What Skydiving Says About You (And Why You Might Want it On Your Résumé)

As a first-time skydiver, you’re probably stoked at the idea of crossing skydiving off your bucket list…but what if you moved the entry from your bucket list to your résumé?

Once you fall in love with skydiving (which we totally know you will) and enter the sport at large, you might be surprised at the implications sport skydiving can have in the rest of your life. One of those places that skydiving skill has off-label benefits is a place you might not think to look–the office.

If a potential employer takes a look at your résumé and there’s a little entry about skydiving in the personal section, here’s what they’ll immediately know about you. Prepare to be surprised…

1. You Understand Risk Better Than The Average Bear.

A skydiver is a person who can accept measured risk in the interest of expanding his/her horizons–and who has developed tools to face challenges head-on without flinching.

In the workplace, this experience translates into a dynamic teammate who naturally thinks more experimentally. However, he/she also understands that actions have consequences that must be reflected upon before a move is made. You’ll agree that such a mindset is pretty invaluable for a healthy business, right?

2. You Work Well With Other People In A High-pressure Environment.

Skydiving is a very social sport. It’s a rare skydiver indeed who falls through the sky all alone! Usually, there are anywhere from two or three to dozens of other skydivers on the same jump, and these are carefully organized and orchestrated for a balance of fun and safety.

A skydiver needs to be able to listen carefully to the plans as they are communicated, to execute the skydiving skills required and to look out for the safety of him/herself as well as all the other skydivers on the jump…and all of this needs to be done in the pressurizing context of freefall and canopy flight. It’s a great workshop for group dynamics, as you can imagine.

Even on that first tandem skydive, you’re asked to be a thoughtful, attentive, functioning part of a small team. When you’re connected to your tandem instructor, he or she is counting on you to listen carefully to all instructions and follow them to the best of your ability. There’s a significant element of participation. (And you’re gonna love it, you smartypants! We know this.)

3. You’re Dedicated.

The sport of skydiving attracts people who love to get a complicated jump totally nailed–people who hop on plane-after-plane-after-plane with a group of similarly-focused fellow athletes to get a particular planned jump perfected down to the details. It’s populated by people who are willing to pack parachutes diligently and with precise attention to detail.

You’ll find plenty of skydivers who are willing to get out of planes in the dead of winter (when it is really, really cold at altitude) so they don’t get rusty over the cold season. You’ll meet jumpers who have worked hard enough in the sport to be able to push the limits of physics in ways you didn’t think were possible.

Suffice it to say: the mentality on a dropzone is all about optimization. What company wouldn’t want someone on board who steeps themselves in that spirit all weekend long?

4. You’re Part Of A Greater Community.

Skydiving is a sport, yes–but it’s also a community. The worldwide “sky-family” comes from all walks of life and shares a common set of values–one of which is the value of mutual support.

In fact, don’t be surprised if the serious-looking, buttoned-up professional across from you has a skydiving rig stashed under the interview desk. We’re everywhere, after all!

Ready to add skydiving to your résumé? Contact the team at Ozarks Skydive Center with any questions or book your tandem skydive online today!