The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 42

2 BUSINESS SUNDAY, MAY 24. 2009 THE TAMPA TRIBUNE TBO.com career corner WORKPLACE COACH Talk to boss before you assume you're being replaced Jupiterimages Basils fife imfii biiidB By MARIE G. MclNTYRE McClatchy-Tribune Ql recently learned that my manager may be planning to replace me. I work for an art museum and am very active In my professional association. A fellow member called to Inquire about an opening here after he saw an ad on the association Web site.

When I looked up the ad, I essentially found my own Job description under a different title. Although no one has mentioned any problems with my performance, I am apparently In danger of being fired. Should I talk to my boss? Or should I Just apply for my own Job? A Either this is a misunderstanding or your boss is a coward. A competent manager would address performance concerns directly. Before you jump to any firm conclusions, however, give him a chance to explain.

You never know what's going on behind the scenes. On the other hand, if your job is indeed up for grabs, your boss owes you an explanation. A direct inquiry will force him to come clean and give you a chance to negotiate the terms of your departure. Although the idea of responding to the ad yourself has an appealing touch of irony, a more straightforward approach will allow you to clarify the situation immediately. QWhen I was hired six months ago, I tried to negotiate my salary.

My manager said pay was not negotiable, but I have since learned that this is not true. Recently, another person was offered the same position. I know for a fact that human resources negotiated her pay, which is now $2 per hour more than mine. I dont know her qualifications, but that shouldn't matter, because the boss said everyone starts at the same salary. What can I do about this? A If you don't know her qualifications, then you are missing critical Information.

Your boss may have made an unwise comment, or perhaps you missed his exact meaning. To get accurate information, talk to your human resources manager without mentioning your well-paid colleague. Then, if you still feel underpaid, ask how you can qualify for a raise. Trying to improve your own pay will be more productive than continuing to fume about your co-worker's compensation. Marie G.

Mclntyre is a workplace coach and the author of "Secrets to Winning at Office Politics." Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www.yourofficecoach.com. guard. Be cordial, be professional, be polite and be engaged. But also be careful. This is an interview, not a night out with the pals.

Hold the attitude: Bone up on the company by checking business Web sites such as Hoover's and Manta, Bushey said. Show the interviewer that you've studied the company, but don't be boastful about it. "You can't be too prepared, but you can be too cocky," Bushey said. Keep your chin up. Searching for a new job is tough, discouraging work, but a prospective new employer doesn't need to know that.

If there are gaps in your resume, tell the interviewer about what you've done in the interim. Are you volunteering? Maybe you've taken classes or joined a networking group. i "You don't want to give off a sense of desperation," Bushey said. Review the interview: OK, it's the end of the day, and you've gotten out of the interview in one piece. What now? Breathe and debrief, Mqrtensen said.

The results will help build your database 'for the next interview. "Leave a notebook in the car. Take 10 to 15 minutes to decompress. Then remember what the questions were and what your responses were. It's a list that you create and grow for other interviews." By DARRELL SMITH McClatchy Newspapers Don't look now, but you've already blown your interview.

Thing is, you probably don't even know it. You arrived too early. You winged it. You told the interviewer everything she already knew about her company. You were too informal.

You forgot about some great work you did. Jobs are scarce, and competition is fierce. Nailing the interview is key to separating yourself from the pack and landing that next job. Making sure you're ready for the big day is important. Here's what to do: Practice, practice, practice.

It can put you in line for the next job. When you do rehearse, avoid buzzwords and empty phrases. Study your work history so you can talk about key examples that show how you overcame challenges. Arrive In a timely manner. Being a few minutes early is fine.

More than that is awkward and a little rude. Waiting in the lobby makes staffers uneasy and doesn't respect the interviewer's time, said Jess Bushey, a marketing director for Roth Staffing Cos. If you're early, review your notes in the parking lot. "Stay in the car," Bushey said. Keep It businesslike.

Even if the in-, terview's going great, don't let down your MINOR LEAGUES i ttoiWaaiBBBIIBBBHE Lj i J', OFFICE RELOCATING 'Minor League Baseball headquarters was moved from Cleveland to St. Petersburg in 1973 by its newly elected president, Hank Peters. According to the organization's Web site, the president traditionally chose where the headquarters would be located, but thete was no minor-league team in Cleveland when Peters took office. Perhaps, Minor League Baseball's best known former employee is Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who was the organization's general counsel from 1982 to 1988.

here are 27 Minor-League Baseball employees in St. Petersburg, and 38 overall. The local office is relocating from downtown St. Petersburg to a stand-alone building just off Gandy Boulevard near Interstate 275 In Pinellas County. Jit ti i A 1 Tribune file photo by SCOTT ISKQWITZ The affordability of Minor League Baseball is helping It thrive during the recession.

