Transferable Skills for Athletes

Your experience as an athlete has provided you with a unique skill set that is difficult to obtain in other settings. Athletic positions can and should be on your résumé because employers love hiring athletes. A 2018 article from Forbes explained that while the large majority of college athletes do not pursue their sport professionally, they do leave college with exceptional skills including discipline, work ethic, coachability, and the ability to balance academics, practices, workouts, and travel. An article from LinkedIn (2017) also noted that employers should hire college athletes because of their goal orientation, leadership, and teamwork.

These topics are designed to help you determine that transferable skills you might already have and those that you want to develop. These can be helpful to review when writing or revising your résumé and cover letters.

  • Meet deadlines and manage time effectively
  • Successfully balance multiple demands (school and work)
  • Identify and prioritize projects to be accomplished
  • Develop goals for self and/or an organization
  • Work effectively with organization members
  • Follow up with others to evaluate the progress of tasks

  • Quickly and accurately identify key issues when making a decision or solving a problem
  • Examine assumptions underlying analyses or conclusions
  • Draw connections in information obtained from diverse sources
  • Critically evaluate theories and research and apply the results to solve problems
  • Use facts to judge validity of theories

  • Interact with and learn from people with diverse cultural, social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds
  • Communicate effectively and sensitively in both individual and group situations
  • Effectively collaborate with others to complete projects or reach goals
  • Ability to work on a team and diverse assignments
  • Delegate tasks and responsibilities

  • Organize and present ideas effectively for formal and spontaneous speeches
  • Effectively participate in group discussions and brainstorm ideas
  • Productively utilize campus resources for public relations
  • Use various media platforms to present ideas effectively and/or imaginatively

  • Create, administer, and interpret questionnaires or surveys
  • Select appropriate statistical tests for the analyses of research
  • Consider financial, temporal, and personal constraints on research
  • Analyze and interpret statistical data

  • Demonstrate flexibility and ability to handle change
  • Able and motivated to develop knowledge and skills in expanding job responsibilities
  • Adapt well to stress and ambiguity

Resume Example

Now that you have identified some of the skills that you have gained as an athlete, consider including your experience on your résumé. Below is an example of a résumé entry for a Grinnell student athlete. Look at the skills they highlight in their accomplishment statements. How would you write your accomplishment statements to reflect your unique experience as an athlete?

Captain January 2024-Present

Varsity Softball, Grinnell College Grinnell, IA

  • Coordinate with coaches to develop a strong and inclusive team culture
  • Collaborate with teammates through weekly individual and biweekly team meetings to achieve personal and
    team-based goals
  • Maintain a rigorous personal training schedule, resulting in starting as a first year on a nationally ranked,
    Division III team and being recognized twice as Midwest Conference Athlete of the Week
  • Elected by peers to serve as a captain for a 30+ member team during the 2024–2025 season

Adapted from Marquette University & California State University Frsno, Career Services

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