Work Hard, Play Hard, Get Hired
By: Kat Soni
Hi everyone! It’s Kat again. It’s been pretty hectic here at the office these days. Between conducting interviews, advising prospects that are heading over to the States in August, and preparing for the exciting changes ahead, we’ve got our hands full! We’re working hard, but working hard becomes easier when you believe in what you’re doing. Here at NSR, we know that providing student-athletes with opportunities in the United States is a noble pursuit. In terms of opening doors to future career options, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pathway! While I may be a bit biased, there’s plenty of research that supports this notion. Don’t take it from me though…check this out!
Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN global customer marketing and sales, said that about 60 of the 300 people in his group played competitive college sports. He remarks, “The fact that a person played collegiate sports only enhances our ability to identify them when they have all of the other skills.” Employers are constantly flooded with hundreds of CVs and the more you can distinguish yourself from the rest of the crowd, the better.
Paul Hubert, managing director at Citigroup’s private bank, considers college athletes to be a valuable asset to his company. His team includes Anthony Di Santi, a formal baseball player at the University of Connecticut and managing director of the bank’s sports finance and advisory group, and Jesse Neumyer, who played football at Penn State. As an employed, Neymyer says that a candidate who played college sports shouldn’t be all that different from a candidate with an MBA.
According to an article from Forbes.com, athletes are extremely desirable as potential employees because of the traits that athletes have developed over years of hard work and dedication to their sport. David K. Williams, CEO of Fishbowl Inventory, has a list of “athletic traits” (akin to leadership traits) that make any individual an exceptional hire. Some of the reasons why Williams prefers to hire athletes include: athletes rarely give up, they are goal-oriented, they develop new skills quickly, and they are generally exceptional entrepreneurs.
When the time comes for you to apply for a job, it’s very important to use your athletic background to your advantage. Here are some tips on how to create the ultimate CV and how to nail interviews like a pro!
Kat’s Tips for Getting Hired:
– One of the most common questions to be asked during an interview is “Tell me about an experience when you had to work with others to achieve a common goal. What role did you play?” This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Be sure to reference specific examples, and always try to be creative!
– Play up your time management skills. Employers desire efficient people who are able to stay on task, and luckily you have a lot of experience with balancing your time well.
– When describing yourself in your CV or a cover letter, use words like self-motivated, detail-oriented and goal-oriented.
– Coaches are always pushing their athletes to become better, often through critique. As an athlete, you improve and make adjustments to your performance based on this feedback. The ability to take criticism is absolutely crucial, especially for young professionals. Be sure to mention that you respond to criticism well and that you are always striving to better yourself.
– Another massive perk of having an athletic background is having lots of experience with maintaining a level head in dealing with stressful situations. Stressful situations will occur in every job, and employers want staff that can stay calm and rational in all circumstances. Mention that you are used to staying calm under pressure and that stressful situations are something you have learned to navigate with ease.
– The ability to move forward without dwelling on previous mishaps is a very valuable skill that all employers look for in potential employees. Be sure to bring up the fact that you have experience with losing and that perseverance is one of your strong suits.
So, there you have it folks! College athletes are extremely attractive to employers across the board. Isn’t it great to know that all of your efforts at college will leave a positive impact on the rest of your life? By training hard, applying yourself in the classroom, immersing yourself in a new culture, making heaps of friends and networking contacts, and all of the other joys involved with playing and studying in America, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of opportunities and success. Cheers to that!
Sources:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-16/wall-street-hires-losers-turned-winners-after-college-athletics.html#disqus_thread
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkwilliams/2013/10/02/why-you-should-fill-your-company-with-athletes/