My granddaughter has several colleges interested in her. She is very excited, however, there is a naysayer in the family. Every time my granddaughter brings up the subject in his presence he makes comments like, "Swimming isn't your life," or "It is a waste of time because it won't get you a job." If she says, "What if I want to be a swim coach?" He says, "Sounds like a hobby, not a job."
My question, what doors did swimming for a college/university open for you after graduation?
I swam all four years D1 and still spend much of my life in the pool as a competitor. Many members have already described the benefits of swimming in college, so I'll just skip over that and tell you specifically where it helped me as it relates to my current profession in the IT services and solutions field.
- I was offered a position as a graduate assistant swim coach at another college, where I was able to get my MBA for practically nothing.
- I already had a full-time job lined up after getting my MBA, but I was looking for a better job. I applied to a dozen or so jobs after getting my MBA, but did not have any success. If they only knew me, I thought! I continued swimming with my home USA-S program, which occasionally allows adults to swim as well. It was there that I met a fellow adult swimmer who eventually hired me to work at his company after one interview. I guarantee that his comfort level with me stemmed from my positive training habits and demeanor in the pool.
- After several years, I ended up leaving that job (on friendly terms) and was hired by another company. My primary connection to the new company was through an individual who swam in college and briefly in masters. I never swam with this person and he knew my work ethic better than my pool habits, so the swimming relationship is less tenuous than the previous job. However, I still sensed a bond or some level of respect based on having the similar background.
It's impossible to say where I would be today if I never swam, but I have no regrets!
I swam all four years D1 and still spend much of my life in the pool as a competitor. Many members have already described the benefits of swimming in college, so I'll just skip over that and tell you specifically where it helped me as it relates to my current profession in the IT services and solutions field.
- I was offered a position as a graduate assistant swim coach at another college, where I was able to get my MBA for practically nothing.
- I already had a full-time job lined up after getting my MBA, but I was looking for a better job. I applied to a dozen or so jobs after getting my MBA, but did not have any success. If they only knew me, I thought! I continued swimming with my home USA-S program, which occasionally allows adults to swim as well. It was there that I met a fellow adult swimmer who eventually hired me to work at his company after one interview. I guarantee that his comfort level with me stemmed from my positive training habits and demeanor in the pool.
- After several years, I ended up leaving that job (on friendly terms) and was hired by another company. My primary connection to the new company was through an individual who swam in college and briefly in masters. I never swam with this person and he knew my work ethic better than my pool habits, so the swimming relationship is less tenuous than the previous job. However, I still sensed a bond or some level of respect based on having the similar background.
It's impossible to say where I would be today if I never swam, but I have no regrets!
