"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done." ~ Vince Lombardi

Now, who would've thought that the words of a famous football coach would ring so loudly during the presidential campaign? Throughout the campaign I often compared it my experiences on the court. At various points throughout the campaign, I felt tired, overwhelmed, burned out and extremely emotional at times. There were many times that I had flashbacks of a typical basketball season. There were so many highs and lows during the last twenty months that regardless of who you were voting for you probably recognized by the end of last week that each candidate had to have plenty of endurance, a gameplan and dedication to be able to sacrifice the little things in order to reach their goals.

As Athletes there are similar adjectives that can be used to describe our journey to succeeding both in athletics and in our life… We have to recognize our talents, have a gameplan, dedication and endurance to accomplish our goals – And in this case it's to find a job. So, when you find yourself re-crafting your resume for the 100th time or sending out your resume to another recruiter or sending out a thank you note for an interview that you weren't 100% confident about (remember not to be too hard on yourself) or lastly freely posting your resume to every job board that has .com at the end J (which I don't recommend doing) … Remember to stay positive and focused! The same way you would prepare for your game should be the same way that you prepare for your job search.

So, before frustration sets in start thinking about what type of gameplan you currently have in place and if you don't have one begin thinking about the types of jobs you want to apply for (they might have to do with your major or they might not) The main point is that you START to take ACTION. "You can't make a basket that you don't take."

It might seem overwhelming but your anxiety can be minimized by developing a gameplan that will enable you to endure your job search when you might feel like giving up all together.

1. Write your resume – Even if you think you don't have work experience you do! As an athlete there are so many transferable skills that you can carry over into the workplace! You can list your volunteer experiences, athletic accomplishments/honors, clubs and organizations and any summer employment and or internships experience that you have.

2. Do your research – Choose the top 10 companies that you want to work for and reach out to the recruiting department by email and or by phone. Many of the top companies have separate websites for internships and new college graduates. Your ability to narrow down your top fields and positions within those fields will make your life a lot easier in the long run. Hoovers – www.hoovers.com is a good place to start to learn more about a particular company and background info and it's FREE!

3. Reach out – Find out where the Career services building is J - It's so hard with practices and weightlifting to want to think about Career Services but it's essential. Another avenue is reaching out to your Universities or Colleges Alumni and Athletic network. Developing professional relationships within your university both in the athletic arena and the traditional alumni network is vital in your ability to position yourself in a positive way upon graduation.

So, start EARLY… Let people know what you are interested in so when something comes across their desk, email inbox, etc. you are the first person they think of. I compare it my position as a post player (especially in the early days.) If you've been on the block with a wide stance, waving your arms like a crazy person maybe its time to get off the block, re-position yourself/Get Moving J and yell a little louder for the ball so your teammates know that you are open. The same confidence and determination that you exude in athletics can be applied in your job search strategy.

And finally, if you made it to the end of this post you have the commitment that is necessary to embark on the journey of your job search.

Until the next time… Take care of yourself and stay positive! There are plenty of people who are in the same place that you are in you just have to get organized, know what you like and above all else Speak Up - the same way you would if you were in competition against your opponent!

Welcome to AthletesWork... I'm so excited that the time is finally here that I can connect with a group of individuals that have accomplished so much in sports and in life and are ready to take on the job market with the same determination, winning attitude and enthusiasm that you demonstrated in practice and during your conference games.

AthletesWork is more than a url or a catchy name. It's a destination that most athletes will reach before they ever thought they would. And it has been a passion of mine that organically took shape around my junior year as a collegiate student-athlete. When I realized that I couldn't play for ever (and at the time I didn't really want to) I was a little burnt out to tell you the truth...

AthletesWork in it's infancy was once a physical destination that my teammates and friends would come to get advice on career paths, resume writing and sometimes to talk about how we were going to make it through another two a day practice session, study for a final exam and still have a life :)

My passion for education has stemmed from my mom and dads commitment to the field of education and their love for helping people. So, it was only natural that my path would cross with education and helping people. After completing my bachelors, it was the first time I wasn't referred to as a student-athlete. I really didn't know what to do, who to talk or where to go to find information about entry level career opportunities, internships or job shadowing experiences that I could take advantage of.

I was for certain that there were many transferable skills that I could carry over into the workplace such as leadership skills, teambuilding and time management just to name few. I also knew that there were many other athletes out there who had similar skills that employers are looking for in their new hires but didn't know how to reach this particular group.

AthletesWork is a destination that you should visit often, it's a place where you can prepare for your career after sports, connect with former collegiate student-athletes and explore opportunities in various fields from internships to full-time positions.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon!