10 Ways Refereeing is Like HR

I can say from experience. That's going to hurt!

In my relatively few free hours, I have a side job as a wrestling referee. I’ve been doing it since I started college, and it has been an interesting experience for me. Among other things, it has prepared me for the life of an HR professional. Don’t believe me? Here are 10 ways refereeing is like HR.

  • I get yelled at for things out of my control.
  • Nobody grows up wanting to become a referee.
  • I’m trying to contain and direct the energy of two opposing forces.
  • I finish the day feeling like I spent a session as a crash test dummy.
  • No matter what decision I make, someone will hate me.
  • I sometimes have to enforce rules that make little sense.
  • You have to get certified, but you still feel like there is a lot that you don’t understand.
  • People will do their very best to ignore you until they need your help with something.
  • No matter how many you solve, there’s always a new and different problem to tackle.
  • You quickly realize that adults and their children really aren’t that different.

There you have it! If you have another idea for the list, please drop it in the comments section. I’d appreciate it!