Michael Page partnership building on players' transferable skills

Michael Page has provided advice to players through a personal branding seminar, delivered to a number of state groups around the country throughout 2019/20, then to the transitioning players at the Australian Athlete Alliance (AAA) Athlete Development Day.

The Development Day saw almost 50 current and former athletes, spanning across multiple sports, come together to better navigate career transition as part of the inaugural event in Melbourne.

The day was centred around bringing athletes together from a variety of sports, including Football, Netball, AFL, Basketball, Rugby Union, Tennis and Rugby League, to network and share experiences with their peers and industry experts.

The group participated in presentations about their personal brand, values and perspective, in addition to industry leaders speaking to the collective about the inherent skill sets of an athlete and how this translates to the workforce.

Michael Page, experts in career readiness and recruitment, touched on a variety of skills to help prepare players for life after sport.

These included:

• Making your application stand out;
• Tips on writing a strong CV and cover letter;
• Do’s and don’ts of writing a CV;
• Explaining gaps in your careers;
• Common interview questions and how to ace them;
• Importance and effective use of LinkedIn and what’s needed for a profile that gets noticed;
• Online presence, employer snooping and locking down your social activity.

ACA Transition Manager Carla Dziwoki said that the seminar and partnership was of huge benefit to both current and transitioning cricketers.

“The Michael Page partnership is proving beneficial for all sections of our playing group,” Dziwoki said.

“At the AAA Athlete Development Day, there were a number of people in the room that said they were not happy with their current CVs.

“So they provided sample templates for athletes to use, to help them articulate their skill set and experience, which I know will help the players immensely.

“I am also confident players in need of employment would feel comfortable reaching out to Michael Page to ask for assistance, following the successful introduction they have now received.

“The players are fortunate to have access to such a terrific resource to help them prepare for life after cricket,” Dziwoki said.

Michael Page Director Greg Allen was pleased to be able to pass on tips to best prepare players for gainful employment, once their careers were over.

“It was great to be able to present on modern job-ready skills to some serious Aussie sporting stars,” Allen said.

“Through our partnership with the ACA, we delivered an update on what employers and recruitment firms look for in candidates, and how to stand out.

“We talked through examples of how to set yourself up to demonstrate transferable skills from the pitch to the boardroom, by comparing sporting achievements with job description criteria and bringing this to life. We are so happy to be a part of the education of players,” he concluded.

Michael Page Director George Kauye echoed these sentiments.

“It’s terrific to see the work the ACA are doing to support players with their careers,” Kauye noted.

“The transition from playing elite sport to a professional career can be a daunting task at times, and it’s great to see the proactive work they are doing in this area. It also demonstrates our continued joint efforts, having previously covered this challenge in our advice article: Transitioning into the world of work: Why athletes need career support.

“Congratulations to the ACA team on executing an outstanding initiative.”

Under GamePlan, players undertake an Individual Personal Development Plan which uncovers and sets the direction that players may wish to pursue during and post their cricket career.

Justine Whipper ACA National Manager of Player Development said that any resource that can better prepare players is a positive.

“Transition can be difficult, even if you have a plan post-sport.

“Those that struggle to find meaningful employment beyond cricket, tend to find transition even more challenging.

“Because of programs like the one we have developed with the Page Group, many more players are leaving the game prepared for the next phase of their life.

“Also, players are starting to see the positive impact of how having perspective away from the game can enhance their on-field performance.

“So it is encouraging to see a shift in thinking by players, as they choose to develop themselves holistically.”

For more information on GamePlan, click here.