Over the last few years, retiring athletes’ problems moving into second careers have made the headlines as yet another athlete faces financial or emotional issues. But what actually happens when you enter the work force? What further issues can you expect?

We know that some skills transfer easily from sport to the work force. Leadership, commitment, drive and attention to detail are attributes that work in both settings. However, some behaviours are no longer appropriate. Take job history for example. Many athletes have been accustomed to changing teams frequently – concepts such as loyalty and longevity are not often a priority for club or athlete. In today’s world, employers still expect to see stability on a CV; too much moving between companies and you are labelled unreliable and disloyal…and the job offers dry up.

Then there is job purpose: having been used to knowing what you had to do and why, at work you may just not “get it”. You may feel that you have entered a “mundane world of ordinariness”. With no obvious reason for doing what you are doing, you end up questioning the sense of it…and getting frustrated.

When it comes to goal setting, in sport, everything is geared to success. You know what you want to achieve and how you will get there. In organisations, goals tend to be fixed annually, if at all. They may even be imposed on you. And they are often less tangible than ones you are used to.

As for feedback on your performance, you will often have to wait until year end to hear how you are doing. You may need to learn to read the signs. The “no holds barred” type of performance assessment you may be used to just won’t happen.

And remember that whilst teamwork is a transferable skill, it often requires more cooperation than competitiveness. Using the same drive and single-mindedness you have shown in the past may not always be appreciated.

Experience has shown us that transition into the work place can be tough. You are behind your peers. You require new skills. You have to adapt to a way of operating which is foreign to you. Preparation is key. Gain awareness of the pitfalls by talking to people who have already been through it and learn from them. If you have the opportunity, try job shadowing or an internship. Get as much prior exposure to the world of work as possible. The more you plan for your future, the easier it will be.

The post Life After Sport: Entering the Workforce appeared first on Career After Sport.

And what about sport? We have seen postponement of major sporting events such as the Tokyo Olympic Games, the UEFA Euro 2020 and Wimbledon. The 2020 sporting calendar has been decimated with cancellation upon cancellation of major events with no one able to say for certain when “normality” will return.

In this climate of uncertainty, you may be asking yourself what happens next. Not just looking to the continuation of your sporting career, but afterwards. Do you have a plan for life after sport?

Retiring from playing sport professionally can be overwhelming. Preparation is key. As an athlete you wouldn’t dream of approaching a game or performance without a plan. In the same way, you now need to plan and prepare for life after sport.  Career Transition Workbooks have been developed specifically with this in mind. With a series of targeted exercises, they will help with everything from developing your self-identity and marketable job skills to finding support and building a professional network to make the change easier.

Here is a three-step process to help you manage your transition:

• STEP 1: Download the FREE Career Transition Questionnaire. Your responses will reveal your key concerns and will indicate the right workbooks for your progression.
• STEP 2: Based on your answers, choose the Workbooks that will address your needs.
• STEP 3: Subscribe to a monthly package that includes all the workbooks AND personal coaching from Julie.

Don’t leave your future up to chance. Download the FREE workbook NOW and discover how you can plan for an easier retirement.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Julie here to set up a chat.

The post Life after sport: what next? appeared first on Career After Sport.

• Challenges faced when changing career
• Useful tips for anyone confronted with a career change
• Transferable skills
• Similarities (and differences) between the business world and the world of sport
• Transition from sport into a “normal” life

Listen to the interview HERE

If you are interested in speaking to me about your own career challenge, feel free to email me at julie@sc-careertransition.com to set up a call.

The post Transition, Change and Career Reorientation (even for Sports Stars) appeared first on Career After Sport.

But whether athletes achieve their dreams or not, when the Olympic flame is extinguished at the end of the games, the dying embers of the flame signify for many the start of a challenging journey into the unknown. And this is not just limited to Olympic athletes. For all professional athletes, whatever their sport and wherever they compete, they are all faced with similar concerns upon retirement from sport.

My own career journey took me away from sport into the corporate world, where I worked in human resources. I grew to understand the demands of the business world and spent many years supporting companies and their employees in their quest for excellence. But I never forgot the world of sport. Frequently I would read stories in the press of a former sporting star fallen on hard times. And I began to wonder how I could help.

Putting pen to paper, I started writing down what I knew about tough transitions and the world of employment. I used the information gathered from years of work, study, and research in order to produce a document that, I hope, will serve as a useful resource for people contemplating life after sport. This book combines the information gained from my own business experience, from my own tough career transition, from research in the fields of sports psychology and positive psychology as well as from many aspects of life and executive coaching to provide a framework to help athletes succeed in their life after sport.

Whether you are a professional athlete, uncertain of what the future holds, or already retired and seeking direction, this book will provide you with an excellent basis to start your search for meaning and purpose for life after sport. If you are a partner or spouse of an athlete, it will give you an overview of the concerns your partner may be facing and, if you are also unsure of your own future, it will provide concrete exercises to get you thinking about your own next goal.

Transition out of sport can be challenging. Advance preparation is very helpful. This book will serve as your stepping stone to life after sport. So start your journey of discovery now.

Career After Sport: Career Planning Guidance to Help You Move On is now available on Amazon.

The post Career After Sport: Career Planning Guidelines to Help You Move On appeared first on Career After Sport.