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National
Human Resource Specialists estimate that by 2009, companies
are going to lose 11% of their current employees to retirement.(U.S.News.com) |
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Companies
reported that at the end of ‘07, college recruiting and employment
of entry level placements increased by 13% over 2006. (U.S.News.com) |
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There
is a direct correlation between employees exiting the workforce
and entry level needs. |
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Most
of these organizations are looking for diverse candidates that
have the ability to work in pressure situations, handle deadlines,
have proven leadership and teamwork experience, and are performance
driven. |
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The
top candidates for these companies are student athletes that
are trained, educated, and prepared with the ability to make
an immediate impact in the workforce due to their experiences
during college. |
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Student
athletes have proven their time management skills, faced adversity,
met timely deadlines, been in leadership roles, and worked in
a team environment, which have prepared them for the transition
into the workplace. |
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Individuals
that demonstrate peak performance in sports and business possess
characteristics that allow them to produce excellent results
consistently. |
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The
Winning Characteristics |
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| Mental
Toughness: |
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| Athletes
possess a mental toughness that is developed
during the course of competition. By balancing
both sports and college, an athlete develops
the ability to handle stressful situations,
prepare through hours of memorization, and handle
multiple deadlines at one time. In most cases,
due to the travel and extracurricular activities,
an athlete is required to finish projects and
course requirements in half the time a normal
student has for study. Athletes also compete
with other top talent, which challenges the
mind to always be sharper, stronger, and better
prepared in order to excel during the course
of play. Companies looking for a competitive
edge find athletes as top candidates for their
mental toughness. |
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Self-Confidence: |
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Athletes
possess self confidence which is closely related
to success in competition. Self-confidence is
the feeling of one’s effectiveness or ability
to do something. This confidence makes athletes
prepare to take more risks and have higher expectations
for success both for themselves and their teammates.
Athletes possess a can do attitude and a sense
of belief in themselves and their abilities.
Companies are looking for candidates that possess
a strong presence and athletes fit this profile. |
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| Overcome
Failure and Disappointment: |
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| Athletes
have faced difficult situations and disappointment
and have had to deal with errors and loss. Athletes
have had to handle stress and cope with adversity
by dealing with routine setbacks during competition.
By living these experiences, evaluating what
happened, and putting necessary steps in place
to use the energy of the experience to spur
them to do better and deal with problem and
pressure situations, athletes make perfect candidates
for performance based companies. |
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Control
Over Negative Emotions: |
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Athletes
have faced negative situations and the impact
of these emotions creates stress, fear, and
anger. By facing these issues head on, athletes
have learned how to control negative emotions
and rather than seeing these problems as threatening,
they see them as challenging opportunities.
By controlling their emotions, athletes make
perfect candidates for companies that have challenging
positions and need leaders with strong, positive
energy and focus. |
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| Highly
Motivated and Committed: |
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| Athletes
are highly motivated and committed due to their
requirements of performance both in sports and
in the classroom. Athletes find that over the
course of play they may not necessarily be the
better athlete, but with hard work and commitment
they can excel over the best talented athlete
they compete against. This competitive drive
comes from internal desire and intrinsic motivation
to accomplish their goals. Companies looking
for highly motivated and successful candidates
will hire athletes because of this developed
trait. |
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Optimistic
and Positive: |
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Athletes
possess an optimistic and positive nature. Their
optimistic personalities cause them to look
at the class as ‘half full, rather than half
empty’. These qualities also allow them to remain
positive when faced with difficulties and rebound
more quickly when failures are experienced.
Companies looking for positive energy and leadership
will want athletes due to these characteristics. |
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| Concentration
and Focus: |
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| Athletes
have the ability to focus and concentrate for
key performance while effectively blocking out
distractions, they have the uncanny ability
to ‘dial in’. Athletes also have the ability
to focus on what they can control and one’s
self, not others, which places the focus on
their individual contributions to a team goal.
Companies looking for focused performance will
hire athletes due to these traits. |
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Diversity: |
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Diversity
initiatives are being implemented nationally
and organizations are adding Directors of Diversity
for their future growth and recruiting. By compiling
a unique database of diverse candidates, we
will provide the resource to meet the needs
of companies seeking these diverse candidates
in the workplace. |
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A survey of 658 college
coaches put together by Loyola Marymount University professor Shari
Kuchenbecher showed that the top 5 characteristics of athletes in
their programs are: |
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1) Strives to improve
2) Loves to play
3) Positive Attitude
4) Coachable
5) Self motivated |
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What company wouldn’t
want this type of candidate in its organization? |
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