A Student Athlete Resume Case Study

Recently, I’ve helped several student-athletes rewrite their resumes following robust college athletic careers.

The struggle these athletes faced was having limited time to devote to career planning and development activities. Being a student-athlete is a full-time job in itself! You’re not alone if you are a student-athlete struggling to write your professional resume.

This student-athlete resume case study below (plus three real student athlete resume examples) will help you with your resume writing strategy!

Case Study Example of a Student-Athlete Resume  – The Student’s Profile

Identity: College student-athlete.
Sport: Baseball.
Institution: Member of a prestigious Division One program.

This student-athlete played baseball for one of the nation’s most prestigious Division One programs. This led to very little time available for any career-related extracurricular activities. He did not participate in an internship program, and he limited work experience.

What this student-athlete didn’t realize is how we can strategically highlight other experiences and accomplishments in ways that are relevant to employers! We were able to make great use of some volunteer experiences and highlight the many transferrable skills he demonstrated as a part of the baseball team. He also had a good GPA, leadership experience, and an impressive list of athletic accolades that demonstrated his work ethic, determination, time management skills, and more!

The ‘Before’ Resume

I applaud the student-athlete for having a starting point with his resume! He had utilized the help of a student-athlete academic advisor. Having some experience and skills in a document is a great start. The issue with his “before” resume was it was very generic and only about half a page long. It is very important that your resume fill one page or it could appear as though you have little to offer (which is not true!). At the same time, the content must be relevant and valuable, which is where resume strategy comes into play!

Key Resume Transformations for This Student Althete

I immediately looked at the student’s transcript and matched coursework and academic projects to the skills and experience listed in the job description. Additionally, I asked many questions about his weekly schedule, leadership contributions, and involvement with the baseball program’s success. From his responses, I could pull out many skills the employer sought and highlight those relevant to his resume.

The ‘After’ Resume

When I met with the student to finalize his resume, he responded, “Wow, this is amazing! I can’t believe how relevant I am to employers now! I felt like I had nothing to offer before, and this process and my new resume give me so much confidence!” He had been applying to jobs for three months with no traction. He needed a carefully crafted resume that easily related his academic and athletic accomplishments to the desired role.

Key Resume Learning Points for Student Athletes

•  Your athletic experience is relevant! You build invaluable transferrable skills as a student-athlete, and your work ethic, grit, and networking skills are important and valuable to employers.

• Make the connections for the employer! Instead of listing athletic accomplishments, list the skill they seek, followed by how you have demonstrated it. Anyone can say they have leadership skills, but providing evidence of how you have demonstrated those leadership skills is crucial in selling yourself to employers.

• Consider relevant coursework and projects! You can use relevant coursework and large academic projects, presentations, and case studies to highlight knowledge and skills on your resume.

• Include experience relevant to your career within your athletic program! As student-athletes, you often conduct tours, meet with prospects, and help with fundraising. All of these activities within the athletic program demonstrate valuable transferable skills. Include these experiences on your resume as they are relevant!

• Short-term industry-relevant experience is still relevant! Perhaps you couldn’t commit to a semester-long internship, but you did complete some job shadows, industry tours, and informational interviews with mentors. All of these activities are valuable! Include them as they are relevant and as space allows.

3 Examples of Student-Athlete Resume 

• Student-Athlete Resume 1 – The student-athlete discussed throughout this article now has a relevant and impressive resume that attracted his ideal employer and helped him establish himself in medical device sales!

• Student-Athlete Resume 2 – This resume belongs to a former golf student-athlete who wanted to utilize his education and internship experience in finance in the business management realm.

• Student-Athlete Resume 3 – This resume belongs to a football student-athlete who acquired a prestigious summer internship with a multi-family real estate investment firm because his document demonstrated his commitment to the industry and exceptional work ethic!