Rowing Coach Resume Example & Writing Guide

No matter where you are in your rowing coach career, from university head coach to high school assistant coach, you have a specialized skill-set to get you to the next level. You’re ready to dip your oar in the water with a rowing coach resume that boosts you ahead in the race!

Resume.io is here to help with expert advice and tools. Our job search resources include more than 350 occupation-specific writing guides with corresponding resume examples. 

This writing guide, alongside a rowing coach resume example, will be position you to catch your next coaching job. Keep reading to discover how to:

• Create a rowing coach resume document that tells the story of your career
• Showcase your talents and abilities
• Choose the best format to structure your resume
• Optimize the impact of each resume section: header, profile, employment history, education and skills
• Decide on a resume design that pops!

Let's get started!

What does a rowing coach do?

According to sparksrowing.com, there’s much more to being a rowing coach than showing up to practice and coaching athletes to glory. At the core of this rewarding role are these six aspects: safety consciousness, training, counseling, administration, recruiting and other non-coaching duties as required. The latter could involve almost anything from trailer driving to boat fixing.Like virtually all resumes, regardless of occupation, a rowing coach resume should be structured to include these components, all on a single page:

• Header
• Profile (or summary)
• Employment History
• Education
• Skills

Choosing the best resume format for a rowing coach

If your career has primarily followed a linear path in employee positions, the most commonly used chronological format is recommended and preferred by recruiters. It’s a straightforward way to list your work experience under employer headings. In fact, “chronological” means in reverse order, from most recent to earliest positions.

But if your job background is more varied — perhaps your rowing coach experience is limited — or you’ve worked independently in consulting roles, you may consider organizing your resume a slightly different way. The functional format allows you to put more emphasis on skills, types of experience or even projects or clients, rather than employee positions. Another more versatile option is the hybrid resume format, combining chronological and functional elements.

Resume header

Off the top, you want your rowing coach resume to get noticed for visually distinctive reasons. Displaying your name, occupation and contact information in an eye-pleasing header serves a functional as well as esthetic purpose. Besides setting your resume apart from the rest, the header’s prominence makes it easy for recruiters to put a name to the document and get in touch with you 

Ideally the overall look of your cover letter and resume should match, and it’s in the header design that this will be readily apparent. With little extra time or effort, you stand to earn extra points for professionalism and attention to detail.

Rowing coach resume summary example

Whether you call it a summary, profile or personal statement, this resume section should go beyond a dry few sentences about your rowing career. This is your one spot to tell hiring managers about your coaching style and exhibit your passion for the sport. 

As a successful rowing coach, you are not only an expert at your sport, but are great at teaching! In this section, you should highlight your biggest achievements, whether they be your rise from assistant rowing coach to a Division I varsity title, or your ability to help student-athletes balance the demands of academics and sports. 

This three-to-five-sentence paragraph should be filled with strong action verbs and descriptions of your demeanor. Don’t be shy here because this is the best place on your resume to highlight your accomplishments. It’s in your best interest to come out strong from the start. Your cover letter can complement what you say here.

We recommend completing this section last, after you have had a chance to remind yourself of what a great coach you really are! Though, if you feel the creative writing juices flowing, it’s OK to start here as well. 

Below is a rowing coach resume example summary you can customize.

Employment history sample 

Here’s your chance to turn your career into a success story. You are a professional who coaches, guides, and mentors rowers. You may have been performing that function at high schools, colleges, athletic facilities, or public or private organizations. The environment counts, as do your job titles. But the key here is to show a pattern of growth and tailor your resume to each environment and job description.

Related article

Why you should customize your resume for each application

A custom resume can mean the difference between getting out your suit for that final interview, and never even getting a phone call. Here's why you should customize your resume for each job application.

Think about where you started and where you are in your career now. Your main goal, no matter the position, is to prepare rowers physically and mentally for regattas. As you organize your employment history, brainstorm the successes you have had every step of the way and include those as your bullet items. Also, list how you taught helpful physical conditioning skills, and also encouraged a healthy attitude and sportsmanship. 

If you implemented specific training programs, highlight them here. Include important information regarding your experience coaching for certain competitions and races, such as side-by-side and head races. Using specific terminology will attest to your expertise and in-depth understanding of the sport. 

As noted earlier, your work history should be organized in reverse-chronological order, with an emphasis on coaching or mentoring positions. Be sure to highlight your understanding of rowing equipment and the details of the sport. Be sure to also showcase career highlights, championships, and any awards you may have received. If you were a collegiate athlete yourself, you can feel free to list that here or in your education section below.

Below is a rowing coach  employment history resume sample you can modify.

Rowing coach resume education example

While rowing coaches don’t need a specific degree, many have bachelor’s in sports medicine, athletic training, sports management, and related fields. If you have participated in a US Rowing coaching development or certification program, you may list that here as well. However, if you have multiple certifications, you may consider adding another section. You can also choose to add a section for awards and accolades if you have many from your own athletic career as well as your coaching.

Below is the education section from a rowing coach resume you can modify.

CV skills example

Don’t rush through this all-important portion of your CV! 

Your skills section is the perfect place to give hiring professionals a quick overview of abilities, but it also tells them what you think are the most important skills you possess. Pay close attention to the abilities your prospective employer has listed in the job description and match your section to those skills as closely as possible. This not only lets hiring managers know you care enough to apply for their specific job, but it helps you make it past your first hurdle: the applicant tracking systems ( ATS) that are scanning for keywords, phrases, and other important details.

Remember that while you must be knowledgeable in rowing techniques and athletic health and training, you must also be a good communicator who can foster teamwork and inspire dedication and loyalty. Choose a mix of your technical and interpersonal skills when you create your list of 5-10 items. 

Check out a rowing coach CV sample for the skills section below.

Resume layout, design and formatting

The first impression a recruiter will get of you is based on a quick scan of your resume, so you need to make it look great! While you may want to start with a splash, it is much better to err on the side of subtlety. Resume.io’s resume templates will make it a breeze for you to present a strong, professional image that gets attention without going overboard. We suggest choosing a design from our modern or s imple style categories.

Your design should be clean, with plenty of white space for legibility. You should also be sure that your contact information and heading titles are easy to find. Use color sparingly, if at all. The same goes for images or icons: Unless you have a great reason for using one, leave them out.

Finally, after you have completed your resume (we recommend using a builder tool like Resume.io’s to avoid formatting errors. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure it’s perfect before you hit the send button.

Key takeaways for a rowing coach resume

1. A rowing coach career can be highly rewarding, and requires diverse abilities beyond the obvious. Set yourself apart with a winning resume that showcases your strengths to the best advantage.
2. Each version of your rowing coach resume should be tailored to the specific position being sought and the employer.
3. Optimize the impact of each resume section as part of your overall rowing coach success story. In particular, the employment history section should show a pattern of growth and development. The summary and skills list should reflect qualifications that give you an edge over other candidates.

Resume.io gives you the tailwind you need to race toward your dream job!