How to Build Your Coaching Resume

When was the last time you updated your resume? That is a question that anyone applying for a coaching (or any job for that matter) should constantly ask oneself. For football coaches, updating your resume is something you can be doing at any point 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 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:

1. Keep it updated and relevant. While it is great to list everything you have done in your career, it is key to know that whoever is looking at your resume doesn’t need to know about your high school accomplishments. List job experiences that are relevant to a coaching job and within the last 5-10 years.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. Sell yourself. Don’t just list job duties in your bullet points. Someone hiring you to be a coach probably knows what duties you have performed. Make sure you highlight things you accomplished, improvements you made in that job etc.
   
   
4. Check for grammar and spelling. Nothing shows more carelessness or lack of attention to detail than a resume with grammar and spelling mistakes. It is always wise to have a couple of people proof read your resume before you send it out.
   
   
5. Provide evidence for your claims. For example, instead of saying you have great team management skills or that you oversaw camps (any coach can write that in their resume) describe how you created the first team booster club that fundraised X amount of dollars or developed and implemented a camp marketing strategy that increased participation by 50%.
   
   
6. Pay attention to detail. Make sure your dates are in order and make sense, you have included your education, and that your fonts and other stylistic components are consistent throughout your resume.

If you need assistance with your resume please contact your AthLife Advisor as they are available to help your through the resume writing process.