4 Lessons Athletes Can Carry into the Business World

At NexGoal, we choose to tap into the network of former athletes because of the highly transferable skills they’ve acquired throughout their athletic tenure. Whether they competed on a professional, collegiate, or high school level, these athletes understand what it takes to succeed. Employers want to fill their organization with employees possessing these high character traits. Knowing how to thrive individually and as a team, and having hard work and dedication ingrained in their DNA, athletes today have a real competitive edge when entering the business world.

Perseverance & Competitive Drive

Athletes are continually facing new challenges, but much to their chagrin, it’s impossible to win them all. Despite this, they are built to overcome losses to tough competition and still find ways to improve when they are on the winning side. Under demoralizing circumstances, athletes maintain a high level of intensity and determination they believe will pay off. What others may view as a setback, the tenacious athlete will consider as a new obstacle to overcome. To avoid getting discouraged, setting immediate, manageable steps is vital.

Former Green Bay Packer Tony Moll credits his athletic background for their’ roll with the punches’ business model, “making audibles left and right.” Discover how Moll turned his winery hobby into a successful business venture through the lessons he learned on the football field. 

Optimism & Confidence

Athletes believe in their abilities to produce significant results, especially under pressure or when the odds are stacked against them. Basketball legend Michael Jordan never distressed over missed opportunities but instead focused on performing his best in the present moment. 

           “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” -Michael Jordan

While there needs to be a balance between optimism and realistic goals, athletes will certainly not lack confidence and will provide the ‘self-starter’ mentality your organization covets. Inclined to accepting constructive criticism, their tenacity and hopefulness allows them to quickly correct course and prove their worth in the next presented opportunity. 

Leadership & Communication

An athlete’s qualities often place them in a natural leadership position as their work ethic and confidence begin to set the standard for other employees. Knowing the power of being a unified team versus being a group, athlete employees promote team chemistry and consistent communication. They are energizing, organized, and resourceful when it comes to their job performance, and therefore serve as natural motivators in the office. Even the more reserved athletes are used to believing in their abilities and therefore lead by their actions when the words are not enough.

Preparation & Consistency

Athletes operate under a goal-oriented, disciplined business approach that ensues consistent job performance and refined skills. Through intense preparation and a commitment to learning, the athlete’s strategic mindset keeps them relevant in a competitive market. Athletes don’t believe in such a thing as over-preparing, and having knowledgeable employees means having powerful employees. 

Throughout their athletic career, they have grown accustomed to balancing their commitments to academics, training, and family and friends their entire lives. Through effective time management and intense focus, athletes can concentrate their energy on the task-at-hand and keep their priorities’ in-check’ to be successful.

Wrap Up

If you are actively seeking quality employees for your organization who you can feel confident relying on, get in contact with us today to discover how we can work together! We utilize industry-leading technology and our pipeline of candidates to find your ideal employee. 

“What impressed me about NexGoal was the time they spent up front, understanding the core competencies required for our roles. We receive candidates that have the intangible winning qualities like hunger, drive, and passion.” -Bret Anderson, Millennium Labs.

If you are a former or current athlete, we hope this article helped you uncover your potential for your post-athletic career and how the skills you’ve acquired can transfer into the business world. Find confidence in how these desirable traits can make up for other areas your resume may lack.

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Job Searching Tips To Ignore in 2021

With the abundance of career advice outlets and career resources, it can be challenging to know what guidance is most applicable to you and your status. Regardless of your situation, there is sure to be outdated or irrelevant information that crosses your screen. Our friends at Monster recently revealed five common thoughts and strategies you’re better off disregarding. We breakdown a few examples below:

Keeping Your Resume Brief

Have you ever been instructed to limit your resume‘s content to one page? Throughout my collegiate experience, I had professors offer that same advice. However, I had other professors that insisted job-seekers fill two complete pages and professors who did not oppose any length. So, what’s the correct direction to take? If one of your primary concerns is a hiring manager’s thoughts on your resume’s length, it will serve you best to reevaluate your priorities. 

If you possess extensive experience that applies to a job description at-hand, it would be foolish to forego mentioning acquired skills due to a fear of losing your reader’s attention. Don’t cross over to a second page for the wrong reasons, i.e., detailing responsibilities rather than accomplishments. While you never want to stretch words or embellish on your achievements within a role, you should always reflect on any experience you believe positions you as most qualified for the opportunity. 

Believing A Great Resume Will Get You Hired

A thorough, compatible resume may land you a job interview, but it will not serve as a golden ticket to getting you hired. Careful research, strong presentation, and maintaining a positive attitude are the keys to landing the job. It is your responsibility to live up to the initial impression you placed in your interviewer’s head. No matter how qualified you may feel you are, you must come prepared to answer some tough questions. Just as you will come with questions prepared and ‘holes’ needing filled when it comes to the job description, your interviewer will do the same with your work history.  

Only Sending a Thank-You Note

No, I am not insinuating that you shouldn’t send a note of appreciation following your job interview, but as Bettina Seidman helps reveal, it shouldn’t stop at just that. Your follow-up letter should reiterate your interest in the job, express your appreciation for their time, emphasize why you are the most qualified candidate, and highlight an experience that prepared you for the role. If your letter does not address the question, “Why should we hire you?”, then you are doing yourself a tremendous disservice in how the employer will remember you.

Following Your Passion

Do the experts really say ‘don’t follow your passion’? Not quite. The issue occurs when people become deadset on their passion and lose sight of reality. Saying ‘Follow Your Passion’ is one of the most misguided principles extended to the common job seeker. Passions in and outside of the business world often adjust in their hierarchy or change entirely, and sometimes these passions “do not serve as a viable source of income.” Catherine Conlan with Monster offers up an example of former NASDAQ-listed CEO Heidi Nazarudin choosing to pursue her passion for photography as a hobby rather than a primary source of income. This allows the best opportunity to live comfortably and still indulge in your passions. From there, who knows, maybe you can seize the opportunity to grow your network and turn your passion into something more prominent.

Wrap Up

The challenge to ‘adapt with the times’ is magnified now more than ever as we progress through 2021. As it goes with any well-intentioned guidance, you must approach any traditional tips and tricks with caution. Not every piece of advice will be inapplicable to your situation. More often than not, you will find it is time to push back on the old-age foundations.

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