4 Reasons Why You Should Hire Former Student-Athletes

As a student-athlete, I was always told, “Employers love to hire student-athletes”. No one ever told me why and that was one of the things that puzzled me. It seemed like employers only had an interest in people with experience and not necessarily people with potential. I wrestled with feeling like I had a lot to offer, but I wasn’t quite sure how to articulate my skillset as a student-athlete in an interview. This got me wondering how many other athletes struggled with this same thing transitioning out of their playing days. Whether you’re an athlete navigating the job market, a recruiter looking for top talent, or a parent wondering if all the carpool trips to practice will pay off, I want to provide a little insight on four reasons why I think employers should look at hiring former student-athletes.

Student-athletes are not just creators but innovators.

The Drive Group did a study that suggested that up to 95% of Fortune 500 CEOs played college sports. Several people can come up with a creative idea but very few people can execute on that creative idea. That's the difference between creators and innovators. Creators think, innovators do. Ralph Waldo Emerson says, "The person who understands 'how' will always have a job. The person who understands 'why' will always be their boss." Innovation requires action and that’s the DNA of an athlete. Student-athletes are taught to see problems as obstacles as opportunities and figure out a way to get the job done. They’re constantly working on their craft, finding new ways to achieve results, and pushing the envelope on new ideas. This makes for a great characteristic when it comes to joining the workforce.

Student-athletes know how to deal with difficult people and situations effectively.

This might be one of the most overlooked characteristics of student-athletes from employers. There’s an extreme sense of poise and self-control that student-athletes possess in the heat of competition. With the rise of exposure to collegiate athletics and the impact of social media, athletes are in the limelight which makes them susceptible to fans critiquing, heckling, or sharing their opinions about an athlete's performance. On top of that, athletes may have to deal with unfair treatment, unfortunate circumstances, and unusual situations. I had a coach that used to say he had a lot of “baked potatoes” on the team. We acted hard and tough on the outside, but when you threw us in the oven and turned the heat on, we were soft on the inside. Student-athletes are forced to deal with difficult people and situations because they have a job to do and a team counting on them.

Student-athletes know what it takes to contribute to a team, and also be personally responsible for getting their job done.

As an athlete, you know that if you want playing time, you better be able to get the job done. If you don’t, then the coach will find somebody that will. It’s that plain and simple. The same could be said for the workforce. If you do your job, you generally get rewarded. If you don’t, then your employer will find somebody that does. Self-motivation is required at the same level as team-motivation. Athletes and employees get penalized for being "me-focused" over being "we-focused". Student-athletes have a healthy dose of both and this can be an asset for companies that are looking for individuals that can bring value. They know that when they get better, the team gets better which makes for natural leaders.

Student-athletes are fast learners and can become quick leaders.

Leadership is probably one of the most common characteristics that are associated with student-athletes. The good thing about student-athletes is that you get diverse leadership styles in all shapes and sizes. In athletics, leadership is largely focused on what you’ve done, but leadership in an organization has a large emphasis on who you are. The good news is that if the student-athlete already has a strong leadership backbone, that’s generally a strong indicator that they can pick up on new skills, terminology, and industry knowledge fairly quickly. You can teach skills but you can't train passion. ?

There are several great resources and reasons on why you should hire student-athletes. I just wanted to highlight a few that I think can be valuable to organizations. If you’re a current or former student-athlete seeking a career opportunity, know that you have unique traits that can differentiate you from the rest of the pool. If you’re an employer or looking to make a hire, I encourage you to consider a student-athlete because they are innovators, problem-solvers, team players, producers, and leaders who can get the job done.