How to Find a Job as a Former Student-Athlete

Fewer than 2% of NCAA student-athletes go on to become professional athletes. That means the vast majority of graduating student-athletes will need to find work that doesn’t involve getting paid to play.

If your time in college athletics is ending, you might be wondering, what are some good jobs for former student athletes? You’re in luck – plenty of career paths that appeal to your competitive spirit exist, while allowing you to use transferable skills you acquired from sports.

4 Career Paths for Student-Athletes

Former student-athletes develop a unique set of skills – discipline, teamwork, leadership, time management, resilience, and goal setting – that can translate well into a variety of careers. Here are four of the best career paths for athletes that align with those strengths.

1. Sports Industry Careers

Even if you no longer play sports, you can still work in sports. Depending on your educational background and experience, the following types of jobs in sports might appeal to you:

• Coaching: Mentor the next generation of athletes at the high school, recreational, amateur, or college level. With time and perseverance, you could eventually become a coach in a professional league.
• Sports Management: Degrees in sports management are increasingly popular, and those holding such credentials can go on to work in team operations, marketing, administration, and more essential behind-the-scenes roles.
• Athletic Training: If you possess the right qualifications, becoming an athletic trainer is another way to stay close to the game while helping athletes stay healthy and recover from injuries.
• Sports Marketing & Sponsorships: Capitalizing on the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) boom and promoting teams, athletes, or sports brands provide potentially lucrative career paths for athletes.
• Journalism & Broadcasting: Numerous former student-athletes go into journalism, covering games, interviewing athletes, and providing analysis. However, this is a highly competitive field, so be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way up.

2. Business & Leadership Roles

Athletes excel in high-pressure situations, making them great candidates for business and leadership roles. Consider these types of jobs for former athletes:

• Sales: Competitive and results-driven student-athletes often excel in sales, and these types of jobs can be found in just about every industry (including sports).
• Entrepreneurship: If you’ve considered starting your own business, entrepreneurship might be the career path for you. You likely have the drive and determination required to succeed.
• Corporate Training & Development: Coaching employees to perform at the best of their ability is an excellent way to apply your transferable skills from the court or field.
• Management & Operations: Management and operations jobs sound appealing to former student-athletes, as they require strong leadership and the ability to run a “team.”

3. Public Service & Education Jobs

Many athletes thrive in service-oriented fields that require discipline and teamwork, including:

• Education & Teaching: Inspiring and mentoring students in the classroom as a teacher is another career path popular with athletes.
• Law Enforcement: Former athletes have a leg up when pursuing physically demanding jobs that require perseverance and bravery, making law enforcement a viable field.
• Nonprofit & Community Outreach: Leading initiatives that create social impact can make you feel like your work is meaningful – even when sports aren’t involved.

4. Media & Communications Careers

Sports journalism and broadcasting, as previously mentioned, are just a small segment of the media and communications industry. You might also look for opportunities in:

• Blogging/Content Creation: Write for a blog (or start your own) or create unique content on social media. Who knows – you may become a successful influencer.
• Social Media Management: Similar to the above, social media management jobs can involve building online brands for companies and public figures.
• Public Relations: PR professionals manage the public image of organizations or individuals and tend to be competitive and determined, making this one of the most fitting jobs for student-athletes.

Should I Put Sports on My Resume?

As you begin your job search as a former student-athlete, you may be asking, should I put sports on my resume? If you can directly translate the skills you gained in athletics to the job you are applying for, the answer is “yes.” For example, if you are applying for a sales role, you might highlight how you learned to meet goals and stay competitive during your time as a student-athlete.

Additionally, you may put your athletic achievements on your resume if you have minimal on-the-job experience. This is not uncommon, as student-athletes can be hyper-focused on their sport with little time to devote to internships or work outside the classroom.

How to Include Sports on Your Resume

Depending on your situation and the job you’re going for, you can try the following approaches:

1. Include It in the Experience Section

If the sport was a major commitment, list it under Experience like a job. Here’s an example:

Soccer Student-Athlete | ABC University, New York, NY | 2021 – 2024

• Dedicated 20+ hours per week to training, competition, and teamwork while maintaining a full academic schedule.
• Developed strong time management and leadership skills, balancing NCAA Division I athletics with coursework.
• Collaborated with teammates to win the 2023 Conference Championship and advance to the national tournament.

2. Add It to Your Education Section

Call out your sports involvement when you note your education:

ABC University – New York, NY
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration | Expected May 2025

• NCAA Division I Student-Athlete, Men’s Basketball Team (2021 – Present)
• Team Captain, 2023–2024
• Academic All-Conference Honoree (2022, 2023)

3. Highlight Key Skills in Your Summary & Skills Section

You can also include skills you acquired as a student athlete, such as leadership, teamwork, time management, and communication, in the Summary and Key Skills sections of your resume.

Find Your Dream Job In Sports

Create your free account to begin your search

Job Seeker Sign In

Sign in with Google

Sign in with LinkedIn

Sign in with Apple

Or, use your email address:

Next

We value your privacy

Should I Mention Sports in My Cover Letter?

You may also highlight your transferable skills acquired from sports and examples of relevant experience during the interview process to further emphasize your fit for the role.

Finding a Job as a Former Student-Athlete

Ready to begin your job search? WorkInSports is the place to start. Start looking for opportunities, or browse our Job Seeker Resource Center for the latest career advice for the sports industry and beyond.