Many athletes don’t realize the amount of transferable skills they gain throughout their student-athlete experience. Skills learned through sports make student-athletes highly marketable and valuable assets in today’s workplace. Not only do athletes gain team-building skills, work ethic, dedication, motivation, and discipline, but also they essentially become molded into the perfect employee. Who wouldn’t want to hire someone featuring all of these traits?

The tough question for student-athletes searching for jobs is: “How can I stand out from the crowd with so many people applying for the same jobs?” One of the best things you can do is to write a customized cover letter for each job you apply to. Don’t just send in a resume without a cover letter because a cover letter gives you the chance to describe your personal skills and traits in much more depth than with resume. Here are a few tips to help you write the perfect cover letter:

1. Write Simply and Clearly – Don’t make your cover letter long. Get right to the point and write short, purpose-driven paragraphs. The general rule is one page or less. What you say in your cover letter can make the difference between your resume getting a second look and your resume getting just a quick glance.
2. Personalize Your Cover Letter – If the information is available, add the name and company address of the person you are writing to. If it’s not available, you can research the company and find out who the hiring manager is (or if it’s being sent to human resources).
3. Emailing the Cover Letter – If you are emailing your cover letter, paste it into the body of the message instead of adding it as an attachment. Don’t send it as an attachment unless the employer asks for it.
4. Spell Check and Proofread – This cannot be stressed enough. Nothing is more unprofessional than a poorly written cover letter riddled with spelling errors. It helps to ask someone else to read your cover letter before you send it. A fresh pair of eyes may spot something you don’t.
5. Keep Copies of Your Cover Letters – Keep copies of all your cover letters just in case! It can also help you keep track of who you have contacted and when.

Here at Athlete Connections, we offer many resources available to student-athletes searching for employment such as interview tips, resume tips, mentoring, an online database of available jobs, and even networking events to bring employers and student-athletes together. To start your job search, upload your resume to Athlete Connections for free to gain access to jobs posted by employers looking to hire former student-athletes.

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All professional athletes started out at the bottom and worked their way up. They rightfully earned their titles through hard work, motivation, dedication, perseverance, exceptional decision making, and practiced skills. If you are a student-athlete looking for a career, you may be wondering how to apply your skills to the professional work force. Well… it’s simple, really! You already have the traits that make an excellent employee.

Sports like football, soccer, hockey, swimming, basketball, and baseball are all forms of games. The goal is to beat the other team, advance in status, and win. When it comes to finding a job, the rules are no different. Your goals are to stand out, display your strengths, work hard, persevere, and win. Finding a job is your next big game. Here at Athlete Connections, we try our best to give you tips, opportunities, and hints for your perfect game plan. What have the pros done that worked?

1.) Getting your foot in the door
They say the secret to getting a job at a company you really want to work for is taking low or entry-level jobs and working your way up. Even third stringers like Jeremy Lin (New York Knicks) worked his way up and eventually made NBA history by scoring 136 points in five starts, going from a bench warmer to a household name.

2.) It pays to negotiate your salary
It may seem like a bold move considering how scarce jobs are, but it pays to negotiate your salary. If you have the appropriate skills and are qualified for the job, don’t undersell yourself.

3.) Keep your resume clean
Make sure to double and triple check your resume for spelling errors and formatting issues. Another way of keeping your work history “clean” is to be aware of the decisions you make and how it may affect your professional career. Professional golfer, Tiger Woods, had his reputation tarnished and effected by his bad decisions.

4.) Have a game plan in mind
Do your research on the company you’re interviewing for and think of questions they might ask you. Being prepared with answers, knowledge, and confidence will impress any employer.

5.) You can have it all
There are plenty of successful professionals that have a rewarding career and a family. Don’t think that it’s going to come down to only having one. Think about your support system before you reject a promotion or a new job.

6.) Athletes are part of a team
When it comes to having a job, you often won’t be working alone and will have several coworkers. The ability to communicate well and get along with your coworkers is important to your future successes. Not only does it display your strong team work abilities, but it also shows that you are accommodating and easy to work with.

7.) Athletes are motivated and hard working
It takes time and effort to train and practice when you are an athlete. It’s easy to transfer these skills, experience and characteristics to a career.

Athlete Connections offers many resources available to student-athletes seeking a professional career including other helpful information, resume tips, interview tips, and an online database of available jobs from employers looking to hire former athletes. Register today for free and upload your resume to get started with your job search!

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Gaining work experience to put on your resume can be a challenging task, especially for student-athletes whose free time is minimal. However, with a little creativity and commitment, it is possible. We’ve got a few ideas for you…

Seasonal/temporary employment is a good way to gain work experience. Some employers hire temporary positions during their busy season to help accommodate the increased demand during this time. Many times, this busy season is during the holidays, which makes this job ideal for student-athletes because of the winter break from school.

On-campus employment is another great way for student-athletes to gain valuable resume-building experience while staying close to where they have classes and practice. A part-time on-campus position makes it easy for the student-athlete to go directly from the job to class or practice.

