Logistics: A Great Job for Former Athletes

For many former student athletes, finding a career after graduation can be a challenge if they don’t go on to become a professional athlete. Sports programs require a huge commitment from their athletes, with training, practice, constant travel, time in the film room, focusing on academics, and games leaving little time for internships or jobs during college.

This time commitment can create challenges upon graduation because many employers require previous job experience. The logistics industry, particularly sales and carrier relations, offers great jobs for former athletes, including on-the-job training and a work environment that requires a similar camaraderie and drive to an athletic career.

What is it like working in logistics sales?

Logistics sales is a unique career path that can spell success for those with a competitive spirit and a willingness to work hard. Logistics sales representatives work with shippers who need their products moved anywhere in the world, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. They also work with reliable carriers to arrange transportation and load tracking for these companies.

These loads can be moved via truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal and drayage, temperature controlled, air freight, heavy haul, and more. Each transaction is unique depending on the shipper’s needs and location. The logistics sales representative is also responsible for providing consistent communication and updates to both the shipper and the carrier throughout the process.

The logistics sales industry is the perfect place for young professionals to springboard their careers and offers great career options for athletes after their playing career comes to an end. The industry offers a fast-paced, competitive work environment with unlimited potential for professional growth and high compensation.

Why is logistics sales a great career for former athletes?

Logistics is one of the best jobs for former athletes. This is because the logistics sales industry operates with the same characteristics that make successful student athletes: teamwork, passion, competitive spirit, and strong work ethic. These transferable skills can lead to great success within the logistics and transportation industry.

Teamwork

Teamwork is about bringing together distinct personalities with different individual goals who are willing to work hard—both for each other and towards a common purpose. Athletes have the unique ability to self-manage and improve themselves while working with their teammates to achieve a shared vision. This mentality can be applied to logistics sales and often leads to both individual and team success.

Passion

Passion is an essential trait that makes an elite athlete. After all, they wouldn’t devote so much time and energy to their sports if they didn’t have the drive and dedication to succeed. Many athletes have a passion to win and be the very best. The world of logistics sales is similarly fast paced and competitive, offering the opportunity to overcome challenges and become successful.

Competitive Spirit

To thrive in the logistics industry, a competitive spirit is a must. This is another parallel to being a successful athlete. Many have an inner drive to work harder than their opponents and even their teammates, giving them more motivation than they might have on their own. Logistics sales can offer an environment that fosters competition to be successful, just like athletics.

Strong work ethic

The drive to succeed is an integral part of the mentality of college athletes, and it’s really what puts former athletes ahead of the curve in the logistics sales and transportation industry. For athletes to be successful in their given sports, they’ve dedicated their lives to preparing mentally, training physically, studying playbooks, and remaining academically eligible. Generally, the student athletes who excelled are the ones who worked the hardest—which is the same mentality and work ethic that propels them into successful careers in logistics sales.

Former athletes should really be aware of the logistics and transportation industry. It is a challenging, constantly changing, and rewarding career that transitions well from the field to the desk.

– Mike Crawford, COO ITS Logistics, Former NCAA Student Athlete & NFL Player

Logistics sales is a perfect job for former athletes

At ITS Logistics, almost 25 percent of our logistics sales professionals are former NCAA college athletes, many of whom have achieved great success in a short amount of time. They competed in sports such as football, baseball, softball, soccer, and a multitude of individualized sports. Our training program is perfect for recent graduates who are looking for a career path outside of their athletic careers.

We don’t require much professional or industry experience to be successful at ITS. Through our unique and challenging training program, we invest in new team members and give them the tools they need to succeed in the industry. We also provide them with industry knowledge, proprietary training, and career development that gives them a leg up on other companies and prepares them for success in our unique industry.

ITS Logistics is very much like a professional sports team. Having several former professional and college athletes on our team gives our company a firsthand perspective on the challenges many athletes face when transitioning from sports to the professional world. Career opportunities at ITS give former athletes a way to leverage the positive aspects of their experience in sports — specialized skills and training; teamwork and camaraderie; and energetic, competitive drive. That hard-won experience translates really well into our culture and business and sets up candidates with a continuation of the sports experience in professional life. Our drive to win and to be the best is real and former athletes fit in perfectly.

– Jim Hazboun, Chief People Officer & SVP of HR at ITS Logistics & Former NCAA Division 1 Athlete

Do you have what it takes to join the team? Reach out to us today!

This article was written by Jackie Latragna and originally published by its.