Dear Future Employers,

I'm not trying to persuade you one way or the other. I'm just trying to explain to you why college athletes may have sub-par resumés, but have skills that are far more developed compared to any other college student.

As I go through the interviewing process, some factors really stick out to me. Being a college athlete myself, I am certainly biased, but it's a matter of fact that college athletes, whether former or current, are the type of employees you want at your company. They embody certain qualities. They have certain talents and skills that cannot and will not ever be taught in the classroom. You want someone who is hard-working, driven, open to new ideas, accountable, and responsible. College athletes maintain a grueling schedule year-round, and through that, we have learned the qualities mentioned above plus some. Not to mention we maintain high grade point averages while we dedicate over 20 hours of our week to our 'extra-curricular' because, don't forget, we still have to be a student first. That is why we are student-athletes. If you disagree with me, let me just show you a few things I have learned in the past 17 years through competitive swimming.

I taught myself to be a morning person.

In no way, shape, or form have I ever enjoyed waking up at 5AM. But, it has taught me to not be allergic to the morning. I wake up on my own now around 7:30 AM ready to start my day. I don't waste any time playing with the alarm.

Time management is no stress for me considering I spent all of my high school days and still spend most of my college days in class, swimming, doing homework, or sleeping.

I had to give some things up, but that sacrifice turned into some priceless skills I now cherish.

Along those same lines, long hours don't bother me. Have you ever spent 4 hours staring at a blank line at the bottom of a pool while your heart rate is racing at about 180 beats per minute? No I didn't think so.

I know what it takes to be great. Hard work is no stranger to me.

I've spent the time equivalent of over a year of my life in a pool. I know that hard work isn't meant to be easy. It's meant to be worth it.

So please keep in mind when you come across an applicant who spent many years pursuing an athletic talent of theirs that they might not have had enough hours in the day to do other scholarly things. Also, know that they have a leg up against their competitors. Not to mention, they are the most competitive people you will ever meet.

Sincerely,

A Student-Athlete and Hopefully a Future Employee