How do ex-Professional athletes land Executive / VP jobs so quickly after their careers end?

Non-Running Finance/Jobs

6 years ago 04/20/2018 4:26pm EDT

Seriously.

I know a guy from my university who just finished his playing days in the NFL as a backup QB and immediately he's a VP of Wealth Management or "Director of" at a some random banking/financial company. I'm pretty sure he didn't have any proper management roles or climbed any corporate ladder to get there.

In the off-season he was, at best, doing something with his degree....but maybe not.

Yeah, I'm a little jealous - but is it really just connections that get these guys executive roles when they've never sat in actual cubicle before? Explain how this works.

6 years ago 04/20/2018 4:53pm EDT

re: Bob Dobalina

It's both connections and the image the athlete brings with them

6 years ago 04/20/2018 4:55pm EDT

re: Bob Dobalina

This is how wealth/status/social connections work much of the time. This is why people join fraternities and other social organizations with barriers to entry. Social connections matter, and especially as you move up the ladder.

For a good public example, see the Kushner sons.

6 years ago 04/20/2018 4:56pm EDT

re: Bob Dobalina

Being a VP at a bank isn't anything like an executive level position. Every job title north of teller is a VP of something or other. The MBA program at my school is full of twenty-somethings who have VP jobs on their resumes.

6 years ago 04/20/2018 4:57pm EDT

re: Bob Dobalina

Bob Dobalina wrote:
Seriously.
I know a guy from my university who just finished his playing days in the NFL as a backup QB and immediately he's a VP of Wealth Management or "Director of" at a some random banking/financial company. I'm pretty sure he didn't have any proper management roles or climbed any corporate ladder to get there.
In the off-season he was, at best, doing something with his degree....but maybe not.
Yeah, I'm a little jealous - but is it really just connections that get these guys executive roles when they've never sat in actual cubicle before? Explain how this works.

You gotta learn the lingo of financial services. In financial services everyone is a VP or director because it’s pure sales gigs. He sells products to people so they give those guys fancy job titles. Nobody buys from an “analyst” with 20 years of experience , but they do buy from a VP with 1 week of experience. Don’t be jealous. He’s a salesman selling garbage products and he doesn’t know anything about how to construct a portfolio.

6 years ago 04/20/2018 4:58pm EDT

re: sbeefyk2

To add some more meat to it... I was a 25 year old VP with an Art History bachelors degree.

6 years ago 04/20/2018 6:22pm EDT

re: sbeefyk2

sbeefyk2 wrote:
To add some more meat to it... I was a 25 year old VP with an Art History bachelors degree.

Didn't Chelsea Clinton have an art history degree from Stanford?

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