I stand corrected: Hire Male Student Athletes (too)
Since writing Trust me: Hire female student athletes I have received incredible advice, added some kickass clients, and have had some very insightful conversations. One particular conversation caught me off guard, a male student athlete I was interviewing brought up my article, he said, “We (male student athletes) have learned those characteristics too”. I sat back, and realized, okay, maybe I’m a feminist, or delusional, could it really be that hard to be you, you have thousands of screaming fans at your games and races. But he said that’s not what it was about… it was about them sacrificing, learning, and growing but in different circumstances.
This again is not a bashing on any particular sport, gender, or university; this is just a statement of the reality it is to be a male student athlete and the skills they acquire that translate into the workforce.
Much like I stated in the female article, male student athletes have a very regimented daily schedule. They set their alarm for 4:30 am, go to the gym for an hour of weights, head to the athletic trainers for rehab, grab some breakfast, run to class at 9am, attend class until 3 o’clock, eat lunch in class if you remembered to pack food, go to practice from 3–6pm, sit in an ice bath (yes, it’s as bad as it sounds), the few unlucky ones continue on to a night class, and head home at 8pm to finish a project, and push repeat the next day.
And while some of you are reading this thinking…
oh poor you, male student athletes, you play in amazing facilities, get cool free gear, and play in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
What you don’t realize is their facilities and resources are not as glamorous as it may seem (and not just because they are gross men). That cool free gear may not actually be theirs to keep, many times those warmups and jerseys are turned back in at the end of the year for the next season. Their meals, not prepped for them in their locker rooms, like you might think. In fact, their locker room may be miles away from their actual practice facility. Those nice fancy jets, most student athletes travel by bus, up to 10 hours one way. Majority of male student athletes don’t have the full ride scholarship either (not everyone plays football!). And male student athletes have to fight the “dumb jock” stereotype that has been presented to the world every day. What you see on ESPN College Game Day is not what it’s like for most male student athletes. There are more male student athletes in non-power-five conference schools, then in it.
Everyone knows the qualities of a student athlete, self-confident, committed, competitive, accountable, team player; but most don’t know how they get it. This is how…from a young age they are putting in the work when no one else is watching, showing up to something every day (even the days they don’t feel like it!), and playing for a purpose bigger then oneself. Employers alike can agree, they are always looking for these characteristics in a potential hire. And while their resumes may not include any “real jobs”, the skills one learns in those first-time jobs has no comparison to a student athlete who has these characteristics embedded in their core from a young age.
Employers, when you read Student-Athlete on a resume, change up your mindset. These male student athletes have everything it takes to do the job, and if they don’t, they have been practicing their whole lives, they will learn quickly. These guys have dedicated themselves for the past four years (and likely a decade prior), and are ready to dedicate themselves to a career in your company.
Hire male student athletes too…. they won’t let you down.
