Three Traits That Athletes Can Use to Trademark Themselves for a Job

There is a multitude of traits that make up a good athlete, but do any of them translate to life after sports? What happens when athletes enter the job market? We picked three attributes that’ll help athletes translate their athletic success to career success in the long term. 

Are you coachable?

Being coachable is vital to being a strong member of any athletic team. Beyond the field, being coachable is applicable to any job setting. Coachability represents itself as responsibility and maturity in the workplace; those who are coachable are more likely to take direction easily and be able to juggle responsibilities. Employers look for coachable employees, which indicates a valuable team member. How does one become coachable? Listening and applying direction, maintaining the integrity and doing the right thing, and effectively leading teammates and other peers. There’s nothing more toxic to a team environment than having an employee or an athlete that doesn’t listen and thinks they know it all. Understand the value of coachability and allow others to steer you in a more successful direction—it’ll benefit both you and your company. 

 

Are you reliable?

When someone can rely on you, they can trust you’ll get the job done. Reliability is definitely important in an athletic setting—having someone who can make the last free throw or hit the walk-off home run. It’s showing up to practices, and team events, and being there for your teammates and coaches. However, it is even more vital to assembling a successful career—if you’re a reliable teammate, you’ll be a reliable employee. Learning to be selfless and fulfill your duty as a teammate will allow you, in the future, to better respect and appreciate your coworkers. There’s nothing better than walking into a new job and knowing that you are someone people can count on. Being reliable is another vital ingredient for career success. 

 

Are you willing? 

The last characteristic is the willingness to accomplish a task. Most athletes naturally have a deep desire to win—but how badly do you want to win for your company? How badly do you want your company to succeed? The answer should be just as much as you wanted your team to succeed. Being willing to complete odd jobs or stay overtime to get something done is what employers and organizations look for in an employee—someone who will go the extra mile. Always be willing to give a helping hand and put in the effort to see your company succeed. 

 

These are only a few traits that athletes can develop and highlight in their career journeys. As an athlete, I know that it was these three things that were huge contributors to giving my team success. Now, the company I work for values the same qualities. As an athlete translating their focus to life after sports, you definitely won’t regret applying these to every aspect of your life—you already gave it your all on your team, now go and do the same for your company. Good luck!