5 Skills that Benefit Swimmers in the Workplace
Although there are many skills swimmers develop in the pool that benefit them athletically, many of those lessons extend past the competition pool. From early-morning practices to long seasons of dedication to balancing academics, swimming instills habits that translate directly into professional success in the workplace. Here are five skills learned from swimming that are especially valuable as an employment.
1. Consistency
Swimming demands consistency. Practices are frequent and often early, and take place regardless of what motivation you have. Swimmers learn to show up prepared and put in effort even on days they don’t have the energy to. As an employee, that same consistency can translate to showing up everyday and working hard to be prepared for meetings or locking in on long term goals. It can also prepare you for maintaining professionalism and a good attitude even during tasks that make that difficult.
2. Time Management
Balancing school, extracurriculars, practice, meets, time for recovery, and other basic needs forces swimmers to become productive and organized with their time. One of the most important facets of this is learning how to prioritize. There will inevitably come a time, as a student-athlete, where you have to prioritize one thing over another. Knowing how to identify what that is and how to maximise your hours of productivity are vital outside of the sport, especially in the workplace.
3. Work Ethic
One of the most defining skills a swimmer can gain from the sport is a strong work ethic. Achieving goals is rarely a quick process and can take weeks, months, and even years of hard work before achieving your goals. Building that work ethic and being able to maintain it without necessarily seeing results for long periods of time can create skills that blend over into your skills as an employee. Having dedication and perseverance within your job are keys to success.
4. Goal Setting
One of the most important parts of being an athlete, especially in swimming, is setting goals. Whether that be breaking a specific time or increasing race pace in practice, there is always a goal that you’re working towards. This can translate into other areas as well, including dedication, work ethic, and resilience. Learning the importance of goals is important in the workforce, because it can create motivation for your job. As an employer, having employees who want to improve or “move up the ladder” are factors that are not only encouraged, but often required in order to have a successful and expanding business.
5. Coachability
The ability to be coached is something that is very common in athletes and is a great unique addition to your resume. Swimmers spend years receiving feedback, critique, and instruction from coaches. Learning how to accept these comments and apply them is a major part of being an athlete. In professional settings, being coachable allows employees to change and adapt alongside the business, ultimately making them more valuable as a part of the company.
Although swimming eventually will end for most athletes, the impact it can leave on athletes are things you can benefit from for years after. Whether in leadership roles, team roles, or individual work, a swimmer’s time in the pool can have a ripple effect on their professional career.
