As an intercollegiate athlete, you may have thought about the idea of a professional/Olympic sports career. The Athlete's Guide to Career Planning by Petipas et. al states that less than 1% of student athletes turn professional and those that do have an average career length of approximately three years. The prudent student athlete should develop a "game plan" for life and the Career Services Center can assist you. The demands of being both a student and an athlete sometimes leave little time for getting job experience. What the athlete needs to realize is that participation in Division-I athletics is very similar to holding a job. Athletes learn skills that can be transferred to any job situation. It is in the nature of athletics to impart the following qualities on participants. These personal strengths are desirable in virtually all jobs, regardless of the field.
Teamwork
Goal-Oriented
Competitiveness
Confidence
Persistence/Endurance
Discipline
Taking Criticism
Dealing with Setbacks
Leadership
Flexibility/Adaptability
NCAA Career Coach
What Color is your Parachute? - Many links to sites with extensive info on all aspects of career development, including resumes, interviews, and job search strategies.
Career Experience - New York Times career site with a large selection of jobs in the sports and recreation industry. Includes profiles of many different jobs so you can find out what a particular career is like.
Monster Board - Post resumes, view the online bulletin board, and search for jobs. Includes some listings of government jobs. Salary information and relocation hints, too.
MonsterTrak The college arm of monster.com contains salary information and job search tips. You can post your resume and search for full-time jobs and internships listed by employers specifically for UNCG students.
JobSmart - Contains helpful links to information about a variety of careers with resume and salary tips included.
Job Web - Job postings, including internships and federal jobs. Search by geographic region and field of work. Information on graduate schools and a "how-to" section on writing resumes and interviewing.
Career Site - Set up a confidential profile that companies can access. Includes a wide variety of companies.
Career City - Post your resume. Helpful segments on resumes, interview questions, and negotiation techniques.
Career Mosaic - Large industry database, including job openings overseas. "The College Connection" site is set up for recent college graduates.
The Career Key - Information on personality types and the work environment. Includes a personality assessment. Information on the principles of good decision-making.
Career Web - Big job database and a helpful Employment Search Readiness Inventory that will help you see if you are doing everything you can to obtain a job. Many helpful hints.
Career Path - Ability to search the leading newspapers around the country. More tips on finding the right job and preparing a great resume.
America's Job Bank - Lists thousands of jobs and includes links to state and local employment service sites.
Women in Sports Careers Foundation - Excellent site for women athletes. Contains hot job/internship of the week sections, on-line career center, and a sports job database.
TeamworkOnline.com - a site for sports internships, jobs, and job fairs. Portal to sport jobs with teams in the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL, etc.
Most national sports associations have websites and supply information about careers. A few of these are:
- National Basketball Association
645 Fifth Ave, 15 Floor
New York, NY 10022 - Women's National Basketball Association
- National Football League
410 Park Ave
New York, NY 10002 - Major League Baseball
- Professional Golfers' Association of America
PO Box 109601
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
JOB SEARCH ENGINES
Here are some websites that can be used to begin your job search; there are hundreds more so if you know your area of interest you can always do your own internet search for listed job openings. Remember that many job openings are not widely advertised so it may be a good idea to contact companies that you would be interested in working for to see if they will be hiring new employees in the near future.
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/
http://www.hotjobs.com
http://www.headhunter.net
http://www.careerweb.com
http://www.careerbuilder.com
http://www.jobs.com
http://ncaa.thetask.com/market/ads/index.html
http://www.thingamajob.com
http://www.ajb.dni.us
http://www.careerjournal.com
http://www.hcareers.com/
http://www.hirehealth.com
http://www.pharmaceuticaljobs.com
http://www.medicalsalesrep.com
http://www.medreps.com
http://www.jobmedical.net
http://www.medrise.com/alliedjobs/jobs.htm
http://www.black-collegian.com/issues/1998-12/funjobs12.shtml
http://www.nationjob.com
http://www.employmentguide.com/
#1 EUC, PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
VOICE (336) 334-5454
FAX (336) 334-5185
EMAIL career_services@uncg.edu