Mod note: Yes someone just posted about this yesterday but I have a feeling you'll like this version a lot better
Why are athletes given so much deference during the recruiting process? I've seen this question several times during my time here at WSO. It's a fair question, as a former athlete, I can certainly attest that some of the dumbest people I've met have been athletes. So, why do they command such a preference during recruiting? David Williams, from Forbes, has written a piece about why he fills his corporate roster with athletes exclusively. Although, it should be noted, he doesn't necessarily mean former college/professional athletes.
At our company, we work to fill our roster with “athletes.” I don’t mean this necessarily in the physical sense, although it turns out that quite a few of our members are literal athletes – we have a national-class triathlete, I have a personal interest in competitive and recreational bodybuilding, and there are multiple marathoners, bikers, soccer, and basketball players, CrossFit enthusiasts, etc. on staff. We also have a companywide interest in health and fitness, which we call “Fishbowl FIT.” But when I advise people to seek and hire athletes, what I am really referring to is the athlete traits (akin to leadership traits) that make any individual an exceptional hire.
So, what are these traits?
1. They have the drive to practice a task rigorously, relentlessly, and even in the midst of failure until they succeed. Athletes are tenacious—they seldom or never give up. They also have a strong work ethic and the ability to respect and deal with the inevitable issues of temporary pain (along with the intuition to know when the cause of the pain is an issue too serious to safely ignore.)
Generally, this is probably true about former elite athletes. Where I struggle to see the connection with recreational athletes is the fact that said recreational athletes must have given up at least once. Namely, when they chose not to compete in their chosen athletic endeavor at the collegiate level. Minor complaint to be sure.
2. Athletes achieve their goals. If one avenue is blocked, they find another path to success. If their physical strength has given out, they learn to work smarter, not harder. As they learn to become more effective they become more efficient.
I think a better way to look at this is that athletes know how to lose. In all athletic competition, there's a winner and a loser, and anyone who has competed, almost certainly knows what it means to lose. Losing in itself isn't a good thing - winning is awesome! But, what you do after you lose is important, namely, fix what caused you to lose in the first place.
3. Athletes develop new skills. Even though an athlete is highly specialized at certain skills, such as speed, blocking, or hand-eye coordination, they are also good at adapting to scenarios that call for cross-functional skills.
I would say this depends on the athlete (I'll get into this in a later post). Certainly those who compete in team sports (what I'd call "sports" in general) have this ability, although I'm not sure I'd say all athletes have such skills.
4. Athletes are exceptional entrepreneurs. As you consider new hires, you will likely discover that business athletes are often former (or current) entrepreneurs. Whereas people from large corporate environments may tend to be specialized in their skills and single-minded in their objectives, a business athlete is equipped to see the bigger vision of all that goes into making a company thrive. They can think strategically and are tuned in to the “big picture” and the long-term goals. They also know how to put the strategy into action.
This is an interesting statement. I can't speak for the athlete's entrepreneurial aptitude, but the author makes a compelling point. What do you monkeys think? Does this make sense?
5. Athletes strive for balance. Too much junk food and too little sleep will not contribute to a healthy company or a winning performance. Their bodies must be strong and in good condition, so athletes understand that they can’t cheat the system for long and expect positive results. A true business athlete will respect the laws of balance in energy, health, sleep, and nutrition (as well as the business corollaries) that will allow them to succeed and to do so not only in the present but for the long term as well.
To me, this seems backwards. Athletes strive for perfect imbalance. Everything is about performance. Nothing else matters. There's a reason that star cornerback in your biology lab kept skipping class to hit the weight room.
6. Athletes work well with partners and in teams. Athletes know how to leverage the unique and complementary strengths of each member of their team. They know that cutting down a teammate or disrespecting a partner will only contribute to an organization’s demise. In fact, an athlete will typically put the needs of the team or a partner on equal par or even ahead of their own needs.
Depending on the athlete, I think this aspect can vary, but it's tough to argue that most athletes are good team players. I've always thought this was the best reason to hire athletes.
So, what do you monkeys think? For the athletes in the mix, does this all ring true? How about for those of you who have worked with former athletes? Agree/Disagree?
Being an athlete has personally gotten my 5 job offers and 90% of the interviews with senior level people end with talks about sports. It is easier and just differentials you from others.
sup brady
Is it possible to express being an athlete and staying active on a resume if you haven't really competed since high school? Can you list working out as a hobby/interest?
Club or intramural sports are your best bets.
Writing "working out" wont distinguish you much. However if you run marathons or any other ultra races then id include those.
Being an athlete is just one way of standing out. I know "nerds" who have the qualities listed above and they've done just as well during recruiting. I don't view athletes as inherently superior - as the OP said, some of the dumbest people I've met are athletes.
Some of the dumbest people I've met have been nerds, specifically of the Dr. Who/Harry Potter/anime persuasion.
.....ok? and your point is?
The better the athlete the worse the...
What sports did Bill Gates and Warren Buffett excel in?
Addition to your list: David Einhorn was once a captain on the debating team (true story)
Bridge.
And I think that instead of every new poster being Brady, his sphere of influenced has increased. Even in his WSO demise.
