How Golf Can Make or Break your Career

If you ever thought that your sports habits or inclinations did not have anything to do with your job or career, think again. Not only do business schools teach students to play golf, they mandate playing golf as part of the graduating process. Further, it is not enough to know how to play golf, it is not even crucial to play well. The key component of the course is understanding the subtleties of playing golf to achieve business goals. Students are not necessarily tested on their playing talents, but more importantly on their business golf etiquette. Despite the fact that golf has been an integral part of business for many years, today there is no doubt how golf can make or break your career.

Unquestionably, the job market is tough to break. So few jobs and so many applicants. There are also many qualified graduates looking to make their marks at companies. Due to the vast numbers of people applying for jobs, and because there can only be a specified number of senior positions in a company, hiring officials have taken on new methods of screening applicants, especially for management and key positions within the company. As part of the hiring process, applicants are being invited to golf tournaments. And make no mistake, the invited players are not there to be critiqued on their talent at the game, although it does help to understand the game by knowing how to swing a club and put a ball in the hole. Instead, the powers-that-be are looking for specific personality traits, characteristics that either cannot be gleaned from an interview, or those features that people can fake in more conventional settings.

When interviewed, candidates always claim to be team players. They assure the screener that they have patience, listen to others, and take direction in a positive manner. Unfortunately, most people exhibit few of these qualities when they are eventually hired and their true nature rears itself to others. On the golf course, however, it is harder to misrepresent oneself. Members of the firm can assess individuals based on how they interact with others, how they respond to shots made, the language they use throughout the course of the game, their opinions, and even their mannerisms. Indeed, it is difficult to hide certain traits throughout the whole afternoon while in the company of others. Most people will slip up with a joke that is not appropriate, a nasty comment uttered under their breath, or a gesture that indicates they are from being a team player.

Golf is truly a game of patience. Hotheads, whiners, and troublemakers will have a hard time competing on the golf course against other candidates. Further, individuals with addictions such as smoking and drinking may find themselves in way over their heads. Since smoking is not permitted, how often will the smoker excuse himself/herself from the game? Drinking may be permitted, but for someone who drinks too much, a friendly golf tournament could be the end of the career before it even starts.

In terms of partnerships, a good way to determine whether you and another person are able to work together in a joint venture is how you play together on the golf course. While the rules of golf are specific, there are some instances where a player can cheat. You'll readily see whether or not your opponent is open to that sort of activity. This may go against the grain for you, and you might worry that cheating will be part of everyday business, so you decide against the venture. For the opponent, this is a lost opportunity, one that could easily break his or her career.

Another error that business people make and how golf can make or break your career is declining invitations to golf games. Often, people confuse invitations as social gatherings that are voluntary. For example, when you are invited to a party, you might decline because you have other commitments or you are not interested in that type of affair. Declining a golf game with a potential client or someone who can help you with your career is a mistake. Golf is not to be looked upon as a sport that you like or dislike. In other words, it is not the game that is important, it is the underlying function of the game you should respect. And that is to build business relationships. If you view golf simply as a game, then you do not fully understand how the business golf dynamic works. This could prove detrimental to your career.

If you really want to advance your career, there are a few points of advice you should follow:

• Learn to play golf and understand the rules.
• Practice golfing when you get the chance, so that you can stay in shape in case you have the opportunity to play a game with someone of interest.
• Avoid alcohol while playing or at least limit yourself accordingly.
• Learn to be gracious on the golf course by acceding to your opponent.
• Do not act in a juvenile manner which includes swearing when you miss a shot, throwing your golf clubs on the ground, or banging your legs and equipment when you do not like your score.
• Watch your language in terms of the jokes you tell and the remarks you make that could be considered offensive and derogatory.
• Do not make the outcome of the game the focus of the afternoon, as you do not need to win at golf. The objective is to win at relationship building.
• Understand that if you do not accept, someone else will, and you might miss out.

Finally, it should be recognized that an invitation to golf and the subsequent time spent on the course is not only an immediate deal breaker, but one that can last a lifetime. For example, when employees schmooze with the bosses, those individuals tend to remain in the forefront. In other words, they are quickly remembered. Promotions are not always based on talent or productivity alone, but also, how one reacts to the corporate culture. By never playing in any of the tournaments, there is always the inherent risk that someone else will be promoted before you. And, studies have proven that not only is this a real concern of employees, that in fact, it does happen on a regular basis. Therefore, it is more crucial than ever to understand how golf can make or break your career.