Top Athlete sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers & results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to craft the perfect Athlete resume experience section
Athlete Experience Section: Checklist
- List your positions in chronological or reverse-chronological order;
- Go for 4-6 bullet points;
- Add only relevant work experience;
- Include information about the challenges you’ve faced, the actions you’ve taken, and the results you’ve achieved;
- Use action verbs instead of filler words.
The work experience samples below come from real Athlete resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Maintained rigorous training schedule to improve performance and stay in top physical condition.
- Analyzed opponents' strengths and weaknesses to develop effective game strategies.
- Collaborated with coaches and teammates to improve team performance and achieve success.
- Demonstrated sportsmanship and leadership both on and off the field.
- Engaged with fans and media to promote the team and sport.
- Pursued and scouted new material technologies within manufacturing, substrates, and finishes.
- Developed new material technologies that enhanced manufacture and consumer experience.
- Researched and developed trends and innovation continuously by working closely with mill partners and Product Creation Centers.
- Created and presented material overviews for meetings, incorporating relevant trends and performance attributes.
- Provided seasonal updates to fabrics and trims, incorporating relevant trends and performance attributes.
- Maintained relevant data and usage of all materials for help in strategy setting.
- Tested and validated materials to ensure quality and performance met company standards.
- Analyzed data to come up with strategy and help with roadmaps.
- Identified opportunities within the process to increase speed, efficiency, and quality.
- Planned and executed daily practices to improve the team's performance
- Developed and implemented team strategies that resulted in an undefeated season
- Motivated and disciplined student-athletes, resulting in a cohesive and high-performing team
- Collaborated with the coaching staff to assign tasks and provide feedback to the team
- Stayed current with rule changes and trends in the sport by attending conferences and clinics
- Planned and delivered daily practices that focused on fundamental techniques, strategies, and safety
- Organized and supervised drills to improve individual and team performance
- Motivated and encouraged students to improve their skills, resulting in increased participation and enthusiasm
- Provided individual feedback to students to help them improve their skills and achieve their goals
- Collaborated with other coaches to develop and implement training programs
- Assisted the head coach in planning and delivering daily practices that focused on fundamental techniques, strategies, and safety
- Provided individual feedback to students to help them improve their skills and achieve their goals
- Collaborated with other coaches to develop and implement training programs
- Facilitated team-building activities and supervised students during non-sport activities
- Communicated with parents and guardians to provide updates on their child's progress and behavior
- Negotiated and secured 7 major sponsorships for athletes, generating $5M in revenue
- Developed and executed athlete-led charity campaigns that raised over $1.2M for various causes
- Implemented a social media strategy that resulted in 100K new followers across all athlete social media accounts
- Developed and executed a brand partnership strategy that resulted in 10 major brand partnerships generating $4.5M in revenue
- Conducted market research and identified a new target audience resulting in a 20% increase in customer engagement
- Established positive brand associations for athletes and sports teams with various charitable organizations resulting in a 30% increase in positive brand image
- Developed and executed a social media strategy that resulted in 150K new followers across all athlete and sports team social media accounts
- Created and curated content that resulted in a 50% increase in engagement on social media platforms
- Monitored and reported on social media analytics to optimize social media performance resulting in a 15% increase in overall social media reach
PRO TIP
Include quantitative data throughout your Athlete resume to impress the hiring manager. Real facts and figures that show off your competency as an audit manager go a long way. Did you reduce the costs of audits? Manage a large team? Boosted efficiency? Show off the real numbers!
Action Verbs for your Athlete Resume
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Athlete Resume: Crafting a Strong Skills Section
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top skills for your athlete resume
Strength Training
Speed Training
Agility Training
Endurance Training
Technique Training
Tactical Training
Nutrition Planning
Injury Prevention
Recovery Techniques
Game Strategy
Leadership
Teamwork
Communication
Adaptability
Resilience
Time Management
Goal Setting
Positive Attitude
Problem Solving
Coachability
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
Athlete resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist: the perfect Athlete resume summary section
- Add a couple of keywords from the job description;
- Mention some of your most valuable skills and characteristics;
- Highlight your top achievements (and add numbers!);
- Use no more than 3-5 sentences to guarantee readability and keep - the hiring manager interested.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
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Drafting a Job-winning Athlete Resume
When drafting your resume, you can choose between three well-known formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which format you decide to go for depends on two things: your personal preference and how experienced you are.
The reverse-chronological format is ideal for both really experienced people and those who joined the workforce just a couple of years ago. It’s also great if your experience combines different industries and jobs. Here, your most recent position comes at the top of your resume.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is ideal for recent graduates or people who have no work experience whatsoever. It’s built around your skills, interests, and expertise. Ultimately, its goal is to show recruiters your biggest strengths and practical skills.
Combination resumes (also known as hybrid resumes) are great for all types of candidates – be they graduates, experienced professionals, or brave career changers. They usually follow a double-column format – one side focuses on your experience, while the other emphasizes your education, skills, interests, and accomplishments.
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your Athlete resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your Athlete resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