The Tampa Yankees are seeing an Increase In attendance, but nothing like the sellout crowds when Roger Clemens pitched In 2007. GROWING INTEREST nership between the local com Continued From Page 1 last season," Smith said. That is not the case with other family entertainment venues. The differences between those with pricey admissions and those that cost less than $20 are becoming more pronounced during the recession. Anheuser-Busch InBev's attractions including Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Universal Orlando and Disney have reported steep drops in income, as much as 50 percent for Disney this year alone.

By comparison, the movie industry has reported a 12 percent increase in attendance and 14 percent increase in revenue to $2 billion in the first quarter, Media by the Numbers reported. Family oriented and affordable "Minor-league attendance remains good because it is family oriented and very affordable," said Steve Densa, director of media relations for Minor League Baseball, which is headquartered in St. Petersburg. "Historically, we have not been recession proof, but we have been recession resistant." Formally created in 1902, the association now known as Minor League Baseball hit an all-time attendance peak in 1949 with 39.6 million. It took until 2004 to surpass that mark.

In the intervening 55 years, attendance hit a low of 9.7 million in 1963, after Major League Baseball expansion got under way and additional baseball TV coverage took a toll on minor-league interest. By 1990, minor-league attendance rebounded to 25.3 million nationwide. Since then, greater public interest, plus a new set of standards guiding new ballpark development, have led to 117 new minor-league ballparks, from Orem, Utah, and High Desert, to Memphis, and Indianapolis. new minor-league ballparks are built under a part- Regular season attendance for Minor League Baseball has increased by 289 percent since 1971, while the number of clubs has increased by only 14 percent. Total Minor League Baseball attendance by year 50 million 30 1971 2008 43.3 million Louis Cardinals fan from his days in Springfield, 111., who was won over by free parking within steps of the ballpark, cheap tickets that are close enough to give a near-HDTV view of the infield, and a laid-back atmosphere that provides a change-up from a big league game.

"We will be back," Bartley said. "This will be a great place to bring my dad, who has trouble walking from the parking at Tropicana Field and then all the walking you do "Plus here, you can leave at lot easier when the youngsters get tired of the game." There is no comparison between the Tampa Yankees' attendance of 1,412 on the recent, rainy Armed Forces night and the 34,135 who attended the Rays-Cleveland Indians game at Tropicana Field the same day, but that's not problematic to minor-league officials. "Ownership expects the best but understand the difficulties faced when playing in the Florida State League and in a major-leagues team's market," the Tampa Yankees' Smith said. "As long as they see an increase in attendance and a push towards trying new and different things, they will support my staff ind me." grandstand and reserved seats. There are daily promotions, such as two-for-one admission, and a $1 general admission ticket with a coupon in the Thursday editions of The Tampa Tribune.

A Monday Belly Buster gives the fans a reserved seat and all the soda and food they can eat and drink for $12. Special events, such as the Armed Forces Night on May 16 that offered free admission to military personnel, also bring groups like the Tampa Area Marine Parents Association Inc. Forty members of Tampa including Dee Mills, whose son, Marine Corps Sgt. Lea Mills, was killed in Iraq in 2006, and Kim Novatko, whose son, Marine Corps Cpl. Brandon Novatko, was wounded in Afghanistan, got together to talk and watch the game.

"Obviously there's more excitement at a major-league game," Novatko said. "But it's fun watching these kids play and give it their all." 'A great place' to be Then there are fan like New Tampa's Bartley, a longtime St. '80 '00 '08 '90 munity and team owners. Helping out the minor leagues is the fact that Major League Baseball pays the salaries of all on-the-field personnel of minor-league teams. Top prospects get signing bonuses such as the $5.6 million that Rays pitching prospect David Price got in 2007, but the majority of first-year players must rely on $1,100 a month plus $20 meal money daily in compensation set by the major leagues.

Aggressive marketing campaigns for teams created $54.8 million in Minor League Baseball merchandise sales in 2008, when games drew more fans than the National Football League and National Basketball Association combined. For example, the Clearwater Threshers, a Philadelphia Phillies farm team, don't settle on just getting fans to the ballpark on game nights. The Threshers, which, like the Tampa Yankees, enjoy a state-of-the-art ballpark thanks to the fact the team hosts major-league spring training games, customarily draw 400 people to Attendance In 1980 tell due to the Mexican League's player strike. Tribune graphic; Source: Minor League Baseball Bright House Field on Wednesdays from 4:30 to after 8 p.m. for a I lappy Hour even when no game is scheduled.

Promotions also come into play. Early in the planning stages for the 2009 season, Smith and his staff focused on economically challenged fahs' needs. Tickets are $4 and $6 for.