How can I manage my career?
Key Learnings
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Setting a clear and precise objective helps you to concentrate your efforts and gets you heading in the right direction.
Divide your goals by time slots: (a) lifetime goals; (b) career goals; (c) season goals.
By making better use of your time, you can achieve your goals much more easily.
Prioritise tasks based on importance and urgency and remove non-essential activities.
Making good choices is crucial for success as much of your earning potential is related to your reputation on and off-the-court.
Only use the advice of others to inform your decision-making process – don’t rely on it as the sole basis for your final decision. You are ultimately responsible for the decisions you make.
Networking is the art of building alliances and can help you get a job, find a sponsor, make new friends, get new ideas, etc.
Preparing for your professional life after basketball is just as important as your current career on-the-court.
During your basketball career, you can invest in your development through part-time education.

Part-time education options while you still play

 

Already during your basketball career, you can invest in your development through part-time education. Even if it can be a long-term investment, do not be discouraged about the length of time it may take to reach your dream. Instead, keep in mind that making steady progress towards completing a degree is better than doing nothing at all.

Here are some options that you might consider:

  • University or College

Depending on where you live, you might have the opportunity to take part-time or night classes at a local university or college. These classes provide flexibility you may need considering the demands of a professional sporting career.

  • Online education / Distance education

Nowadays there is a great variety of educational options available online. Online education gives you greater accessibility and flexibility to work toward a degree during your busy basketball career.

  • Computer programmes

Another option for those requiring a flexible education schedule is commercially available computer software. This option will not result in receiving a formally recognised degree, but it can provide diplomas and give you the basic knowledge that you can use to further develop in certain career fields.

  • Professional/self-help books

Like commercial computer software, professional/self-help books are another useful option. Books that cover certain trades or pre-professional programmes can shed light on the fundamental details of your area of interest.