Student Career Development Guide

Name: University:
Graduation date: Major: GPA:
Sport: Position: Hometown:

The purpose of the Career Development Guide is to help you start to assemble a portrait
of yourself that will be of great interest and value to potential employers. As you go
through these exercises, spend a few minutes thinking about each question before you jot
down your answers. Later, you will use this information to develop an impressive
resume that will attract the attention of important hiring decision makers. After you have
finished, we think youll be surprised at all the many wonderful achievements youve
already had in your life.

List your four (4) biggest accomplishments during your athletic career:

1.

2.

3.

4.

List your four (4) biggest accomplishments during college outside of athletics:

1.

2.

3.

4.
List your (4) biggest hurdles or obstacles you have faced over the years and how you
dealt with the hurdles. Also, what lesson did you learn from each:

1.

2.

3.

4.

List the five (5) greatest character strengths you have developed through
athletics/academics that would make an employer want to hire you. Give a specific
example of where you demonstrated each one.

Example:

Strength: Leadership

Example: Our team wanted to collect toys to distribute to hospitalized kids last
Christmas. I was voted by my teammates to head up the project
because
of my leadership skill and because they knew I would get the job done.
Our team collected and donated over 500 toys to children at three hospital
near our campus. Everyone was excited about what we accomplished.

Strength 1:
Example

Strength 2:
Example

Strength 3:
Example
Strength 4:
Example

Strength 5:
Example

Awards & Accomplishments: List any awards, achievements, recognition and honors
you have earned.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Work Experience/Internships: List any work experience/internships you have had;

explain what you did and what you learned from it that would be valuable to a future
employer.

Position 1:

Position 2:

Position 3:
Extra Curricular Activities: List any other activities or events you participated in that
would be of interest to an employer (examples: community service work, religious
organizations, conferences or seminars, leadership/training programs, internships,
fundraising, campus organizations, scouting, travel etc.) Explain how each listed item
would be of interest to a future employer.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Career Considerations

What type of business positions would you consider?

Management Development Sales Associate Administrative

Program:
Finance Accounting Marketing
Human Resources Other

What industries would you consider working in?

Business Services Medical products

Pharmaceutical Industry Food Service
 Resume Development Outline
Your resume is your personal introduction to any employer. It is oftentimes the first
glimpse of you a company or hiring manager will get. Weve all heard the old saying
First Impressions Are Lasting, so its very much worth your time to spend the effort
and energy to make it stand out. There are many resources on the web that can help you
build a powerful resume. You will find formats, verbiage and samples to guide you.
Take advantage of them

The format we prefer for our student-athletes is what we call a behavioral resume. A
behavioral resume focuses more on the character, traits and accomplishments of the
individual than the work history. This works great for transitioning students with lots of
talent but little experience. Remember, most companies looking for entry level talent are
more interested in whats in your head and your heart than your experience. They love
student-athletes because they believe that all the dedication, determination, focus and
goal orientation developed through your sport will translate into a peak performing
employee. Use this to your advantage. The attached resumes are good examples of a well
written behavioral resume. Outlined, it looks like this:

1. Name - Big, Bold, Centered

2. Personal Information - Address, Phone, E-Mail Address
3. Career Objective - Customized to the job you want; focused on how you can help
employer

Example: A sales opportunity with a world class organization that will allow me
to use the knowledge and character Ive developed through my academic and
athletic career to help reach company goals.

4. Education - Dates, degrees

5. Personal Characteristics or behavioral qualifications
6. Awards or achievements (Brag Book, Achievements, Awards) athletic, academic,
service
7. Work History - Accurate Dates, Company Name, Phone, Reference,
8. Accomplishments
9. References - Names, Phone Numbers, Testimonial Letters (coaches, professors,
advisors. These are very impressive and important
 SAMPLE RESUME 1
Name
Address
Cell and home phone
Email

CAREER OBJECTIVE Seeking a position with Company Name in the area of MARKETING,
SALES, or MANAGEMENT with the ability to apply the knowledge gained through school and
prior business experiences.

EDUCATION

University of California-Riverside, BA Business Economics

Bachelors of Art Degree, with Honors
Overall GPA: 3.56
Graduation Date: June 2005

University of California-Riverside, Masters in Business Administration

Focus in Marketing
Overall GPA: 4.00
Anticipated Graduation Date: June 2007

AWARDS AND ACHEIVEMENTS

BA in Business Economics
Attended the 2005 NCAA Leadership Conference
Deans List 16 Quarters
Arthur Ashe Jr., All Academic First Team Award-Outfield
Big West All-Academic Team (2 Years)
Big West Honorable Mention Team-Outfielder (3 Years)
Rhodes Scholar UCR Team
Nominated for NCAA, Academic All-American

COLLEGE EMPLOYMENT

The City of Milpitas- Recreation Services, Stay N Play, Milpitas, CA 6/1/05-

Camp Director
Responsible to lead and direct a summer program that consists of approximately
100 children, ranging from the ages of 5-13.
Counselor in Training Director
Responsible for directing counselor-in- training program.
Extended Care Director
Responsible for extended care, after camp hours.
ORGANIZATIONS

Youth Advisory Commission, City of Milpitas

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, University of California Riverside (4 years)
Fellowship for Christian Athletes, University of California-Riverside
Golden Arches-Peer Mentoring, Student Athlete Mentors (SAMS)
CHAMPS/Life Skills Advisory Team

REFERENCES
 Name Position Telephone Number
SAMPLE RESUME 2
NAME
Home Address:
Street.
City, St. Zip
Phone number (cell) email address

