When was the last time you updated your resume? That is a question that anyone applying for a coaching job, or any for that matter should constantly ask oneself. For football coaches, updating your resume is something you can be doing at any point. You can do it while you are coaching or in the off-season. Coaching opportunities can be presented to you at any time so having a resume ready to go for a potential job opening is vital.
What are some of the things you should have on your coaching resume?
And what are some of the things that can get your resume tossed out in an applicant search? Here is a quick list of things to consider
- Keep it updated and relevant: It is great to keep a list of everything you have accomplished in your career. Your resume is not the place for that list. It is important to keep in mind that the reader of your resume doesn’t need to know about your high school accomplishments. List work experiences that are relevant to a coaching job and within the last 5-10 years.
- Highlight the right skills: If you are having trouble coming up with the list of skills relevant to your job try using CareerOneStop skills profiler.
- Sell yourself: Don’t just list job duties in bullet form. Someone hiring you to be a coach has been a coach and knows what duties you have performed. Instead, highlight the accomplishments and improvements you made.
- Check grammar and spelling: Nothing shows carelessness or lack of attention to detail like a resume with grammar and spelling errors. It is wise to have a couple of people proofread your resume prior to sending.
- Provide evidence for your claims: Instead of saying you have great team management skills or that you oversaw camps (any coach can write that) describe the outcome. Show how you “created the first team booster club that raised X amount of dollars”. Or write how you “developed and implemented a camp marketing strategy that increased participation by 50%.”
- Pay attention to detail: Make sure dates are in order and make sense. Include your education. Check that fonts and other stylistic components are consistent throughout your resume.
Finally, check out this post from coachfore.org for great advice on the common resume mistakes coaches make on their resumes. If you need assistance with your resume please contact your AthLife Advisor as they are available to help you through the resume writing process.
