How to Show Soft Skills in the Sports Industry

Putting together a compelling resume is hard work, especially if you are following best practices like customizing your resume for each application after analyzing a job description. A good resume includes a mix of the hard skills you possess that align with the technical aspects of the job, and soft skills that reflect the kind of worker you will be on a day-to-day basis. Those soft skills are the topic of Jameel’s question for the WorkInSports Podcast:

“Hey Brian – I’m a college junior and a big fan of the show. I’ve been listening since my freshman year and have learned a ton from you. I’m a true super user, subscribed on YouTube, download every podcast episode, follow every social media channel AND I’m a member of WorkinSports.com. You’re my guy.

"I've got a question for you – my professors keep talking about showing off your soft skills, but I’m not sure I know how to do that. Can you explain? I feel like you explain things better than some of my profs.”

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How to Show Soft Skills

As mentioned above, hard skills are the tangible abilities you have to do the job you are applying for. Showcasing those skills is pretty straightforward. If you want to be a graphic designer, you need to be proficient in Photoshop. Someone working in public relations needs to know how to write a press release. A business operations manager needs to know budgeting and finance.

Soft skills, such as communication, leadership, and organization, are the traits that display how you work and learn. Since they are more nuanced skills, promoting them in a resume can be trickier than hard skills.

Showcasing soft skills effectively requires checking job descriptions for what a company is searching for. If the description says they are looking for someone who can handle multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment, you need to showcase your ability to do so with a bullet in your resume (Ex: Published five time-sensitive articles within deadline per week).

Your cover letter is an important place to elaborate on your soft skills as well. If you were a student-athlete in college, you can go into detail showcasing your time management skills (Ex: I maintained a 3.5 GPA while juggling a rigorous practice/competitive schedule), or you can expand on how you’ve learned the value of teamwork from literally being on a team. Make sure the cover letter doesn’t simply regurgitate your resume in paragraph form; it is another chance to sell yourself as the type of person an organization needs to hire.

Learn more about soft skills by listening to the full podcast episode. Also, subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice, can access additional content on our YouTube channel, and check our our online course library to jump-start your career in sports.