Employers attraction to former athletes.

Below are a few reasons why we believe more and more companies are hiring former athletes.

Strong Work Ethic and Discipline

Traditionally athletes possess a high level of discipline, a strong work ethic as well as a desire to honing their craft. These qualities are developer a great deal of dedication and persistence which are vital components for all employers. 

Teamwork and Collaboration

For the most part, athletes are often part of a team and have to “work” with people from various backgrounds in order to achieve a common goal. This is very relevant in the modern work force environment, where “success” largely depends on collaborations.

Leadership and Decision-Making

More times than not, athletes at some point in their athletic travels had to assume some form of a leadership role within their teams.  This behavior along with the ability to react under “pressure” equips them well for all levels of management, but provides a great foundation for senior roles in traditional professional settings.

Competitive Edge

There is NO doubt that athletes are trained to win. This habit creates a level of determination that is desired in any circle, but especially professional settings.  In addition, athletes’ “belief in themselves”provide a competitive edge that non-athletes can not relate to (for the most part).

“You can develop a lot of skills, but especially the drive, the intrinsic motivation and discipline, making hard agreements with yourself – that is something people in sports can do very well.” Pieter van den Hoogenband

Resilience and Perseverance

Although athletes are trained to win- sadly losing is a reality. An athlete, throughout the process will face adversity which is a norm within the sporting world. Employers are aware that athletes will display a great deal of resiliency and simply just  “bounce back” and look forward to the next project or task with the same level of confidence.

In essence, former athletes possess a vast array of skills that make them targets for employers and many of the above mentioned qualities can be summed up as “grit” which basically equals having the necessary confidence, passion and perseverance to focus on the “next play”. 

Mark Williams

Former Athlete

Skills Developer