Holding a leadership position in college looks great on a resume and in job interviews. According to Tara Duggan at Demand Media, employers look for leadership qualities in potential hires because they believe these types of employees “… tend to stay in jobs longer, remain loyal, have fewer absences and have high levels of morale.”
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I went to a formerly all-male college, three years after they started admitting women. The school had a strong athletic program, and boasted a wide variety of highly competitive inter-varsity teams. All of these teams were, of course, male.
A motley crew of women, myself included, banded together to form a women’s basketball team. Encouraged by the university president, we proudly donned the school’s blue and white colors for our first game, merely a year after we first formed the team. While we never made it to the top of the league in the four years I played, I like to think we created a legacy upon which other women in the university can build.
Here are the lessons I learned from this experience, and how I leveraged them into workplace opportunities after graduation.
Leadership Skills
Our team was breaking new ground, and, as such, there was no one there to show us the way. We carved our own path, tackled obstacles as they came hurtling at us, focused on our objectives, and stuck together as a team. I learned that leadership is not just about being in charge: it’s about reaching a goal by working in collaboration.
Holding a leadership position in college looks great on a resume and in job interviews. According to Tara Duggan at Demand Media, employers look for leadership qualities in potential hires because they believe these types of employees “… tend to stay in jobs longer, remain loyal, have fewer absences and have high levels of morale.”
I still find myself relying on the leadership skills I learned (organization, focus, and teamwork) when resolving difficult situations, even in my personal life. After all, the family unit is a type of organization as well. Tough decisions are better made together, with clarity and level-headedness.
Interpersonal Skills
As a student leader, I learned to work well with my peers, as well as with the college administration and long-time members of the university sports staff. My experience taught me how to get along with colleagues, which benefited me at my first job. Drawing on these interpersonal skills, I developed a productive working relationship with the vice president of the worldwide advertising agency I worked for, and with the executives of the multi-million dollar accounts we held.
Good interpersonal skills, much like problem-solving and writing abilities, are highly transferable and useful in a variety of jobs and work situations. Smart employers look for these skills in their prospective employees — and often include them in the listed requirements for an open position.
Discipline and Passion
Finding your passion is the easy part. All of the women who formed our team loved playing basketball, but we still had to find a way to channel our passion. In order to create a cohesive program, we had to combine our love for the game with the discipline to practice, take criticism, and develop new skills.
Employers want to see passion and commitment in their new hires, backed by a strong solid work ethic. Passion without discipline is child’s play; anyone can say they are passionate about something. Passion with discipline gets you into the big leagues, and, most importantly, it gets you hired.
So go ahead; apply for a leadership position on your campus. It may seem daunting, but it will place you on a path to career success. You will discover that honing your leadership skills, learning to establish a productive working relationship with peers and superiors, and combining discipline with passion may not just land you your first job — it may serve you well for the rest of your life.
