Your Next Game is Life: A Guide for Student-Athletes

Being a college student-athlete is a unique and demanding experience. You’re constantly balancing practices, games, travel, and academics, leaving little time for anything else. This can make the transition to a professional career after graduation feel overwhelming, as you may have had limited opportunities for internships or career exploration.

But the skills you’ve honed as an athlete are exactly what employers are looking for. The discipline, resilience, teamwork, and ability to handle pressure that you’ve developed on the field, court, or track are highly valuable in the workplace. The challenge isn’t that you lack these skills, but rather that you may not recognize how to articulate them to potential employers.

A recent project by Elizabeth M. Gibbs, titled “From Student-Athlete to Working Professional: Career Readiness for College Athletes,” highlights these exact challenges. Her research shows that many student-athletes lack confidence in their career readiness and may struggle to find jobs that are satisfying. Her proposed solution is a series of panel discussions featuring former student-athletes and employers. These discussions aim to bridge the gap between your athletic experience and the professional world.

The Playbook for Success

Just as you have a playbook for your sport, you can create a playbook for your career. Here are some key strategies to prepare for your post-graduate life:

• Connect with Your Advisors: Take advantage of career resources available to you. Your academic and athletic advisors can help you identify and use these resources effectively. They are there to support you in every aspect of your life, including your future career.
• Translate Your Skills: Learn to speak the language of business. Instead of saying you’re “resilient,” you can describe how you overcame a major setback during a game or how you handled a tough loss. Instead of “team player,” talk about how you collaborated with teammates to achieve a common goal.
• Seek Out Mentorship: Connect with former student-athletes and professionals in your desired field. They have been in your shoes and can offer invaluable advice and guidance on navigating the transition from sports to a career. This is a crucial step in building your network and learning from those who have successfully made the journey.
• Start Early: Even small steps can make a big difference. Attend a career fair, join a club related to your major, or simply connect with professionals on LinkedIn. The more you do while you’re still playing, the more confident and prepared you’ll feel when the final buzzer sounds on your athletic career.

Remember, very few college athletes go on to play professionally. But every single one of you can have a successful and fulfilling career. The same dedication that led you to athletic success can be applied to your professional life. Your next game is life, and you’re already prepared to win.