Courtesy of Mark A Metz, Founder and CEO of Relus Technologies
I recently posted a blog on the 5 Reasons Employers Should Hire Swimmers. The post received nearly 80,000 views from swimmers all over the world.
I was surprised by many of the comments I received. For example, several said something like, “Thanks, I am now going to put my swimming career on my resume.” I was obviously wondering why it wasn’t already there, in bold print! Parents of swimmers often commented with statements like, “I am showing this to my daughter to demonstrate that hard work may help her succeed in a business career.” Again, I would have thought that was obvious.
In contrast, multiple successful swimmers got angry with me, suggesting that swimming success was based more on big feet, arm length, or other genetic factors. Perhaps as an excuse, they made remarks like, “I would have been in the Olympics if I had feet like Phelps or arms like Thorpe.” While genetics certainly is a factor in being successful in any sport, I believe that showing effort in the pool demonstrates a work ethic and determination that transfers to the workplace. While big feet aren’t an advantage in the boardroom, I believe swimmers should have an advantage when looking for a job.
With that being said, here are my top 3 suggestions to swimmers everywhere who may be entering the workforce or looking for a better opportunity.
1. Be Proud
Be proud of what you have accomplished in the pool. Maybe you never achieved a national ranking, but maybe you made a 400 IM final at the state championships, were selected for the relay team, or walked onto a college team and eventually earned a partial scholarship. Develop your own personal brand , and be prepared to discuss how your hard work in the water is a lot more grueling than your future work in an office. Employers want goal-oriented people like you who are willing to work. Show that you are conditioned to arrive early and will enthusiastically dive into any challenge.
2. Fix your resume and online profiles
Many of the people who commented on my blog were obviously looking for a job or would be soon. Some had resumes online, and others had LinkedIn profiles I could find, yet many didn’t sufficiently highlight their swimming. A quick Google search revealed that many of these people were actually quite accomplished collegiate level athletes. Especially for those swimming in college, you need to put more emphasis on your athletic career. Some merely listed “Four Year Collegiate Swimmer” in their interests. A random recruiter who was not a swimmer or college athlete does not realize the time commitment of the year-long, twice daily practices you likely endured. I would suggest listing Scholarship Athlete or something similar as one of your jobs, and describe the commitment you have made to your sport and school. You don’t want to appear to have less work experience during school than your non-swimming peers. You learned more about teamwork, dedication, goal-setting and commitment while swimming than you possibly could have learned waiting tables. A recruiter needs to see that in writing.
3. Network with swimmers
Swimming is like a giant international fraternity and sorority. Greek organizations like the TKEs or PKAs are great at leveraging their networks – why don’t you? There are literally millions of former swimmers in the workplace; they understand the commitment you have made and your passion for the sport. Reach out to them! Find them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or at the local Master’s practice. Find swimmers in management positions who may hire you or recommend you to others. I would be thrilled to hire hardworking dedicated individuals who were competitive swimmers, and I know that managers across the world share my opinion. In fact, one swimmer reached out to me from my previous blog and is starting work at Relus Technologies next week!
Be proud, describe your swim career, and start networking. I think you will be surprised at the number of former swimmers who will want to hire you!
ABOUT MARK – THE SWIMMER
Mark MetzMark is a life-long swimmer. In his college days at Furman University he was twice named Southern Conference Swimmer of the Year, and he was an Olympic Trials Qualifier in breaststroke. Mark currently coaches a masters swim team and competes sporadically. He also plays tennis (loves the game), and as the Founder and CEO of Relus Technologies, he hires tennis players and swimmers!
Mark is a serial entrepreneur that has founded three (3) $100 million technology companies in the Atlanta area. Currently, Mark is the CEO and co-founder of Relus Technologies, a company focused on driving value for its customers in the areas of Cloud Enablement, Datacenter Hardware, and IT Staffing. In 2014, Relus was voted one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and one of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Most Promising Solution Providers by CIO Review Magazine. He continues to be a leader in the Atlanta business community and is a long-standing supporter of the Technology Association of Georgia.
Excellent article. And just to reinforce the thought, it’s not just other swimmers who understand all the work that you put in and the dedication to task that you need to be a successful swimmer. Keep in mind that the hiring managers and potential mentors out there may not be former swimmers, but they might be swim parents. Or former swim parents.
Your task as a job seeker is to catch the eye of someone who has the ability to say “Yes”. While it won’t turn everyone’s head, there’s enough of us out there that it might make a difference.
Amazing article…Thanks for the enlighting us. It should really be considered in CVs, and it would be great if employers start considering that as a Plus not as a con.
Great article, and I really hope that the swimmers on this site take note of this. Swimming does take up an incredible amount of time, and leaves a lasting impact on you. In the time you spend at the pool, others are spending time networking, other extra-curriculars and networking. With an eye to your eventual career, you cannot allow swimming to come attached with the opportunity cost of not boosting your CV at the same time – and simple steps such as fully elaborating on your achievements and highlighting the commitment required and team-oriented approach can really help emphasize important qualities to recruiters.
Thought this might help your swimmers