SUMMARY OF SKILLS
Strong time- management and organizational skills that have grown through the practice
of balancing academics and competing on a Division I softball team
Positive attitude with the ability to work under pressure
Solid Leadership knowledge that is adaptable to diverse environments and new people
Confident in groups; either facilitating or taking on a secondary role
Driven and motivated through a strong work ethic that comes from balancing practice,
competitive games, and class schedules

EDUCATION
Martin J. Whitman School of Management
Bachelor of Science, Marketing GPA-
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Graduation date: May 2006

COLLEGE WORK EXPERIENCE

Gatorade Team Leader, Syracuse, NY

Summer 2006
Sports Marketing Internship, Syracuse University
Summer 2005
Syracuse University Softball Team, Syracuse, NY
2002-2006

______________________________________________________________________________
COMMUNITY SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP

NCAA Leadership in Training 2002-

Present
Selected by coach based on leadership and potential
Work on team building activities and developing conflict resolution skills
Good Samaritan House, Volunteer 2002-
Present
Preparing meals, served, and greeted those less fortunate

REFERENCES
 SAMPLE RESUME 3
NAME
609 Kelton Los Angeles, CA 90024
email & phone #

TRANSFER SKILLS OBTAINED WHILE PARTICIPATING INDIVISION-I ATHLETICS AND ACADEMICS

TO A CAREER IN _____________________________________________________.

Personal Characteristics: Competitive, resilient, determined, self-motivated, result orientated,

enthusiastic, loyal, gregarious, extremely coach-able, and organized, with a demonstrated
capacity for time management, teamwork, discipline, communication, flexibility, critical
thinking and leadership.

EDUCATION

University of California Los Angeles

Bachelor of Arts in History degree to be completed in December 2006
Athletic Honor Roll 2003-2006

Accomplishments

Member UCLA - NCAA Division-I swim team, 2002-2006 (Scholarship)

Devoted 30 hours per week to training, practices, meetings, travel and competition while
completing a degree in History
Completed 26.2 mile marathon - San Diego, June 2006
UCLA swimming pre-season event coordinator for team retreat, meetings and social
gatherings 2005-2006
Competed in U.S. Swimming Nationals 1996 through 2006

Community Service

Mentor and counselor for at-risk teens, Maryvale Childrens Home, 2002-2004
Organized Game Day for children ages 5-12, Maryvale Childrens Home, Los Angeles
2003

Work Experience

Hostess, Palomino Restaurant Westwood, CA, September 2006 to Present

UCLA Summer Swim Camp Westwood, CA, Swim Instructor, 2005-2006
Sierra Marlin Swim Team Folsom, CA, Swim Instructor, 2003-2004
 References

SAMPLE COVER LETTER

Name
609 Kelton Los Angeles, CA 90024
email & phone

August 2006

_______________

To Whom It May Concern:

The nature of athletics is to impart the personal strengths of time management, teamwork,
discipline, persistence, loyalty, dealing with setbacks, flexibility and leadership. As an NCAA
Division-I member of the UCLA swim team, I am looking to transfer these skills to the field of
_________________________________________.

My experience facilitating events on behalf of the team has given me a realization that I have a
talent for this kind of detailed work and enjoy interacting with a myriad of people.
Responsibilities have included working with hotels and restaurants, securing venues, staying
within a budget, and managing all the details required to coordinate an event for large groups of
people.

Due to time constraints placed on student athletes and NCAA prohibitions against scholarship
recipients working for pay, the majority of my job experience has been composed of volunteer
positions. I am a hard-working, team-player with excellent leadership, communication and
technical skills. I will apply the same degree of diligence and dedication to a career in
_____________that has allowed me to maintain good grades while devoting an average of 30
hours per week to training for the UCLA swim team.

I would be very interested in meeting with you at your convenience to discuss opportunities
with_________________.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Name
 Evidence

Theres an old saying, Evidence Defeats Disbelief. In terms easier to understand,

anything you can present to a potential employer that substantiates the information on
your resume, is to your advantage. Best of all, it separates you from every other
Average Joe applying for the same position. With this in mind, we recommend you
collect the following:

1. Letters of Recommendation: These include testimonials from Coaches,

Athletic Department Advisors, Professors, Former Employers, Intern Sponsors,
Religious Officials and anyone else you feel could be useful in presenting you in
a fine light to employers. Letters should be typed on formal letterhead and
signed. Three is an adequate number to have. Mom and Dad dont count!

2. References: In todays legalized business world, providing solid references is

very important. Thats because most employers or institutions are not allowed
to provide much information of value to a prospective employer. You want to
make it easy for them to learn how great you are. We suggest you provide three
personal references, with accurate phone numbers that can be called. Needless
to say, a coach, athletic department administrator, employer or mentor is better
to use than personal or family friends.

3. Success Documentation: Information that documents what you have

accomplished is very impressive and useful to a potential employer. Awards
youve won, sales or work standings/rankings, company awards or trips, honors
you have received, press clippings and other actual documentation go a long
way to getting you hired. Remember, interviewing is not the time to be
humble. You can and should tactfully toot your own horn.

All of your information should then be neatly packaged inside a clean two pocket folder,
you will present to the interviewer. Your resume will go in the right hand pocket; your
evidence will go in the left pocket. Separating yourself from the pack takes a lot of
work, but its worth it when you get the opportunity you want.

Evidence Ive collected:

Letters of Recommendation _______ References _______ Success Documentation

________
 Athletes to Business Resume Template

Biographical Data

Objective

Personal Characteristics & Qualifications:

Educational Information:
Awards & Accomplishments:

College Work History and Internships

Community Service Volunteer Work Activities

References: