Companies want to hire student-athletes. The skills that make you a great athlete also make you a great employee. But how do you incorporate all you’ve learned from sports into a resume that will get you hired? Follow these tips to help your resume stand out.
Being a student-athlete is akin to working a full-time job. If you find yourself lacking in work experience, don’t worry. You can build a behavioral resume, which highlights more about who you are as a person, and your skills and qualities, rather than your work experience.
You can list your sports experience under Leadership Experience, Related Experience, or Activities headings on your resume.
The list of transferrable skills between sports and work is long. It’s important to clearly show how your experience as an athlete will make you a better employee. Here are some key skills to make sure you have on your resume and how to include them.
As an athlete, you know how to be on time to practice, get your schoolwork done, and organize your schedule. This means employers can trust you to show up on time and get your work done. You can include this skill on your resume like this:
The ability to take constructive criticism is important for finding success in a new position. As an athlete, you are coachable and take direction well, so employers will easily train you. You can include this quality on your resume like this:
As part of a team, you learn to work with others to a common goal despite any differences. This is huge for finding success both on and off the court. Include this on your resume like this:
Regardless if you were or weren’t a team captain, demonstrate how you showed leadership. Being a leader means you have skills, including communication and respect. Include it on your resume like this:
Sports also provide opportunities to receive awards, coach camps, and attend seminars. Make sure to include all of these on your resume as well. An example could look like this:
When you’re writing a resume, always remember to use strong verbs, typically written in the past tense, including:
Craft your resume for the job. Most companies use computers to check the resume before it reaches an actual human, so include the keywords mentioned in the job listing.
Have another person read over your resume to check for any spelling errors or punctuation mistakes. Even better if they know you well and can add to the list of awesome things to put on your resume.
Women’s Basketball Team, WS High School 2012-2015
Women’s Basketball Team, P. University, Portland 2015-2019
Overall, your experience as an athlete will speak for itself, but you want to do your best to promote yourself to future employers. Your resume is your opportunity to list all your accolades and awards, so don’t hold back.