There’s no doubt that preparing yourself for the next big step as a collegiate level golfer requires some serious adulting.
It takes efficiency, responsibility and utilizing tools you’ve honed in high school and during your time as a junior golfer.
The recruitment process puts every young athlete to the test. Playing golf in front of curious coaches is one thing, but what about face-to-face or over-the-phone interviews? That can be more nerve-wracking than showing off your stuff on the green.
When you go to meet a college coach, it’s important to know about the school, the program, have a list of questions to ask and most importantly- to be able to answer his/her questions with confidence and knowledge.
What makes it scary is not knowing what exactly will be asked. How can you prepare yourself accordingly?
You can prepare by practicing the most common interview questions and getting into the mindset to discuss your skills, goals and experiences thoroughly.
Here are 3 big questions you might hear and how to answer them like a boss.
1. What sets you apart from the other recruits?
This is your time to shine and showcase your unique achievements. That doesn’t mean boasting about the tournaments you’ve excelled at. Instead, focus on your personal characteristics that have shaped your experiences thus far.
Do you possess leadership skills? Academic achievements? Coachability? Have you participated in any outside extracurriculars that aided you in developing your portfolio?
Talk about these situations and use personal experiences to bring them to life.
2. What are you looking for in a college?
When you hear this question, instinct might tell you to start babbling on about what the coach wants to hear.
Don’t do that. In fact, do the opposite. Be honest and straightforward. The coach wants to determine if you will be a good fit for the school, so it’s not about nailing the interview, it’s about what’s best for you.
Before you set out for any recruitment trips, you should evaluate your career goals. What are you looking for in a school? Is size or location important to you? How about the golf team? What do you look to get out of your college experience as a whole?
3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
There it is…the doozy of interview questions. Many have stumbled and fallen over this one, sweating bullets. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can tackle this one with finesse and confidence- all it takes is a tight thinking cap and a bit of preparation.
Don’t fluff your way through it. Be humble yet fair, without reciting the same old Google regurgitated weakness examples.
Coaches want to see a student that can recognize their faults as a player and see eagerness in wanting to improve those areas.
Take the time to discuss weaknesses, but don’t dwell on them and use personal examples to highlight an instance where you showed weakness but stepped up and corrected it with maturity.