Use your sport to gain leadership experience. If there is an opportunity for you to be a student leader in your sport, take it. Being a captain of your team is great experience for your professional career. In fact, some employers prefer leadership experience in a sport to a part-time entry-level job because of the leadership qualities you will gain from leading your team.

Keep in mind that just by being a student-athlete, you are already gaining valuable career experience. Not everybody can successfully commit to both an academic career and an athletic one simultaneously. Employers want to see students take initiative by doing something outside of academics and that is just what you’re doing! Keep it up!

Athlete Connections offers many resources available to student-athletes seeking a professional career including other resume tips, interview tips, and an online database of available jobs from employers looking to hire former athletes. Register today for free and upload your resume to get started with your job search!

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It’s no secret that student-athletes are busy people. A typical day starts with a glass of orange juice and a waffle, then off to school and practice afterwards. After a couple hours of practice, it’s time to squeeze in homework, dinner, a little American Idol, studying for that chemistry quiz, showering, and off to bed to do it all over again tomorrow.

With this kind of everyday schedule, it’s easy to see how learning effective time management is a very valuable skill for student-athletes. However, there are no quick and easy fixes for time management. Good time management takes practice, and different tips are appropriate for different people. Here are a few useful tips to help create a balance between your sport, your studies, and your social life:

Be flexible and make the most of your time. If one of your lectures gets cancelled, take advantage of the extra time to do a task that you had planned on completing later that day, or one that you were struggling to fit in later in the week.

Turn your cell phone off or put it on silent when doing homework or studying for a test. The fewer distractions you have, the faster you’ll be able to finish it and the more effective your studying will be.

Make use of travel time! Away games are always a blast, but they can also be very time consuming because of the travel time. If you’re not driving, take advantage of this travel time to get some studying in. It’s less you’ll have to do when you get home that night.

Utilize a daily planner or calendar. Write down all of your tests, quizzes, and project due dates for the week, month, or semester (whatever works for you). This way, you’ll know when you’ll be busy and when you’ll have time to breathe.

Use your weekends wisely. Weekdays can be very hectic with school, practice, games, etc. Use the extra time you have on Saturday and Sunday to get a head start on the next week’s work.

Know your limits. Make sure that you are comfortable managing your current schedule before adding on to your to-do list.

As a student-athlete, you have more commitments and responsibilities compared to the “average” student. Be proud of the opportunity and make the most of each day. The time management skills you learn as a student-athlete will prove extremely useful and valuable in your professional career.

Are you a busy student-athlete? What are your tips for managing your time? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page with your time management tips!

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The recent frenzy around the national college basketball tournament known as “March Madness” has got me thinking about the language and phrases used in college sports. Throughout the championship, announcers and commentators chose the word “student-athlete” to refer to the college ball players, and they were likely encouraged to do so by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. But, what exactly does the term “student-athlete” mean and what does this status imply?

A student-athlete is defined as an enrolled student who participates in an organized competitive sport sponsored by the college/university in which he or she is enrolled. Student-athletes must balance the roles of being both a student and an athlete at their school. Many student-athletes are subject to eligibility rules to maintain a certain GPA in order to continue participating in their sport. As the N.C.A.A. puts it, “Student-athletes must, therefore, be students first.”

In addition to the technical requirements of being a student-athlete, there are many other qualities and characteristics found in student-athletes. One of the most prominent qualities of a student-athlete is a championship work ethic. If their free throw or golf swing is not perfect, they will work on it until it is, even if it takes until 3 in the morning. This work ethic comes from the athletes’ desire to succeed, a great quality that can also be transferred into academics, or even a professional career outside of sports.

At Athlete Connections, we are dedicated to helping student-athletes find jobs as they end their athletic career and transition into a professional career outside of sports. We offer many resources available to student-athletes searching for employment such as interview tips, mentoring, an online database of available jobs, and even networking events to bring employers and student-athletes together. To start your job search, upload your resume to Athlete Connections for free to gain access to jobs posted by employers looking to hire former student-athletes.

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A well-written resume can mean the difference between not getting a second glance by a potential employer and scoring the job. Resumes are meant to show how valuable you are to an employer, so that they are enticed to contact you for an interview. If you are a former student-athlete seeking a professional career, there are a few things you can do to highlight your intercollegiate athletic career on your resume to make it stand out amongst other job candidates.

First, create a section on your resume entitled INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS and include your athletic participation in this section. Include the sport you played, your school’s name, the time you devoted to training, any athletic awards that you received, accomplishments both personally and as a team (if applicable), any scholarships you received, and any leadership positions you fulfilled (such as team captain). As part of this section, you may want to mention your accompanying success in your academic career by saying something like “Devoted 20 hours per week to athletics while carrying a full course load”.

Next, use action words to describe the transferrable skills you learned in your sport that can prove beneficial in any professional career (leadership skills, teamwork, time management, communication skills, commitment, etc.). For example, you can describe how you worked together with your teammates to bring the championship title to your school for the first time in 10 years. Or, perhaps you can describe how your actions increased team morale.

At Athlete Connections, we are dedicated to helping student-athletes find jobs and transition into a career outside of sports. We offer many resources available to student-athletes searching for employment such as interview tips, mentoring, an online database of available jobs, and even networking events to bring employers and student-athletes together. To start your job search, upload your resume to Athlete Connections for free and gain access to jobs posted by employers looking to hire former student-athletes.

