sports in Nike in general, Matheson says, "We expect candidates to know the job they are interviewing for, talk about their background in the context of the opportunity, and be able to articulate their story as it relates to their career aspirations. We expect them to speak to the role they are interviewing for with passion and a basic understanding of our company."

Many of Nike's job openings can be found here, on the brand's recruiting website. Matheson says they do look at potential candidates resumes and cover letters, but there's something else they're checking out, too, and that's their social media. She says, "The number one piece of advice for collegiate or early-career candidates reaching out over social media is to be mindful of your message and profile at all times. Be sure you are sharing content that is public knowledge and is appropriate."

Some of the jobs she lists that come up are: "Merchandise allocator, associate merchant, associate buyer, communications specialist, entry-level designer, financial analyst, reporting analyst, project coordinator or project manager, business analyst, application engineer, or in-house manufacturing engineer."

Other than that, Matheson's advice is straight-forward: It's a plus to ask questions in an interview, and don't show up wearing Tech Fleece — business attire is preferred. Handwritten thank-you cards are a plus, as well.

To find out everything Matheson has to share, read the complete interview here. And keep on trying, maybe you'll make it happen.