Life After Sports

On Monday, March 11^th, Hofstra had its 7^th Annual Athletic Mentor Night. This was an opportunity for current Hofstra athletes to meet former Hofstra athletes that have gone on to hold career positions in industries ranging from education to finance. It was also a way for these students to find an alumni mentor that could relate to college life as an athlete and what it will be like to find work after graduation.

College athletes may not have the free time that other students have to do a lot of internships or have part-time jobs. A great amount of their time is spent balancing their coursework with practicing and playing their sport. However, this does not mean that they do not develop important career skills along the way. Through their hard work and dedication, college athletes acquire skills that employers value such as:

• Teamwork
• Competitiveness and handling pressure well
• Willingness to learn and be coached
• Discipline
• Strong work ethic
• Understanding the importance of preparation
• Self-motivation
• Time management

Whether a student athlete makes it to the pros, ends up working in the sports industry, or finds a career in another industry, their time as an athlete will give them the building blocks that will need to succeed in the future. It’s all a matter of figuring out how to convey those qualities to employers through resumes, cover letters and interviewing skills.

Hofstra athletes would benefit by finding a mentor like the Hofstra Alumni that participated in the Athletic Mentor Night. And The Career Center is a great place to have their resumes and cover letters critiqued and practice how to convey their work skills in an interview setting.

Nayelli Perez, Assistant Director, The Career Center