When I graduated from school I was so worried that my lack of working experience would put me at a disadvantage. As a DI athlete, so much of my time was spent conditioning, practicing, competing, attending classes and more. When I had free time, my work prospects were limited since I graduated before NIL became a thing.
But here is the good news: athletes who don’t have a ton of work experience are not necessarily in a bad spot. In fact, your status as an athlete may help you attract the attention of hiring managers. Many managers love hiring athletes because of the many transferable skills they have.
If you’re starting your job hunt or preparing for an interview, here are some great qualities you can share to supplement the lack of working experience you might have.
Why Athletes Shouldn’t Fear Life After Sports
Athletes aren’t afraid of hard work. If you’ve found success as an athlete, you know hard work was part of the equation. You’ve probably put in extra time by showing up to practice early and staying late. I use the same mindset to work, and by working hard at my first job, I was promoted twice in three years.
Athletes have that grit needed to push through hard situations. Ive noticed in many jobs that my positive, no-quit attitude has given me the opportunity to work with more people and on more projects.
Athletes compete. Managers are usually happiest when their workers do well. Former athletes who have found success are able to transfer their competitiveness to help a company thrive, or they compete against themselves to help surpass personal goals.
Athletes take risks. We are also not afraid to take risks. By taking risks we improve, grow and and achieve goals we set for ourselves in the workplace.
Athletes are good teammates. So many things athletes accomplish are done because of a team. Even single sport athletes work with their team of coaches, trainers and others to get results. Working well with coworkers is a really valuable trait that companies and peers appreciate.
Athletes accept constructive criticism. Being coachable has helped me thrive in all work settings. Receiving constructive criticism and working to improve is something that your co-workers or manager will always appreciate. Being open to new ways of working, always learning and not taking things personal helps athletes garner respect in the workplace.
Athletes are great with time management. If you’ve successfully juggled classes, practice, competitions, exams, NIL opportunities and more, you’re bringing a valuable trait to work. I’ve seen many of my non-athlete peers get flustered when they had to balance a lot of priorities at work. Tapping into the time management skills you’ve learned as an athlete will help you keep your cool and push through stressful situations.
Athletes look to improve. You’re only as good as your last game, right? Taking that mentality into work is another way to earn success. By looking to improve and by perfecting my working style, more opportunities have come my way. Examples of personal improvement for me have included perfecting my sales pitch, improving my organization skills, working on my presentation techniques, increasing my donor meetings each month and more.