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.

Full-time education options after Basketball

 

If you decide to focus full-time on your professional development, there are several different educational options that you can consider.

  • University/College
     
    • Undergraduate programme. Probably the most traditional form of higher education is three to four-year institutions that offer degrees in a wide variety of areas. Different institutions provide expertise in different degree areas. After completing the programme, you receive a Bachelor’s degree and diploma. Students who receive this degree either enter the workforce or pursue higher levels of education in their field of study (Master’s or Doctoral programmes).
       
    • Master or Graduate programme. Master’s programmes are typically reserved for students who already have a Bachelor’s degree. The level of training and research is usually higher, and you will acquire specialised education in the selected topics.
       
    • Doctoral programme. Similar to a Master’s programme, doctoral programmes are exclusively available to those who have previously attained a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Doctoral programmes are research intensive by nature and represent the highest level of formal study in most countries.

 

  • Trade Schools

A trade school provides vocational education and focuses on teaching you the skills you will need to perform a specific job, with unique emphasis on the practical application of your newly acquired skills. The defining characteristic of trade schools is their application-intensive nature – they give students more hands-on experience in their specific trade than any other form of education.

 

  • Online education / Distance education

Online education, also known as distance learning or e-learning, differs from traditional education because students are not required to visit an actual classroom and listen to an instructor face-to-face. The convenience of online classes has a direct correlation with its increasing popularity, as they eliminate time restraints in your day.

 

  • Two-year institutions

Traditional two-year institutions, also called community colleges, are most prevalent in the United States, but do exist in similar forms throughout the world. These institutions are often less expensive than four-year universities and typically offer three types of programmes:

  • ​​​​​​Career education. Students receive an Associate’s degree and directly enter the workforce.
  • Industry training. Students’ employers pay for the training and education in specific areas that help the student/employee develop more skills in their job.
     
  • Transfer credit. Students receive credit for courses taken with the plan of applying that credit toward a four-year, higher-level degree (usually accepted at university/college)