Hello, I wasn't exactly sure where to put this but I figure this is the place to get responses from the type of people I'm targeting on here with this.

Here's the deal. I'm set to graduate college in the Spring with a degree in computer science and statistics minor. Recently, I filled out a somewhat broad application to work in the front office of an NBA franchise. They got back to me, said they were interested, and gave me 3 specific roles to choose from to apply. I am extremely interested in working as a data scientist with them, as an NBA and stats geek, I would be asked to use data to create statistical models to forecast and project player performance, analyze different players, etc. to help guide the team's decision making (bottom of the totem pole, but still, somewhat of a dream job for me).

My question is this. The specified application has several questions on it that I feel I would be able to write a great response to using mentions of probabilities and statistics, etc., from my experiences with poker and sports betting. I am, however, very hesitant to allude to anything about these things, because I don't want them to think I'm a degen and get scared off. I don't even gamble really outside of poker and the occasional sports bet so I'm really not.

Should I avoid it altogether and just find something else to write about? Or would they see it as the actual relevant background that it kind of actually is? I wasn't going to make it sound like it's my whole life or something but there's a couple spots where I was thinking of mentioning something about it. Thanks.

I'd personally definitely go into detail about your experience with poker and sportsbetting and how it would relate to the position you're applying for. However I'd also mention that it's a recreational thing and be honest about your winnings/losings. It'll either greatly improve your chances of getting the job or kill them altogether. It's a +EV bet imo.

Good luck!

Putting poker is a high risk proposition. If you think you got a good shot at the job without mentioning poker then I wouldn't put it on.

I think it's ok to mention it in this situation.. I don't think they'd write you off as a degen as longest you not looking like one.

If you were, you'd be at home slacking off instead of applying for a professional job in the NBA.

Id phrase this very carefully if I were to mention that. If you mention it, I would put it more like that its one of your hobbies to calculate probabilities in card games or something. I would certainly not mention anything about playing for large sums of money and sports betting Id also avoid completely (they might see this as a potential conflict of interest). Also, this should be a very small part of your application.

big +1....the bottom line is any good job has a lot of applicants and poker will help you stand out whether good or bad.....Regardless I'd take the risk and pay close attention to how you explain it - there's a fine line between an intelligent young kid and a degenerate

I would NOT mention sports betting. Make the same point by talking about doing stats to optimize your fantasy teams.

I'd leave out the sports betting, but mention poker and fantasy teams.

The NBA more than any of the other major sports is anti-sports betting -- at least as a league. Different teams might have different positions on this but I would stick to fantasy over sports betting since fantasy is much more relevant to what you'll be doing and it comes with none of the risk of sports betting.

Poker I don't know. It could really go either way.

you can put poker on your cv, but id list it under the hobbies or interests section

"NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes expanded legalized sports betting in the United States is "inevitable," and the league is open to participating in it."

http://espn.go.com/espn/chalk/story/...ing-inevitable

thats about the worst thing you can do

That's exactly how I have it on my resume and I got an offer to trade at a large bank and currently work at a hedge fund so make your own conclusions from that