Career progression

When I started my career, I wanted to be an athletic trainer in order to help other injured athletes return to their desired level of activity safely. Since I did not have any sports medicine care when I was younger, I struggled with injuries that could have been prevented, detected and properly treated.

Over time, I realized I wanted to be more involved with the business side of health, sports and fitness, and this is what prompted me to get my graduate degree in sport management. Since I never took any business courses in my undergraduate program I thought this would give me the theoretical background I would need in order to be a better business person. I have always liked numbers and investing, but I didn't realize how much I enjoy the concept of business, management and leadership. I have discovered a passion for diving into the financial information of organizations to better understand how they function and to drive decision making.

Since I wanted to progress into administration, I also started talking with those that held positions I was interested in obtaining. During these conversations there emerged some trends.
Quite a few of the executives I met with got their start by having a manager who took an interest in their career and helping them develop the skills they needed to progress. When opportunities arose, these managers then had the chance to step into larger organizational roles.
Another trend I noticed was similar to the first and it was that their manager took a chance on them based on something that they saw inside. While they may have lacked education or experience in the position they were chosen for, their manager hired them anyways and then trained them in how to perform the job and even set up with continuing education opportunities. In this way, they hired the person based on intangible characteristics and developed the experience that they thought they needed to succeed.

From what I gathered, few people make their own way. They tend to perform well in a job with a manger who takes the time to work with them to progress their career. Then, when an opportunity arises they are able to move into a larger role.

I want to share this with you to help you progress your own career. When you are looking for jobs, look for those managers who take an active interest in developing their people, this will fast track your career learning and progression. If you are already in a management role, remember how you got there and don't forget to pay it forward. There are a lot of talented individuals out there just waiting for someone to notice them and take an interest in them so they can achieve great things. Don't miss out on identifying these future stars.