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Although this year’s new college grads may face a tough job market because of our country’s economy, it’s important to realize that new grads, including former student-athletes, are very attractive to many employers and are therefore the candidates most likely to get hired in the coming months. Andy Chan, Vice President of Career Development at Wake Forest University, says “organizations are very interested in hiring young people because they have a lot of energy and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

Even with their “new grad status” going for them, college grads will find better success in the job market by avoiding these common mistakes:

Not Creating Customized Resumes/Cover Letters: Don’t just put together a generic resume and cover letter and send it out to every job posting you find. Cater your skill set on your resume/cover letter to the specific skills required for the job. You want to show the employer what you have to offer them so that they see value in hiring you. If you were a student-athlete at your college or university, list this on your resume and describe skills you learned on the field, such as teamwork and competitiveness, which can be translated to the job.

Missing Out on Online Networking Tools: Many young job seekers don’t realize the tools out there to help them in their job search or even worse, they are too lazy to take advantage of them! Don’t miss out on online networking tools because they can prove extremely helpful with your job search. For example, Athlete Connections is an Online Career Center that connects current and former student-athletes with employers looking to hire them. Athletes can upload their resume for free to access Athlete Connections’ Job Board featuring hundreds of great jobs from top employers. In addition, Athlete Connections provides networking opportunities for student-athletes seeking employment in the professional workplace.

Not Taking the Job Opportunity Seriously: New graduates often try to find the perfect job right out of school. They apply for only the most prestigious jobs and wait to be called. It’s ok to set your expectations high, but don’t rule out a job just because it doesn’t pay as much as you want or the employer isn’t as well known. Your first job should be one where you are given the opportunity to learn a lot, grow your skill set, and discover what your are good at. Even if it is just an internship, you may be surprised at the valuable job opportunities that come out of it.

As a recent grad or former student-athlete, ensure your success in the job market by avoiding these common mistakes. And remember, upload your resume to Athlete Connections to gain access to our Online Career Center (for free!) to help you in your job search!

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It’s that time of year again folks. Fans across the world tuned in for Major League Baseball’s opening day yesterday, and what a day it was. We had rivalries, home runs, extra innings, walk-offs, and dominant pitching performances. With all the action going on in baseball yesterday, what was most impressive about opening day? Was it Bryce Harper going deep in his first two at-bats of the season? Was it the dominant pitching performances of Kershaw, Hernandez, Sale, Strasburg, Verlander, Weaver, Cueto and Samardzija? Was it Jonathan Lucroy hitting a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning in Milwaukee? The true answer is all of the above. Baseball is back and is more beautiful than ever. So, check your schedule to find out when your team is playing, set your fantasy lineup, and get ready to enjoy seven more months of America’s pastime!

~Bryan O’Connor

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The Miami Heat’s 27 game winning streak was snapped Wednesday night by the Chicago Bulls. The Heat were aiming to surpass the NBA record of 33 consecutive wins by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. Although breaking the record would be a great accomplishment for The Heat, was it a good thing that they didn’t? With their win streak over, Miami can re-direct their attention to winning their second consecutive NBA Championship. The Heat can now rest some of their key players as the end of the season nears, and also remember what it feels like to lose. I believe Wednesday night’s loss to The Bulls was the best thing for The Heat as the playoffs near. During their win streak, they still developed some bad habits. They came out sluggish multiple times and trailed sub .500 hundred teams like the Cavs (27 point deficit) and The Bobcats (11 point deficit). They can now focus on coming out and building leads earlier in games and do not have the added pressure of breaking an NBA record. So, are The Heat better off moving forward now that their win streak is over? Only time will tell as the NBA Playoffs are a few weeks away.

~Bryan O’Connor

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Florida Gulf Coast University’s men’s basketball team made history Sunday Night. They became the first 15 seed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament since it expanded to its current format in 1985. How did they do it? They started out by knocking off Big East powerhouse Georgetown Friday night in their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

The Eagles electrified the crowd in Philadelphia by converting numerous alley-oops and going on a 21-2 run in the second half. After the game, Fort Myers, Florida was being referred to as Dunk City. Well Dunk City showed no signs of letting up as they defeated San Diego State in similar fashion in the round of 32. This time The Eagles went on a 17-0 run late in the second half and ended up winning 81-71.

What do these victories mean for the small town in southwest Florida? Well they certainly attributed to the National attention Fort Myers has been receiving. Whether it was via Twitter, SportsCenter, or ABC World News, Florida Gulf Coast and the City of Fort Myers were the center of attention in the sports world Monday. The City of Fort Myers website even updated its location to include #DUNKCITY. Being a native of Fort Myers, I am glad to see the town being put in the national spotlight and will certainly be cheering for The Eagles on Friday night against the in-state foe Florida Gators. Whether FGCU moves on to the Elite Eight or not is insignificant. Their performance in this year’s NCAA Tournament has put the young school and Fort Myers on the map, and it will certainly attribute to the growth of its sports program.

~Bryan O’Connor

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