Courtney Van Haaften | Sports Co-Editor

Being an athlete in college provides many opportunities for student athletes and can also give them skills needed to thrive in the workforce.

One assumed trait of athletes in general is that they are competitive, but collegiate athletes may possess many more skills and traits that employers value. Director of Career Services at Buena Vista University (BVU) Carol Lytle says that athletics are essential in learning how to work as a team.

“We have employers who have come here specifically looking for athletes because they know they have initiative, drive, time management, they can problem-solve, analyze, and think quickly on their feet,” Lytle said. “Sports are really an amazing way of getting ready for a job. I’m completely convinced that students need to include their time in sports on their resume and as they talk to potential employers, whether they’re going into something related to sports or not.”

Lytle also mentioned that in a nationwide survey of employers, the number one and two skills that they look for are communication and teamwork, respectively. Athletes gain good communication and teamwork skills because they have to be able to communicate and work together to achieve a common goal.

Along with being competitive and getting a certain task done, athletes also know how to lose and handle stress. This is seen as a positive in the eyes of employers because on the job, not everything is going to go as planned. Athletes know how to face adversity.

Specific skills and terms that athletes can use on their resumes to describe positive traits they gained from sports are communication skills, time management skills, self-motivation, detail-oriented, analytical and strategic, goal-oriented, ability to take criticism, teamwork skills, and leadership skills.

Brooke Wehle, a senior basketball player who was recently accepted into graduate school for dentistry, relates dedication on the basketball court to success outside of sports.

“Being an athlete for all my four years here at BVU will help me in my future because it taught me the importance of leadership and commitment. You must be committed to what you do and love what you do otherwise you won’t enjoy it,” she said. “I have learned many skills from being an athlete that will transfer over into my future like being a leader and working with a team. I have also learned the importance of time management, self-discipline and dedication. All of these skills will help me succeed in my future.”

Athletes often overlook the skills they develop from participating in collegiate athletics because they play solely for the love of the game. For more advice and help with resumes visit Career Services, which is open every weekday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Graphic by Keyla Sosa