Student-athletes do not always have the same opportunities to build their resumes in the traditional way most college students do. They spend the bulk of their time practicing and competing in their chosen sport or in the classroom in pursuit of their degree. Such a busy schedule makes it difficult to flesh out a resume with part-time employment.
That’s why an internship can make a huge difference for student-athletes. It can point them in the right direction on their career path. Internships can set student-athletes up for success after college and make it easier for them to achieve as many victories in the real world as they do on the playing field.
Making connections
Internships are about more than just accumulating job experience. They are also a powerful networking tool. An internship lets a company see the natural skills and work ethic a student-athlete brings to the table. As an intern, a student-athlete can see if a company is a match for his or her career goals.
People are more likely to buy a new car after they have taken it for a test drive. The same principle holds true in the job market. An employer who sees an intern in action is more likely to go back to that intern with a full-time job offer once they have completed their college education.
Build the resume
Student-athletes learn many valuable skills in athletic competition. Internships let them translate those skills to a work environment. They’re a perfect way to gain firsthand experience in a profession before graduation. The things a student-athlete can learn in the workplace can influence their choices in which classes they should take to prepare for their career path.
Even if a student-athlete decides not to pursue a full-time job with a company after serving an internship, that work experience looks good on a resume to other potential employers who can see tangible evidence of what the student-athlete has done to position himself or herself for a career within that industry.
A winning plan
The bottom line is that a degree only gets you started. Internships truly move the chains and help student-athlete get first downs and reach the end zone in the game called life.