How to Play Up Sports On Your Resume

“Although many student athletes grow up clicking the heels of their ruby red Air Jordans and dreaming of going pro, the reality is that very few go on to be career athletes. In fact, according to the NCAA, only 1 percent of college athletes go on to play professionally—the rest enter the briefcase-toting world just like the rest of us.

But just because you’ve traded the locker room for the boardroom doesn’t mean you should put your glory days behind you altogether. Here are some tips for how to highlight your athletic background on a resume, in an interview, and once you’re on the job.

WHERE DO SPORTS BELONG ON A RESUME?
College athletes should always list relevant work experience and internships first on their resumes. The best place to list sports involvement is in a subsequent “activities” section. However, because of their fulltime commitment to sports, some student athletes may not have had the time to complete internships or take on a summer job. Under these circumstances, Kelly Watson Muther, director of scholarships and career services for The University of Kansas Athletics Department, says students can list their sports first in the “experience” section. Many times the schedule of a student athlete is as time-consuming as a fulltime job. “It often adds up to more than a 40-hour work week commitment,” says Watson Muther. In addition, traits that athletes possess resemble those of a good employee: dedication, punctuality, and communication skills. This is especially true if you had some kind of leadership position on the team, such as the captain.”

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