If you want a job, then you need a résumé.

In December of 2006, Marie Zidek graduated from Northern Illinois and had a résumé ready for possible employers. With four years of volleyball experience, an internship at the Kuortane Sports Institute-High Performance Training Center in Finland and a wealth of awards, Zidek’s résumé was quite full.

So there’s not much doubt why the Oregon State volleyball team brought Zidek in as its graduate assistant.

In 2005, Taras “Terry” Liskevych, former U.S. Olympic women’s volleyball head coach, took over at OSU. Liskevych coached the U.S. team from 1985 to 1996, winning a bronze medal in the 1992 summer games.

But jumping back into college coaching didn’t bring instant success for Liskevych. While Zidek was graduating, Liskevych was rebuilding the Beavers. In 2006, his squad won only three games, losing 24.

But since Zidek joined the staff, OSU has made vast improvements. With a 10-20 record in 2007, the Beavers improved to 14-17 in 2008. And that’s in a conference, the PAC 10, where five teams were seeded in the top 16 teams for the 2008 NCAA tournament.

While Zidek’s appearance doesn’t fully explain the turnaround, she has been a crucial part in improving the program.

“My role as a graduate assistant is the multi-hat role,” the NIU alum said. “I prepare film, help run drills and scout.”

But Zidek has provided OSU with more than just a competent graduate assistant. When she’s not on the court helping to coach the Beavers, she’s on the sidelines cheering for her new school. Except Zidek isn’t your average fan.

Instead, she is one of five students who puts on the costume of Benny the Beaver, the OSU mascot, a role she got through a résumé.

“I jokingly gave them a mascot résumé,” Zidek said. “It’s funny, I’ve been a mascot since high school.”

While at NIU, Zidek was a Huskie both on and off the court, literally.

From 2002 to 2005, the Orland Park native was a member of the NIU volleyball team. As a freshman, Zidek performed as a defensive specialist. She spent the next two years as the team’s setter, returning to her position of defensive specialist for her senior year.

And when Zidek wasn’t on the court setting up her teammates, she was on the sidelines, you guessed it, as Victor E. Huskie.

While being a mascot is a fun part of her life, Zidek doesn’t plan on sending that résumé around to future employers.

Instead, she’s focused on improving her volleyball résumé, hoping to be a NCAA coach one day. And according to Zidek, there’s no better place to get the experience she needs than at OSU.

“I’m 24, and I feel like I have the most ideal situation,” she said. “The PAC 10 is arguably the best volleyball conference. Working here, I’m just getting to learn volleyball at this level.”

With graduation coming after next year, it won’t be long until Zidek prepares another draft of her résumé – hoping to find the next step on her dream to becoming a coach.