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Career Resources for Student Athletes

This resource guide has been created in collaboration between the Career Development Center, and Business Career Services. Through our research we outlined a variety of resources that can help student athletes navigate their career search during and after their undergraduate experience.

Application documents and process

Resume examples

Examples of writing athletic experience

  • Soft skills that can transfer
    • Leadership, Communication, Motivation, Support, Collaboration, Problem Solving, Time management, Organization, Coordination, etc
  • As an athlete there are many skills you have used throughout your athletic career that can easily be adapted and transferred to a career.
    • Think broadly about what you do in your sport, consider how that skill will be used in a different setting

Discussing info in an interview

  • Discussing athletics in interview that is focused on transferable skills
    • Balancing school and sports
    • Taking leadership
    • Communicating with team
  • Make connections between the skills you have developed through your athletic history and/or the skills you have used during your athletic career to connect to the position. Likely, you will not have a direct connection but you can easily adapt how you use a skill for various situations and needs. 

Job application specifics

As a student athlete, there are barriers to holding a regular job at many times in your life, so you may not have an extensive work history to show on your resume or to input on an application. 

If this is the case, you can use any clubs, organizations, volunteering experiences, and your athletics to replace your work history. These things have been your “History” while you’re in college. 

  • It is important to highlight your transferable skills in these situations. For example, if you are applying for a marketing position showing that you can communicate with your teammates to achieve a common goal may be more impactful than the physical acts you are performing on the court/field. 

NCAA regulations and approval

  • In addition to working for an organization, the employer cannot pay a student athlete more for their publicity, fame, or athletic ability
  • If compensated, the student athlete must only be paid for their work
  • The student athlete must be paid at a similar wage to others working in the same roles
  • For approval of employment, student athletes must fill out this form.
Make connections

On-campus

  • Offices
    • Resources in athletics: Audrey Griffin serves as the Director of Student-Athlete Development, and her role is to ensure that all our student athletes are prepared for life after Appalachian State. This is accomplished through various life skills and career development programs specifically targeted to our student athletes.
    • You can reach her at her office in 3029 Mark E. Ricks Athletics Complex, call at (513) 515-7148, or email her at griffina4@appstate.edu.
  • Academic Services for Student-Athletes
  • Clubs/Organizations
Know your rights

Rights

  • NCAA rules on internships and payment:
    • In addition to working for an organization, the employer cannot pay a student athlete more for their publicity, fame, or athletic ability.
    • If compensated, the student athlete must only be paid for their work.
    • The student athlete must be paid at a similar wage to others working in the same roles.
    • For approval of employment, student athletes must fill out this form.
    • Summary of NCAA regulations

For further questions regarding working as a student athlete, please contact the App State Athletics Compliance office at:

Appalachian State University – Athletics Compliance Office 
425 Jack Branch Drive
Boone, NC 28608 
(828) 262-7843 
athleticscompliance@appstate.edu

Explore your resources

Job boards

  • Athlete Career Placement: This resource is focused on pairing student athletes with business roles where their transferable skills are valued and appreciated. Athlete Career Placement also utilizes career coaches who can help student athletes make a game plan for how they will approach their academics and next steps professionally.
  • Athlete Network: Athlete Network connects student athletes with prospective employers while also connecting students with a career coach to help them in the transition from being a student athlete to working in full-time roles. They also manage career fairs specific to student athletes at institutions around the country.
  • NCAA After the Game: This resource created by the NCAA is primarily a job board focused on student athletes and includes a mixture of corporate roles and athletic roles at NCAA affiliated universities.
  • GamePlan Career: Created by former student athletes, Game Plan Careers acts similarly to Linkedin where student athletes create a profile and can be recruited by organizations or search for job opportunities with companies looking to hire student athletes.
  • Teamwork Online: This job board is focused on helping people get connected to jobs in amateur and professional sports in leagues such as the MLB, NFL, NBA, MLS, and NHL.

Life skills

Our aim is to prepare our student athletes for life after App State. Our Life Skills programming is designed to equip you with the tools you need to be the best man, woman, mother, father, neighbor and overall citizen you can be. Programs cover various topics to include: social justice, financial literacy, mental wellness, amongst others.

  • Bridging the Gap Series (Part 1): In an effort to help bring some unity between our community and law enforcement, we have started the Bridging The Gap Podcast Series. We will sit down with members of our Black Student-Athlete Association and members of local law enforcement to have various conversations. Our hope is that these conversations lead to relationships being built, so that as a community we see our officers and more than a badge and they can see us as more than just a potential suspect.
  • Bridging the Gap Series (Part 2): Part two of the series features Peighton Simmons (Track & Field) and Officer Cashae Baker Cook of the App State PD. The conversation gives us an insight into who Officer Cook is and her experience as a black female officer in Boone. You can listen to the podcast at the link below.
  • Voter Education & Registration Presentation: Hear from Matthew Snyder, Director of the Watauga County Board of Elections, as he speaks about the voting process, its importance, and how to register to vote.
  • Why Your Mental Health Matters Presentation: Hear from Dr. Evelyn Hunter as she discusses the importance of mental health with the Black Student-Athlete Association.
  • BSAA Female Student-Athlete Alumnae Panel: Former Mountaineers, Tiffani Johnson (women’s basketball), Nicole Morgan (field hockey), and Michaela McGriff (women’s track & field) discuss their experience at App State, and how those experiences has helped them thrive professionally.
  • BSAA More Than An Athlete Panel: Student-athletes across various sports discuss their experience at App State.

Additional resources

  • ‘Career Strategy 101 for Student Athletes’ Career Meetup: Learn how student athletes can take advantage of our services, including resume prep, job search strategy, career prep, salary negotiation, and more.
  • ‘Why We Hire Student Athletes’ Career Meetup: In this panel discussion, hear from employers about why they actively seek to hire AppState student athletes.
  • Career Readiness Handbook: This guide helps students identify specific skills to develop a career path towards experiential opportunities and while promoting career readiness as a student and beyond.
  • Handshake: Handshake serves as our online career services portal that provides easy access to job and internship postings, on-campus recruiting, career fairs, employer contact information and scheduling coaching appointments. It connects current students and alumni with potential employers to help build meaningful careers.
  • BCNC Mountaineers Rise: A program about empowering student athletes and preparing them to be world-class leaders.
  • Article of Encouragement: An article about a new study showing that college athletes tend to have better academic, personal, and professional than nonathletes.