Your life plan and career development
Key topic
You should be ready and prepared to do something meaningful and financially sustainable during your after-sports days, whether that is when you finish high school or college or when you will be retiring from a professional sports career. If you go professional, hopefully it will be a long, joyful and successful career, but every day you should remember that it has an expiration date and that you should work towards preparing for life after sports from day one. This lesson is a short guide on how to do it.
Learning objectives
- Identify your passions and talents outside of sport
- Understand the importance of preparing for life after sports
- Learn the pros and cons of entrepreneurship and employment
- Find ways to succeed outside of sport
Looking into passions and talents
You can start preparing for your after sports days, by considering what you want to do in your life outside of sports. Remember that sport retirement can be in a year, or five or ten. It can happen now because you may simply not get the opportunity to play at the collegiate level. We should not make any assumptions, but what we should make is a conscious effort to be prepared for the outcome whenever it may arise. Don’t be tricked into thinking it’s too early, or that you have your whole life ahead to figure things out. Start early, prepare as best as possible, so when it’s time to leave the game you love, you will be in a position to move on successfully.
Many athletes choose to remain in the sports industry as coaches, scouts, trainers, journalists etc. but you have a lot of other options as well. Find your passions and think of potential career paths in different industries, that align to your passions. Research each industry and make a list of skills, experience and education needed to get a job in companies that work in that area. If you need specific or technical skills to get the job you’re interested in, there are courses or qualifications you can take in order to be the perfect candidate.
As an athlete you have acquired a number of transferable skills during your sporting days, which can be applied in other areas of your life and to other non-sport careers. Such transferable skills include organizational skills; adaptability/flexibility, dedication and perseverance, patience, self-motivation as well as abilities associated with performing under pressure, meeting challenges/deadlines and setting and obtaining goals. In order to have a successful career, you need to utilize your transferable skills, develop personal resilience, obtain formal education, create a professional network which will help you find opportunities, and experiment with new roles outside of sport.
People, whom you have met and networked with during your sporting days, may prove useful in your career search. And if you don’t know anyone from the industry you want to work in, you have to try and make new contacts in that particular industry.
There are many exciting careers out there besides the ones we typically think of. The important thing is to identify what you enjoy doing. What is your particular talent, what are you especially good at? What do you feel passionate about? There’s no right or wrong answer; each person has a different set of talents and passions. Once you identify what you’re passionate about, you should check what skills are needed and you should focus on building skills centered on that passion. As an athlete you have experience in sports and you like sports. You have the option to use that experience to concentrate in becoming a sports physical therapist, coach, team manager, public relations officer, reporter, journalist, sports merchandise developer or retailer, sports administrator, sports psychologist, sports manager or scout. The abilities which you have been trained for and gained as an athlete can open a lot of doors for you whatever career you decide to follow.
Now let’s watch a 2-minute video with Steve Harvey who is talking about everyone of us having a ‘God given gift” and how each one of us can identify our ‘God given gift’.
The world of work
You must start working towards determining your interests and expanding your social network, before the end of high school. You should start building skills which will help you
in the transition from being a student-athlete to becoming a professional or business person. Remember that gaining experience and making contacts will definitely be useful in the future therefore you should seek, develop and nurture relationships both in the sports and other industries.
To identify what you want to be doing in the future you should answer the following questions:
- What are your interests?
- What are your greatest skills?
- What would you like to do other than sports?
- How much money do you need to earn?
It is very important that your career is an interesting one and at the same time earns you enough money to support your desired lifestyle. Your goal is to have a career that pays you enough to live on, and that matches your current and future interests. When you have crystallized what your passions and talents are, one way to move forward is to do volunteer work in your area of interest. Volunteering helps you learn job skills and give back to the community; it helps you learn more about the field you are interested in, so you can decide whether that’s really what you want to do. Volunteer work looks good on your resume and demonstrates a caring, thoughtful and socially responsible attitude.
Another way to become acquainted with jobs in your area of interest is to apply for internships. Internships are a great way to see first-hand what a particular job is all about and it usually gives you the chance to apply for a full- time job at a later point in time.
Usually, good interns are prime candidates for future full- time positions within an organization. In other words, a lot of interns end up with full-time job offers.
Tips for pursuing your dream after-sports career
- Decide what type of career you would like, based on what you enjoy doing, the pay level you want, and the benefits (insurance, retirement plan, etc.) you desire.
- Plan on building the skills you need to get your dream occupation. This may require additional schooling or working other jobs to build the necessary skills.
- Become a master networker by meeting and staying in contact with people who can help you build the career of your dreams.
Examples of careers that Athletes have pursued after the end of their sports career
- A number of former pro athletes such as John McEnroe, Charles Barkley, Annabel Kroft, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Michael Johnson have all transitioned successfully into the world of broadcasting.
