13.02.2024 Today’s Insights from Harvard Business School: Why College Athletes Succeed in Business

Dear Students,
Have any of you participated in team sports during college/university, or even earlier in your academic career? If so, while you may intuitively understand why it’s great to include such activities on your resume/CV, Harvard Business School recently unpacked exactly why. Through a study of 400,000+ Ivy League* athletes, the study’s author (and a former Harvard track star himself) demonstrates how the “intense commitment” of training with a team for 20+ hours/week builds attitudes and behaviors that major global companies are seeking in new grads like you.
Forget rocks for jocks. A study by Paul Gompers of more than 400,000 Ivy League athletes probes how the rigors of college sports can help people climb the corporate ladder faster and into higher-paying positions.
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When ambitious international students (such as you and your friends) consider what’s involved in participating in a team sport while attending a top-tier academic institution, you will likely realize that it isn’t surprising that candidates who do well on the field do well in demanding careers, off the field, as well. Scholar/athletes, which may include you, your friends or others you know, must exhibit focus, determination, willingness to keep practicing, taking risks, learning from mistakes, teamwork, leadership, resilience and a host of other competencies that leverage both a competitive nature and also an inherent sense of collaboration, balance, perspective and fun. Organizational skills and time management clearly factor into the mix, as well.
*Ivy League: 8 prestigious private colleges in the US