Athletic Experience in the Workplace

Athletics and sports are a huge aspect of American and world cultures. Growing up as kids many of us played all kinds of team and individual sports. Whether you played for years and at the highest level, or for a couple weeks in youth league, your athletic journey taught you values. These values consist of teamwork, hard work, goal setting, and drive to be better than you were the day or practice before. The more I have experienced applying to different job positions and hearing hiring mangers speak about what they value, the more I have seen a connection between the values you learn in athletics and the values of a successful person in the workplace.

I believe this is an important connection to make when applying to jobs. So often I went to apply for a job and did not have enough "experience" in the field. I would always think to myself that I may not have an internship that matches this description but dealt with similar skills needed within sports. You should not be discourage when applying to jobs because you don't have the best resume as an athlete but rather focus on your skills developed as an athlete as your differentiator. These skills of teamwork and goals setting are huge in the setting of companies. You often need to work with others to achieve a financial, marketing, or operational goal. Having a diverse background in athletics allows for you to adapt to leading people from all backgrounds and overcoming adversity when it comes up.

Another important aspect of athletics in the work place is time management and task management. As athletes you have a tight schedule that needs to me managed. As you play higher level sports your time management skills develop too. Time management is huge when it comes to the workplace and another skill to mention when applying for jobs. With time management comes task management as well. Athletes are able to know what is the best and most effective way to do certain task to avoid wasted time. In your next interview or job don't let you athletic experience go unnoticed, but rather use it as a strength in your work setting.