Playing Sports Prepares You To Pitch Yourself

Provided by: NFCA

I recently graduated from college and have since entered the "real world" of working. This also means my jersey number has a new home and my locker no longer holds my snacks, four jackets, 10 softballs and six pairs of shoes. I've come to refer this period of my life as being " retired," but that is far from what I feel as I start my career.

Throughout my time as an athlete, it was constantly preached that the lessons I would learn being part of a team would be incredible experience when beginning life off the field. Though I have only been out of the student-athlete spectrum for months, I can say with confidence that this seemingly mundane advice is extremely accurate.

I never doubted that every pitch, every practice, every game and every adventure as a college athlete would be an opportunity to learn. In fact, it was one of my favorite parts of competing - to look back on a performance and pick out how it changed me, helped me or hurt me. It was something I could focus on no matter what the outcome, making sure that I got everything I could out of the experience and move forward with that stored knowledge.

Now that I have dipped my toes in the job-hunting pool, I am thankful that my resume is only the start of what I can provide to employers. Though it is hard to explain to future bosses about facing one of the nation's top batters and your strategy of pitch sequence to strike her out - softball may not be everyone's expertise - the experience of this moment can show exactly the kind of qualities that make you an asset to a company or team.

I have applied for a wide array of jobs over the past few months, and though many require a very different approach, I can always utilize one specific aspect of my life for each one; my time spent in a uniform. Constructing a resume has never been an easy thing for me, mostly because I have never had much to put on one.

I've done volunteer work and been active in student organizations, but never anything close to a commitment as softball. When you spend every season playing ball, there isn't much time to work a local job or even participate in other activities.

However, this can play to your advantage when you turn it around to show your commitment, dedication and devotion to that one sport or program.

Something special that I have noticed throughout my job search is that my actual performance on the field mattered much less than how I dealt with everything I went through along the way. Don't get me wrong, I included my academic awards, special recognitions and honors, but it was the statistics that really proved to be minimal in the long run.

I had a successful college career, but I also suffered setbacks and injuries. My numbers weren't what I wanted them to be, and certainly not the only measure of who I am as a person. I did not even include them on my resume, and most of the time, I was never even asked about playing time, records or playoffs. What really sparked conversation was the real-life, first-hand accounts of the conflicts, triumphs and teachings I faced as a student-athlete.

When interviewing and going through the first steps to starting a career, student-athletes are equipped beyond measure, if we make the most of our experience while we have it. You can talk about your passion toward one area of athletics, and express what it meant to be a member of a team.

The confidence you possess when walking to meet your potential new boss could stem from a success on the field that you can refer to later. The possibilities are endless!

What truly matters is how you convey all you've been through and why that makes you right for that dream job waiting for you after the seventh inning is up.