Adjusting to a job

A common theme that I have heard from many former student athletes is that they are struggling to fit in with their new coworkers in their first job out of college. Some have felt an easier transition to the workplace because they have coworkers around them that were also student athletes so they have a common experience that connects them. Others have felt uncomfortable as they figure out where they fit in the office as the only former student athlete in an entry level position.

Having a boss and coworkers can be a very new experience AND you just left a team and a coach.

While one does not replace the other there are similarities between them and your new boss can emulate the role your coch played while your new coworkers become your new team.

There are times in your collegiate career that your coach supported you through a tough time and other times that you may have had a struggle with a decision your coach made or something that had you do. You may have a similar experience with a boss who might be a great support and may also be challenging, at times. You can draw off of your past experiences with your coach to guide you through interactions and situations with a boss. Think of how you handled challenges in college athletics when you didn’t agree with your coach. Are you proud of your actions or do you wish you had done it differently? Use that reflection as you approach workplace interactions with your boss, supervisor or manager.

In college, your teammates may have been your closest friends and confidants or you may not have clicked with them at all. Your coworkers can and will serve a very similar role that your teammates did. You may work together with them towards the same goal as well as working on your own projects side by side. You will have a coworker that you do not connect with that will emulate a teammate that you didn’t see eye to eye with. And that is ok. The experiences you had with that former teammate will support your interactions with this new coworker. When it comes down to it, remember that you are working in the same place for the same organization towards the same end goal. Finding ways to work together with people you struggle with will be a strong skill that will benefit you in the long run.

Your path from being a college athlete to former college athlete will take you from the course or court into an office or cubicle. This path will be complicated, confusing and rocky, at times. You may fall off path and hop back on or that path may take a U-turn and completely shift course.

Whatever happens in your career path and in the workplace, you have many skills and can develop others that can lead you towards a successful career.

The skills you gained from your time as a student athlete can be invaluable to you as your transition into the workforce. You learned resilience, team work, time management, leadership skills and how to juggle a lot of things at once to name a few. These tools benefit you as you adjust to working with new coworkers and for a new boss. Remember that you can not do this on your own so creating a support network consisting of coworkers, your manager or boss and others in the industry is a key strategy in being successful in your job.

Treat the first year of a new job like freshman year. You are new to the team and can learn from the senior employees as well as adding in a new perspective from a different point of view. In time, you will blend in with your team and will find your footing as you all work towards a similar outcome and goal.

Embrace being the freshman again! In time you will be a senior level employee guiding the newcomers!