Your Major, Your Future: Navigating Career Paths After College as a Student-Athlete

As a student-athlete, you’re already juggling two full-time commitments. When you start thinking about life after college, it’s important to know how your major might impact your job prospects. Here’s a look at which majors are thriving and which are facing a tougher job market, along with key strategies to help you land a great job.

When it comes to your career, your college major plays a significant role in determining both your salary and your chances of landing a job. For recent grads, the job market can be especially challenging, and some majors are experiencing higher unemployment rates than others. Even majors that were once considered surefire bets, like computer science, are currently facing high unemployment.

According to a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, here are the majors with the highest unemployment rates for new graduates:

• Anthropology: 9.4%
• Physics: 7.8%
• Computer engineering: 7.5%
• Commercial art and graphic design: 7.2%
• Fine arts: 7%

On the other hand, majors with the lowest unemployment rates include nutrition science (0.4%) and construction services (0.7%). Other majors with strong job prospects are special education, civil engineering, and animal and plant sciences (all at 1%).

Why This Matters for Student-Athletes

You’re already a master of time management and have a packed schedule with training, travel, and competition. Unlike most students, you have a built-in set of highly sought-after skills that can give you a significant advantage in the job market, regardless of your major.

Majors with a more defined skill set, such as those in healthcare and engineering, tend to have lower unemployment rates because their skills directly align with employer needs. However, if your major is on the higher-unemployment list, don’t panic. Your experience as a student-athlete has already given you the “secret sauce” that employers crave.

How to Land a Job After Graduation

If you’re worried about your major, remember that your time as an athlete has already prepared you for the professional world. Priya Rathod, a workplace trends editor at Indeed, recommends focusing on transferable skills.

As a student-athlete, you have a wealth of these skills, including:

• Discipline and Time Management: Juggling practice, travel, classes, and homework has made you an expert at managing a demanding schedule. This is a huge asset to any employer.
• Teamwork and Communication: You’ve spent years working with coaches, teammates, and trainers to achieve a common goal. This experience in a high-pressure environment is invaluable.
• Grit and Resilience: You know how to bounce back from a loss or an injury, and you understand the importance of perseverance. This mental toughness is a defining characteristic of successful employees.
• Leadership: Whether you were a team captain or a vocal leader, your ability to motivate others is a highly desirable quality.

When you’re building your resume, don’t just list your athletic accomplishments. Highlight how these experiences have given you a competitive edge. Think about internships, part-time jobs, or volunteer work you did in the off-season. These experiences, combined with your athletic background, can make your resume stand out from the crowd.

The first job after graduation may not be your dream job, and that’s okay. Your college major is a starting point, not a limitation. With the strategic mindset you’ve already developed as a student-athlete, you can use your first job as a stepping stone to a successful and fulfilling career.