An Olympics Review – what Career Advisors & Recruiters can learn…

It’s a week or so now since the end of the Olympics. What a wonderful two weeks of entertainment and excitement. But when the dust settles and we all look back at the Olympics, what can career advisors, recruiters and employability coaches take from the 2012 games to help motivate others? TheEmployable have picked put some of the key points from the Olympics, that every one of us, sporting enthusiast and couch potato alike, could use going forward in our career journey, and some points that career advisors should be using going forward to motivate others…

Making a Career out of Sport is possible

Without throwing stats out, I am sure that the percentage of sports enthusiasts and wannabe professional athletes that actually make a career out of sport is pretty slim. However, we are missing the point slightly if we don’t at least support someone’s career aspirations if ‘sport’ is their chosen career profession. Would a career advisor suggest that an A* Biology student should not pursue a career as a Doctor? However, the Olympics teaches us all, that making a career out of sport is possible. No matter what  background, creed, colour, sex, class – people made it there! If athletes from war-torn countries, with no facilities and financial support can make it, so can all of us. Career Advisors – if someone has an aspiration, give them realistic options on how they can make it a possibility. After that, it is up to them, but at least don’t shoot them down before the options have been considered.

Volunteering

Take away the gold medals and the inspiring sporting moments, and for many athletes, spectators and officials, it was the volunteers that made the 2012 Olympics so special. What an amazing accolade to add onto your CV. The 2012 Olympics taught us all that Volunteering can be an amazing and motivational experience. Don’t get me wrong, not all volunteering can be as grand as the Olympic experience, but volunteering can add weight to an otherwise blank CV, and therefore is an option that career advisors and recruiters can offer others.

Hard work often pays off.

Whatever career path someone decides to go down, the Olympics reminds us all all that hard work does pay off! Career Advisors, and Recruiters take note! No longer should you admit that something is not ‘doable’. The road may be a rocky and difficult one to climb – but climbable it is!

Big Projects can inspire!

Not only is it okay to dream about what you can do and achieve individually, the Olympics has shown us all that big projects have the ability to inspire all of us together and at one time. Perhaps this is a lesson for career advisors and recruiters, to get out from behind their desk and go talk to the very people they need to advise – perhaps all in one go too! Perhaps, as well heaven forbid, commercial recruiters and recruitment companies (who make money from recruiting) should give something back, by at least spending a few hours a month, providing group workshops and roadshows to help people improve their employability. Recruiters will cry – “its not my responsibility”, but perhaps, just perhaps, the Olympics has taught us all, that collectively we can make something good happen.

Agree? Disagree? Why not comment below if you think career advisors and recruiters can take anything else away from the Olympics…