University of Minnesota Athletics
Nathan Jobe, Class of '12 (Swimming)
3/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Gopher Connect
March 13, 2014
Nathan Jobe swam for the Gopher men’s swimming and diving team for two seasons after transferring to the U. Now an executive team leader with Target Corp., which is based in Minneapolis and ranked No. 36 on the Fortune 500, Jobe leads an in-store department at a local store.
During his time spent at the University Aquatic Center and participating in professional development opportunities offered by Gopher Connect, Jobe realized there are a lot of similarities between what he was learning in the pool and values he’d need to succeed after graduation.
“My current job is a leadership role and it is great management experience for me,” said Jobe. “It has a lot in common with my athletic background. Retail is very competitive and athletics makes you competitive, so it’s a good fit.”
Just as his coaches taught him how to strategically approach a race in the pool, Gopher Connect taught Jobe to approach his job search strategically, giving him an opportunity to put that competitive spirit to work.
“Attending those networking sessions [Gopher Connect] hosts, along with resume critiques and mock interviews, truly helped me in my professional development and helped me as I walked into job interviews.”
There was one specific event where Jobe used what he had learned to recognize a professional opportunity, which ultimately helped him get his current job.
“I attended an event [where] we brought a ton of [student-athlete] resumes to Target HQ so they would review them. I met three representatives from Target that day. When I was being interviewed for my job, I reached out them to ask questions and get their advice.”
Their guidance helped Jobe land his current position. That opportunity – which benefitted both Jobe and his future employers – arose through their mutual participation in Gopher Connect programs.
“Those events are some of the main reasons I was hired at Target.”