Add to list: Stevie Cohen. Athletic as fuck. Spitting image of Michael Phelps.
I am a pretty huge nerd and somewhat dislike the loud/obnoxious athlete/bro types my age, like those on the analyst/associate level. So you'll know I'm telling the truth because it pains me to say this:
The absolute best bosses I've had (and they were fantastic) were ex-college athletes. Caveat: they were older, mellowed out, wife and kids, etc. I much preferred working for them than for the uptight nerds (much like myself) that I currently work for.
They are great at juggling a ton of different things at a time and keeping them straight. They are likeable, have high energy, are good at bringing together all sorts of personalities and getting the best out of them. They recognize the importance of mentoring and helping people, much more than the quant types who have a very cold, pitiless, "you should be able to figure this out since I did myself" style.
So yes, I can't stand the young athlete types who are frankly just loud obnoxious tools. But the ones who are smart/capable enough to survive until they mellow out (having kids seems to greatly reduce the asshole factor) are far far superior to the nerds. And I have way more respect for these mellowed-out athletes as bosses and human beings.
I completely agree with this analysis; interesting stats on this topic:
Division I Men Sport Athletic hours Baseball 42.1 Basketball 39.2 Football (FBS) 43.3 Football (FCS) 41.6 Other sports 32.0 Division II Men Baseball 39.0 Basketball 37.7 Football 37.5 Other sports 31.3 Division III Men Baseball 34.8 Basketball 30.8 Football 33.1 Other sports 29.2 Division I Women Sport Athletic hours Basketball 37.6 Other sports 33.3 Division II Women Basketball 34.2 Other sports 31.7 Division III Women Basketball 29.8 Other sports 28.9
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37244524/do-college-athletes-hav…
All things being equal I would pick an athlete over the other applicant. As mentioned the most immediate value is that its great for networking and interviewing.
for junior candidates... all else being equal, my personal preference would be to hire the athlete.
you don't need to be a rocket scientist to succeed in banking. the skills you develop competing in sports (at a high level) can be easily applied within the banking industry.
i do feel there is a floor as far as intelligence goes... but, from my experience the guys/gals who have the least amount of natural intellectually ability are often times some of the best bankers. the possess a different set of strengths that - when combined - make them far more valuable than someone who is ridiculously smart.
it's important to realize that brains will only take you so far... the fact that you're smart doesn't mean you will be good at something that requires some level of technical skills.
"all else being equal"
What an obvious statement. All else being equal, I'll take the one who spends 40 incremental hrs a week working hard at a sport over the person who doesn't.
Athletes as a group cover an extremely large population, and just like any large group of people there will be the successful types mentioned by the OP, and there will be burnouts. I played D1 basketball, and I knew a good deal of "studs", but I knew FAR more guys that are doing nothing with their lives now. I don't think you can categorize people by the group they belong to; whether it be athletes, bankers, actors/musicians, military, etc. Different groups will attract certain types of people, but you will never have homogeneous characteristics across the board of any group. Another great example- I am currently in the Army and while the military is associated with many of the traits mentioned above, I know plenty of people that don't embody any of them. I work with so many guys that I would consider incredibly incompetent and useless. Athletics absolutely is a "cool" talking point in interviews, and can help out in that aspect, but in terms of gauging an applicant's potential for success I would argue that simply playing sports does not warrant someone to be labelled a good hire or indicate future success.
Agreed with the (general) sentiments above. Also, you don't want guys who are TOO smart in banking. You want people who are smart enough to do/understand the work, but not too smart that they realize how inane everything is.
This is kinda narrow minded, but I don't think athletes and CrossFit "enthusiasts" should be on the same sentence.... If we keep going this way Halo champions will put "athlete" on their resumes.
I couldn't agree more, athletes tend to have the drive that others don't. Being a former division 1 golfer, I can't tell you how many conversations people want to have with me to talk golf just because I was good at one point in time. Athletes tend to have all the soft skills that others sometime lack
I played a D1 sport in college and it was always a big talking point for employers in an interview setting. Aside from the time management and teamwork aspect that comes from sports which can be obtained doing almost any type of extracurricular activity, successful athletes are gritty and they understand how to deal with criticism. Athletes are exposed to criticism much earlier in life than most people and learn how it is beneficial to personal growth. From the time when I was 10 years old, I had coaches who would tear me apart for making mistakes. Sometimes the criticism was constructive and sometimes it came across as rage, but it always came from a mistake that I had made and I was able to understand that at an early age. Athletics is one of the few areas at a young age where other people are influenced positively or negatively by your performance, similar to a business setting. This is something that cannot be replicated through schoolwork and most extracurricular activities where your performance does not have much of an influence on anyone but yourself. Good athletes also have grit. If you don't have a strong work ethic, other people around you will surpass you and your minutes can diminish down to nothing. Athletics provided me with a lot of characteristics that I believe will lead me to succeed and that is something that employers understand.
