Retired Major League Baseballer needs advice
HI! I am a soon to be retired Major League Baseball player, looking for insight regarding my career prospects.
I graduated from a top 20 undergrad business program with a B.S. in Finance. For the last 5 years i have been playing professional baseball, and in 2015 I pitched in the major leagues. My career was extremely promising (high draft pick, all star in the minor leagues, low ERA in the majors, etc...) , but sadly at the age of 26 injuries have completely ended my career.
I'm wondering how my unique life experience will be perceived in the job market. My dream is to work in either investment banking, PE or some sort of financial consulting. I have been told by numerous people that my experience as an athlete is a huge positive and carries significant weight on a resume. I hope this to be true, but am unsure. Baseball has been something I have completely dedicated my life to in the past 7 years or so. It has given me some amazing experiences and looking back I can say I wouldn't trade it for anything. Unfortunately my obsession with my possible baseball career distracted me from actually trying in college. I finished undergrad with a 3.1 GPA. Not good, but certainly not bad compared to my teammates and your average athlete.
I would love to hear what you guys have to say. Is it possible for me to enter the finance/banking field in my current situation? Or, would I be better suited pursuing an MBA first? I have been contemplating this, but would rather not go back to school if I don't have to. Luckily I have a pretty good amount of money saved up right now, so income in the next 5 years or so is not important to me and I would be able to afford any B-school without loans. What is the play to get my foot in the door and get started with a career in banking? I am hungry and will do whatever it takes if it is possible.
Any help is appreciated.
Yeah absolutely you see former athletes pop up all the time in finance and professional/college baseball experience is definitely a plus. It will help you network with alums big-time because everyone loves college sports and its just interesting to grab lunch with a former mlb player.
Former athletes college or pro tend to end up in entry-level sales and trading desks because they value the competitive instinct of an athlete and s&t interns generally just sit there and watch the action/get coffee.
Sorry to hear about your injuries and good luck on the job hunt. Try to use linkedin to find former pro/college athletes at firms you are interested in and reach out to them.
My advice would be wealth management, some of the most successful advisors in my office are ex-athletes and you certainly do not need an MBA to get started. If you have some money saved up and do not mind sales, seems like the perfect spot for you.
Can I have your autograph?
I've got a buddy in my MBA class who was a pro Football player. He's doing an internship at an Investment Bank and had an internship offer faster than most of the other students in the class.
Quick story:
Last year, those who were interested in high finance went around and visited banks and Asset Management companies in Chi and NYC. There was always a point were you had to introduce yourself and give a little bit about your background to make people actually interested in hearing questions from you.
It was pretty hard to beat "Hi, I'm ******* and I was a Pro NFL linebacker."
yeah, if you want IB, I think a top MBA makes the most sense given your profile...