Let’s be honest, for the majority of us, earning a college education was a very hectic . We had to find our classrooms, order books, schedule labs, find study groups and learn how to spend ALL the cafeteria credits that we over purchased. We never seemed to have enough time to do everything we wanted.
Could you imagine being one of those super geniuses? You know, the students that were working on a STEM degree. These students didn’t seem to have any time for extracurricular activities. The average college student spends about 10 hours a week studying while an engineering student will average closer to 20 hours.
How about those student athletes? Athletes can spend an additional 20-25 hours a week in activities related to their sport. It’s no surprise that you only see them when stopping by their dorm rooms, sleeping or eating. So then… what do you call an Olympic and Paralympic athlete working on a STEM degree? Answer: Over achievers or… Insane!
I don’t care what you call them, but they should earn your respect. What normal human being would endure: classes, 20 hours of study time, and 20-25 hours of training to be the best at their sport? We haven’t even added the additional time it takes to travel to international competitions.
This past year I’ve had the privilege of joining a special group at Adecco: The Executive Committee for the Athlete Career and Education (ACE) Program. The ACE Program helps aspiring U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes find flexible job opportunities that afford them the time and financial resources necessary to train and prepare for competition. Through the program, participating athletes gain valuable hands-on career experience that they can use to prepare for careers outside of the sports world. In addition to job placement assistance, the ACE Program also offers resume development, interview preparation, professional seminars, job market research and career coaching.
The skills that make employees successful in the engineering and technical industries include strong aptitude, teamwork, attention to detail, excellent communication, creativity, problem solving skills and of course; great time management skills. During this past year I’ve had the chance to work with amazing U.S. athletes. The same skills that help you succeed in tech are what makes these athletes the best in the world! Not a single one of our participants complained about running out of time or being too tired to get the job done. They have a can do attitude that drives success. These athletes work to be the best that they can be without any easy ways out.
At the end of the day, that’s the kind of person that I want on my team. A person committed to excellence in all that they do. So let’s all #HireaRinger.