- Former wrestler Jesse Ventura, basketballer Bill Bradley and boxer Vitali Klitschko have transitioned from sports into the world of politics.
- Former Sweden international and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Klas Ingesson fulfilled his peculiar dream of becoming a lumberjack following his retirement.
- Manchester United legend Roy Kean has done several things. He has coached clubs, his country’s national team and is currently a pundit.
LinkedIn recently analyzed data on over 3,000 former NFL players to find out where they transitioned after their professional athletic careers. The results are shown below:
- 20% small business / entrepreneur
- 18% sales
- 9% coaching / fitness professional
- 8% finance/insurance/banking
- 5% campus and professional athletics
- 3% media and sports broadcasting
- 3% education
- v 2% non-profit/board member
- v 23% other
Find a mentor
A mentor is a person that has the experience to guide your development and can influence your actions and future; such a person is key to transitioning smoothly into your working life and career. During your sporting days you will have people around you, probably coaches who will support your growth and development. While the terms mentoring, and coaching are used interchangeably, they are not the same in practice. Your coach will observe and advise you on specific actions or your behavior in your sport. A mentor is a person with whom you will build a long-term relationship, who is a source of wisdom and support, and who will support your overall growth and development.
There are examples of great people who had great mentors:
- Michael Jordan described Dean Smith, his college basketball coach in North Carolina as his mentor, his teacher and his second father.
- Richard Branson, of Virgin Airlines, admits that he would have gotten nowhere in the airline industry without the help of his mentor Sir Freddie Laker.
- Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, was greatly influenced by his mentor Steve Jobs.
Work on your network
When you start working, you will be entering a very competitive environment, either through your own business or the job industry, and having a strong network will help you find a job, start a business, or build a clientele. What will eventually open doors, is not what you know, but who you know. Building a network is as important as building a team of trusted advisors around you.
The bigger your network, the more opportunities, personal or business, you will have available today and in the future. You can start networking by simply gathering contact information of people you share common interests. You should make it a point to show up at interactive events where you can meet interesting people. You should also be willing to follow up with people you have met and schedule to meet with them again by inviting them to get together. You should make it a point to continue to gain knowledge and build your network of contacts over time to help ensure financial independence and success.
Remember: you never know what influential person your friends or contacts may know. So, stay in touch with everyone!
For example, if you’re going to college, try to be sociable and meet as many people as possible; people from different backgrounds and majors, with different interests and beliefs and with different goals. Everyone has something to offer and something they can teach you, either through their personal stories or skillset.
Entrepreneurship or employment?
There are two main ways of making money; employment and entrepreneurship, working for yourself or working for someone else. You should evaluate which of the two options feels comfortable and aligns with your dreams and goals. No one but yourself can tell you which one is the best option for you, but you can definitely find out which of the two best fits you. Write down your dreams and goals and assess which method will help you the most in achieving them. Discuss matters with your mentor, your close friends and your family and listen to their thoughts and advice. As an athlete, you have gained a experiences that are going to be an asset to any company and can also give you an edge in your future endeavors.
If you need stability and peace, you hate risk, value your free time and need time to relax, you better choose the employment path. If you are able to take some risks, you love to work, you want to keep growing, you are ambitious, and you can handle uncomfortable situations then you might as well follow the entrepreneurship path; not necessarily right away, but at some point. Both paths are very different but both can be enjoyable depending on your personal characteristics.
Entrepreneurship is something that we will discuss extensively in our next lesson, but today we will look at it briefly.
Characteristics of a successful entrepreneur
Successful entrepreneurs have certain skills and personality traits in common. Some of the typical qualities of the successful entrepreneur are the following:
- They have a vivid imagination and they are creative
- They are big picture thinkers
- They are self-motivated
- They are risk takers and their risk tolerance is above average
- They understand their own strengths and weaknesses
- They are self-starters, goal oriented and competitive
In addition to the above, entrepreneurs have the ability to supplement areas where they are lacking by hiring people who are exceptional in those areas, or finding ways to complement and enhance their relevant skills.
Students need to realize that not everyone is cut out to be their own boss, but if they find themselves longing to be in control of their lives — and if most of the traits listed above can be used to describe them — then they have what it takes to go into entrepreneurship. Something very important that all students who aspire to become entrepreneurs should know is that most successful entrepreneurs go through a period of struggle before finding and implementing the right business idea that will make them successful.
The advantages and disadvantages of entrepreneurship
If entrepreneurship is the path you have chosen, then you should know that it has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of entrepreneurship should make you feel stronger about your decision but at the same time you have to be willing to deal with the disadvantages and not be disheartened when things don’t go as planned. We list below a few of the advantages and disadvantages of entrepreneurship so that you know what you will have in your plate as a new entrepreneur.
