Sports metaphors may be cliché, but clichés are what they are for a reason – they’re effective. One area where sports surprisingly translate quite strongly is in the subject of career planning and career documents. Aren’t sure about where this is going? Well, let’s lay this out for you: here’s three ways in how sports, in this case specifically the NBA Playoffs, can teach you lessons around career decisions and resume development.
1. Strategizing for Playoff Series – Thinking Strategically
The best-laid plans of men often go awry, and that’s just as true in sports as it is in career choices. NBA Playoff Series, or competitive ones anyway, are long, drawn-out affairs. There are many twists and turns over the course of a seven-game series that can’t be foreseen. What can be done, however, is to make as many contingency plans as possible – if this player isn’t effective, make sure this other player is ready to go; or, this man-to-man defensive strategy isn’t working, so let’s switch to zone defense. The strategic planning element of the playoff series is critical – teams that do their homework and come in with a comprehensive strategy are those that succeed.
The same is true of career documents such as resumes. You should have a good idea of what you are trying to accomplish with a resume or cover letter – what position or positions you are using it for, and how the documents fit what the company is looking for.
Similarly, your actual career decisions should involve such contingency planning and long-term thinking as well. Not every single move needs to be planned out, and you don’t have to have a strategy going 30 years into the future. However, instead of banking entirely on a dream job, maybe apply to several safer bets as well that could advance your career in some way or where you will at least have a base to continue pursuing that ideal career. As long as you have a goal that you’re progressing to, your career is going well, even if it might not follow a conventional path.
2. Focus On Your Strengths
One thing that NBA teams usually try to do is force the opposing team to play their style of basketball. If your team excels at playing slow and keeping the pace down, you don’t want the other team to get out and run. By creating the ideal circumstances for your team to play its best, you will increase your team’s chance of winning the game, and, eventually, the series.
The same is true of your resume. If you have exceptional communication and customer service skills, and the positions you’re looking at require such proficiencies, you should be highlighting these strengths constantly in your resume. That doesn’t mean mentioning them in every single bullet point, but an overall focus on your key skills is imperative. Not only will all of these keywords help with passing your resume through applicant tracking systems (ATS), but really honing in on what makes you different or unique as a professional can help you get jobs more than just seeming well-rounded enough at everything.
This is true when planning your career as well! While you can pursue a career that you might not have much skill or competency in, at least originally, you will probably have greater success if you pursue positions and industries that align with your biggest strengths.
3. Be Creative and Flexible
Something that frequently dooms teams in the NBA playoffs is stubbornness and refusal to adjust. If you have a player who was good for you all season but just isn’t effective against a certain team, continuing to play them big minutes could result in a loss. There’s something to be said for trusting your guys and the players who have got you to this point, but there also has to be creativity and willingness to change quickly. Every game is critical, and even one game lost to a rigid player rotation or strategy can ultimately doom the entire playoff run.
Career documents should also be adjustable. Unless you’re applying for some positions that are vastly different from one another, you should have the same basic resume with your job experience, education, and technical skills. However, your resume (and cover letter, of course) should also be adjusted for each job! If one position is looking for a more analytical presence, input “analytical skills”, “problem-solving”, and “critical thinking” (or similar keywords) in your summary and core skills sections. If, on the other hand, the company’s focus is on bringing in someone with leadership abilities (even if it’s for a very similar position), you should add in terms such as “team leadership”, “team-building”, and “coaching” to emphasize your proficiencies in that area. By making these changes, however, small, you are giving yourself a greater chance of hearing back on an interview.
Such flexibility is also important in your overall career. Let’s say you pursued a job, got it, and then realized that it wasn’t for you at all. That’s a setback, sure. But think creatively – maybe there’s an element of your role that you really do like. Now that you have that knowledge, you can try to pivot from your current position into a role where there’s more of that particular responsibility, and less of some of the elements that you’re less fond of. As long as you’re picking up new information and then using that knowledge to make further career steps (again, thinking strategically), you’re in a good spot.
Well, there you have it! Three ways in which an NBA Playoff Series has direct correlation to career planning and career documents. There are further connections between sports and career lessons, that we will explore at a later date.