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.

The 30-second elevator pitch

Being able to explain who you are, what you offer and what you want to achieve is an important skill for effective networking. A 30-second elevator pitch gives you a good start when meeting someone and can get conversations moving in your favour.

  • What it is

A 30-second elevator pitch is a short “speech” designed to pique the interest of a group, company or individual. It is a brief description of yourself, the skills and experience you offer, and any special or unique information related to your interests – which can be expressed easily in 30 seconds, the amount of time you would have if you were on an elevator with someone. It is not a life story. Your goal is to get your audience to ask additional questions, look at (and not just file) your resume, or take a general interest in learning more about you.

  • Why it is important in networking

The 30-second elevator pitch is an opportunity for you to quickly and succinctly highlight particular skills or characteristics that are interesting and help you stand out in a competitive job market.

  • What it should include

The pitch should demonstrate how you are unique. It should include a brief introduction and what you can offer the group, company or team. The best pitches contain two or three important skills or abilities related to the group you are speaking to backed up by illustrative examples.