Advantages
Lifestyle
The personal freedom associated with being an entrepreneur is unrivaled. You are the decision-maker about everything. You can work your own schedule, make your own hours, and control your own income.
Choosing Who You Work With
You can choose the people with whom you conduct business. It’s a great feeling talking business at the beach with your friends who are also your business partners.
Financial Rewards
As a business owner, you have the ability to control how much you earn. When you want to make more money, you simply work more efficiently or put more effort.
Skill Set Growth
Being a business owner means you are responsible for everything that happens within your company. Consequently, you will be exposed to a lot of new things and you will learn many new skills.
Disadvantages
Financial Insecurity
You must take the rough with the smooth, and owning your own business is no different. Being in charge may mean sacrificing the security of a regular paycheck and regular work hours. You are responsible for your financial security as well as for those who work for you. This can definitely keep you up at night, trying to figure out how you will meet the payroll at the end of the month!
Health Insurance
Employer health plans and other benefits you get with a regular job and which you normally take for granted, are now your responsibility and are likely to have a negative effect on your bottom line.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
Although being the primary decision-maker is a key benefit of entrepreneurship, it can also be challenging and sometimes overwhelming having to make all the decisions.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted, that’s for sure! Before you actually choose going into business for yourself, you need to weigh in all the relevant factors but most of all you need to be in check with yourself that this is what you really want to do.
We will now watch a 6-minute video which features the pros and cons of entrepreneurship and employment and recaps what we have just discussed.
Entrepreneurship vs Corporate Career
Action steps – Exercise 1 (10 minutes)
To help you define your passions and how your personal traits match with real world jobs, complete the following Holland RIASEC test (by Warwick University Counselling Center).
Put a check mark by each of the statements below if you like to do the activity or have an interest in the activity.
- I consider myself to be athletic
- I am a nature lover
- I am curious about the physical world (nature, space, living things)
- I am independent
- I like to fix things
- I like to use my hands (plant a garden, help with fixing up the house)
- I enjoy exercising
- I like to save money
- I like to work until the job gets done
- I like working on my own
Total all of the statements marked and write that number next to R
- I am very cautious and careful
- I am curious about everything
- I can do complex calculations
- I like to solve math problems
- I like to use computers
- I like to read books all the time
- I like collecting things (rocks, stamps, coins)
- I like crossword puzzles
- I like science class or science subjects
- I like to be challenged
Total all of the statements marked and write that number next to I
- I am very creative
- I like to draw and paint
- I can play a musical instrument
- I like designing my own clothing or wearing exciting fashions
- I like to read fiction, plays and poetry
- I like arts and crafts
- I attend lots of movies
- I like to take pictures of everything (birds, people, landmarks)
- I enjoy learning a foreign language
- I like to sing, act and dance
Total all of the statements marked and write that number next to A
- I am very friendly
- I like tutoring or teaching others
- I like talking in front of people
- I work well with classmates and friends
- I enjoy leading discussions
- I like helping people with problems
- I play team sports
- I like going to parties
- I like making new friends
- I like working with social groups at my church
Total all of the statements marked and write that number next to S
- I like learning about money
- I enjoy selling products (school candy drives, church fundraisers)
- I consider myself to be popular in school
- I like to lead groups and discussions
- I am often elected to officer positions in groups or clubs
- I like having power and leadership
- I want to own a small business
- I like to save money
- I like to work until the job gets done
- I like taking risks and engaging in new adventures
Total all of the statements marked and write that number below E
- I am very organized and neat
- I like making sure that my room is neat and clean very often
- I enjoy collecting newspaper articles about famous events
- I like keeping lists
- I like using the computer
- I am very practical and consider all costs when buying something
- I would rather type a school assignment then turn it in long-hand
- I like being the secretary in my clubs or groups
- I double-check all mathematics assignments
- I like writing letters
Total all of the statements marked and write that number next to C
Now, mark the answers for the 3 highest sections below with their number. If you have any ties, then mark both letters. The 3 highest totals will be your Profile. Use your Profile to see what type of personality you have and some occupations that would suit you best.
Lesson wrap-up
Today we mostly discussed life without sport; whether that is in a year or fifteen. We began with the importance of knowing your passions and talents and briefly described the world of work. We then examined networking and why it is vital to work on and grow your network. In the final two parts we looked at entrepreneurship and employment, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of entrepreneurship.
At this point we will wrap up today’s lesson. First, we will go over the learning objectives of this lesson and we want your feedback as to whether they have been achieved and then we will address any questions you may have. Please feel free to ask anything you’d like in relation to today’s lesson and we would love to hear how the concepts we discussed today relate to you and your life!