Playing Golf helps get work

Over the years, reports have indicated that playing a sport can increase your chances of landing a job, as it can show you possess a variety of transferable skills. But which sport is most likely to impress hiring managers and give you a greater chance of success? Is it golf? Read on.

Interested in finding out, Golfsupport.com scraped and analysed 5,545 CVs of people who have been hired within the last year and as well as asking the recent hires what transferable traits they feel they have gained from playing their sport.

Which sports are most commonly played by those recently hired?

Golfsupport.com found that 68% of recent hires mentioned playing golf on their CV!

Of that 68%, tennis was the most commonly listed with 21% of recent hires mentioning it in their CV. When asked what transferable traits they took from their sport, participants listed self-control and high concentration levels as their top two skills.

Following in second place is Golf, with 17% of successful participants playing this sport. According to the participants, golf is a sport that presents itself with many transferable skills in the office such as having a strong attention to detail and handling multiple responsibilities.

In third place is boxing (14%). Those that practise this sport said it has taught them to be better prepared for any work-related tasks that may be thrown their way, as well as good sportsmanship.

Other sports that recent hires mentioned on their CV included rugby (12%), netball (11%) and basketball (9%).

Which sports are least commonly played by recently hired?

On the other end, those who play football were the seventh most hired of all sports players (7%). Those that play football said that it’s helped them with possessing skills such as discipline and a solid team-work ethic.

Coming in at eighth place were cricket players with 5% of those employed in the last year mentioning this sport on their CV. The two most common transferable skills participants took from playing this sport were patience and endurance.

Also read: Victorian Government funding for local sports clubs

The ninth most played sport among new hires was hockey (3%). When asked which skills they’ve gained from playing this sport, good communication skills topped the list as well as how to work with a team.

Last on the list are squash players (1%). Squash players stated that their sport requires them to be highly tactical and make decisions at a fast pace, which are both ideal traits when dealing with the vast challenges the working environment can present.

SURVEY REVEALS WHY PLAYING SPORT IMPROVES YOUR HIRING SUCCESS:

To help those currently applying for job, Golfsupport.com asked business owner Naomi Aharony from digital marketing agency Reboot Online why candidates who play sport standout more to them and this was their response:

“When we are looking over the CVs of candidates that have applied for our job openings, we really appreciate candidates who not only play sports as a hobby but also mention it on their CV as well as cover letter, as to us it signals a range of potential transferable skills. It shows self-drive, self-discipline and commitment to self-growth, all skills which we appreciate and think will translate well in a workplace.”

Interested in delving deeper and seeing if the view was held by others, Golfsupport.com surveyed 200 companies asking them what potential candidates playing sport indicates to them. The top 5 skills business owners and hiring managers mentioned were the following:

  • Shows they have a team-oriented approach to work (78%)
  • Shows they have good communication skills (63%)
  • Shows they have strategic planning skills (59%)
  • Shows they have good time-management skills (56%)
  • Shows they are competitive in nature (51%).

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