Why College Athletes Make Great Employees

Did you play a sport when you were in college?

If you did, chances are, you developed a certain set of skills and characteristics that set you apart from your peers. Consequently, these skills and qualities will turn the heads of recruiters and potential employers when it comes time for you to look for a job.

So, what are those qualities that set you apart from the rest? And how will those characteristics serve you best in a place of employment?

Here are just five reasons why former college athletes are set up for success in the workplace:

1. College Athletes Know How to Work as a Team

From the day you set foot on your college campus you had to work with your teammates in order to succeed. And, because of your background in sports, you know full well what makes a good team and what makes a bad one.

This will especially be helpful in any job setting, as you will need to rely on others and work with colleagues to be successful in your job. Keeping the sense of team spirit in the office will also show your supervisors that you are willing and enjoy working with others.

2. College Athletes are Leaders
 

Because college athletics involves being a part of a team, there were probably a few times when you needed to step up as a leader and call the shots. In an employment setting, your leadership skills will take you far.

Employers will notice your ability to make decisions and empower your coworkers to work harder in order to achieve goals and objectives. And who knows? This skill might catapult you into a management position in the future.

3. College Athletes Excel at Communication

As a college athlete, you were required to communicate with teammates, coaches, professors and sometimes your parents when it came to game times, class conflicts, workout regimens, game plays and more. This means that your communication skills are extremely versatile, and you have developed the ability to communicate with a variety of audiences.

In an employment setting, you will do just that, as it will become necessary for you to communicate effectively with co-workers, supervisors and clients with a different message or tone each time.

4. College Athletes are Driven

College athletes are some of the most driven people around. If you were a college athlete, most likely, you were used to waking up early for practices, then going to class, then practicing or working out again in the afternoon. This routine makes for long days and weeks, which is exactly what you will find in the workplace. Therefore, employers are often hard pressed to find former college athletes who complain about long work hours or extensive projects, as they are already trained to know that it takes hard work to succeed.

In this vein, college athletes are always ready to take on something new. Their competitive nature will always bleed into the work they do.


5. College Athletes Manage Time Effectively

Employers are always looking to hire individuals with top-notch time management skills. Therefore, college athletes certainly have a leg up in this regard. When you played a sport in college, you had to juggle a lot of working parts, including practice, class, social time, studying, etc. By doing this, you learned that each minute of your day is important, and you also learned how to prioritize your time accordingly. Employers and recruiters will be impressed with this quality that is often lacking in the competition.

These are just a few of the reasons why college athletes make great employees. If you were a student-athlete while in college, make sure to promote these skills and characteristics when applying for jobs. They are likely to take you far and help you land that job you have been eyeing.