Why Hire Athletes (Originally Posted: 10/06/2013)
• Persistence • Attention to detail • Efficiency • Analytic Skills • Setting High standards
Thinking From Their Perspective Without conducting any research as to the personality traits of a person based on some long useless set of criteria or family background check, there are certain ways we can choose which type of person meets these criteria in less than 7 seconds by scanning their resume. To add, this is why employers prefer candidates that have held internships, volunteered, joined clubs or organizations, or played sports. Any of these combinations will constitute as quality material, not to say the average person with an above average GPA is not capable of handling the responsibilities assigned to him/her for an entire tenure. This article will explain why corporations should hire athletes from a non-ethical standpoint. Why hiring sports minded individuals is a tremendous asset to an organization.
Groomed To Blossom We all know throughout their entire lives coaches, family members, the media, etc have humbled these individuals. Not to mention instilled many other intangibles that financial analyst are unable to valuate. Qualities such as teamwork, dedication, respect, competitive drive, desire to improve, personal accountability, and time management are all qualities that matter to the overall business success for any company. Depending on the institution program and overall school rankings, the more attractive these prospects become, within certain ballparks. No matter the case they are prepared for success through a rigorous course load, on top of practice, travel, training, commitment to society. All the while, are operating under a heavy microscope, these teens become instant adults once they become fully participated.
Dedication, Drive, Persistence Employers may find diamonds in the rough; I personally sit alongside Division I athletes in class who take up advanced, time consuming business courses. From softball to men’s basketball, they are expected of a whole lot, constantly working from a tight schedule, and still having to compete or meet above average grade requirements. Even I am still athletic and fully committed to my commitments. Not to say being an athlete is the only type of hire that matters, but the mindset a person develops is essential. Ask any professional they will indicate that they always are “tweaking their games,” “looking to improve,” and even I still keep very high expectations for myself. Honestly, without sports I may not be that same person today but who knows.
Take-Away My point is that athletes are not the dumb jock’s society often refers to us as; we actually enjoy competing intellectually and physically. Let’s not forget to mention the ability to make new friends and remaining humble.
Also, does Vince Young enjoy competing intellectually? How about Mike Tyson?
Not this topic again...You can be both smart and athletic. Mind blowing, right?
By the way, I would never view athletes as somehow superior to other candidates. I go to a good Target School and most athletes at my school are dumb as bricks. The smart + athletic combo is rare.
Off-topic: Apostrophes generally aren't used to turn something into its plural form.
Banks look for exceptional people. Being an athlete is one of MANY ways to stand out. I don't see much point in thinking beyond that.
Shows discipline. Argument can also be made for competitive drive.
Even the joke sports @ small schools portray a level of dedication.
I am not in any way putting a certain type of person ahead of another. What (after) editing attempted to capture was the little things that some people ma y overlook, like yourself. My discussion is personal, because I can relate to nights where (no help from professor's) had to solve very difficult real world modeled problems. When I refer to tweaking is just another way to express one's drive for improvement. If one fails at the job, that's their loss. Let's not overlook the overall message.
I don't think anyone could understand your overall message. You are incoherently rambling about nothing.
Do super athletes outperform others in other fields? (Originally Posted: 06/15/2017)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2017/06/14/russell-westbrook…
Off the court, Russell Westbrook just made an investment in a social-media start-up. It has become very common for people to acquire information (whether credible or not) from social media/websites instead of newspapers.
It is also not uncommon for a celebrity to mess up his/her personal finance, especially ex-NBA superstars. Anthony Walker went from over $100 million to bankruptcy. Allen Iverson went from over $200 to "reportedly broke." ..and others...
However, there are also players who make good investments: LBJ, Kobe, Yao Ming (he started a PE in Shanghai)....the list goes on.
All those players have been/are great basketball players and they have won people's respect. Some are great in a historic level.
Have you seen people who are outstanding in one field continue to be top-notch in other fields? How do they do it? How would you spend your money?
(Trump: IMO, yes...)
They use investment professionals and advisors.
Most broke athletes use friends/family or get mixed up with criminal advisors
Well, I would invest half of it in Mutual Funds and give the rest of it to my friend, Saheib, in Securities.
This Saheib seems to be a badass.
Yes. Athletes usually run much faster in a field than anybody else present.
Est qui ut porro. Sit quas ut voluptas illum et doloremque magnam. Ullam commodi sit occaecati rerum quos. Rerum maiores non praesentium debitis tempora.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Labore placeat aliquid adipisci aut. Voluptatum earum maxime voluptas porro error quia. Eaque architecto est et minus minima soluta. Error qui quos nemo omnis rerum aut.
Quam temporibus iste voluptatem vel quo. Et quibusdam possimus molestiae quia aliquam mollitia neque. Eius earum non explicabo sunt maiores. Hic tempora nobis sed odio voluptatem exercitationem corrupti aliquam. Nihil dolorem repellendus similique. Autem occaecati assumenda commodi aspernatur qui.
Id omnis soluta perspiciatis nemo. Sed consectetur eum consequuntur odio. Aliquid at qui adipisci id ut ea commodi. Explicabo rem quis sit veritatis nihil. Officiis excepturi consequatur laboriosam et nulla. Nemo et rerum aut animi.
Minus soluta placeat dicta dolores sed reiciendis velit ut. Sapiente deleniti voluptatibus ut vel.