The-Negotiation-Society-Magazine-The-Change-Issue

TIPS FROM THE
SPORTING PROS ON
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY
NEGOTIATE A
NEW CAREER
0 Believe in yourself and cultivate
a positive mindset.
0 Follow your passion: in the words of
Ray Bradbury, “Love what you do,
to do what you love.”
0 You are stronger than you
think you are.
0 Ask for help: nobody succeeds
on their own.
0 Build relationships, not a network.
0 Nothing worth achieving in life
is easy. Persevere, be disciplined,
and resilient.
Brad Voth
“ You don’t have to love every person
on your team to be successful.”
Brad Voth is a former professional ice hockey
player from Calgary, Canada. Brad played in
Canada, the US and UK, representing the
Columbus Cottonmouths, Texas Wildcatters,
Worcester Ice Cats, Peoria Rivermen and latterly
the Cardiff Devils, before retiring from the sport
in 2012.
After a successful junior career in Canada and
the US and having just missed out on the NHL,
Brad was at a crossroads – not knowing whether
to return to Calgary to find a job or accept a
hockey contract overseas. He joined my local
club, the Cardiff Devils, and is regarded as one
of the team’s greatest players. He stayed for seven
successful seasons which culminated in his number
26 jersey being retired in his honour in 2011.
Like many, Brad had no idea what he wanted
to do, or how to approach transition. Being from
Calgary it made sense to pursue a career in oil
and gas. The roles paid well and he had an interest
in sales, but with no prior experience he found it
difficult to get a job. After much struggle, he came
to realise that as a former professional ice hockey
player he was able, “to gain people’s trust, even
when it wasn’t deserved”, such was the admiration
and respect for a
successful athlete.
During our discussion
Brad highlighted several
skills that helped him
succeed in the commercial
world, with the most
notable being the ability
to deal with people. He
explained that sport, as
with business, is all about people: “Player
turnover in hockey is relatively high compared
to other sports. Every year we would essentially
have a different team. Players from Russia, UK,
Czech Republic, US, Canada, Sweden. All thrown
together, all with different views on life and in a
very short time you must build trust, develop a
relationship to ultimately succeed. It is no different
to business. ”
Brad now works as sales director for a national
disposal company in Canada. “I didn’t think this
is what I would be doing post hockey, but I enjoy
getting up and going to work every day and I feel
as if I’ve helped the business grow.” And there is a
lot to be said for that.
From my conversations both with the athletes
included in this article, and with those I know as
friends, it's clear that most struggle with career
transition. While athletes are accustomed to adversity,
pressure and disappointment, it’s important to also
recognize that these heroes, champions, and prodigies
are also just people, with struggles, worries, and
insecurities like any other human being. The truth
is that no matter who you are or what you do,
change is difficult.
So while we may not be able to swim like Katy,
skate like Brad, or step like Casey, we can all learn from
their experiences and take their advice on how they
have negotiated profound change and transition. TNS
Danielle, Laura, Katy, and Serge are all
members of an organization called World After
Sport (WAS). WAS is devoted to assisting
athletes while they are still involved in sport
to help them prepare for their transition. They
supply expert advice, coaching, education, and
pathways to new employment. To find out
more, visit www.worldaftersport.com
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