Andy Dinkin

Hello, my name is Andy Dinkin, and I was a college student-athlete just like you.

I know all about the challenges of having 2-full time jobs – being a student full-time like the rest of your classmates AND be an athlete full-time.

I know all about the extra time you put into studying film, lifting weights, and getting treatment for your aches and pains. I’ve been there.

When I was in college, my first priority was playing football. Class work was secondary. I loved football, and I had convinced myself that when I graduated, I would keep playing football as a professional. Because of this expectation, I spent more time engaged in athletics than in academics.

Unfortunately for me, when my senior season ended, no NFL scouts came looking for me. I soon learned that only 200 of the approximately 9,000 kids that play college football each season make the NFL. So there I was, no pro sports, and a lifetime ahead of me. How in the world was I ever going to find a job? More importantly, how was I going to find something else that I loved as much as football?

Fortunately, I had some prior exposure to the professional world and had made some meaningful relationships. So when my NFL career never materialized, I already had an idea of what I wanted to do, and I had people who were willing to help me in this pursuit.

Many of you are probably asking yourself a similar question: how will I find a job when I get out of college? And while this is a very important question to ask, it’s the wrong question. The right question to ask: what would I love to do as a career?

The problem is, nobody knows. A bigger problem is that people often confuse what they love to do for recreation as something they can make a career of. You have people who love the outdoors becoming park rangers, only to find out that they’ve signed on for a desk job that requires a tremendous amount of paperwork. Or you’ll find someone who loves sports becoming a sports agent, only to realize that most of their work involves reading legal contracts.

In my case, long before I graduated, I stopped asking how I was going to find a job, and I started asking how I was going to find something I loved as much as playing football. Playing college football required a ton of work—6 a.m. weight lifting, three-hour practices, grueling off-season conditioning programs, and long hours watching game film, all while still carrying a full course load. And you know what? I loved every minute of it!

I dreamed of playing in the NFL. And I did everything in my power to excel in my sport, but if I couldn’t make a living playing the game I loved, I was certain I had to find something that I had a passion for. Playing sports had taught me that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.

When pro football didn’t work out, I was in the enviable position of having multiple job offers to consider as a result of the relationships I had built.

My personal journey has taught me how to get the most out of the out of the college athletic experience, and because I want others to get the most from their experience, I wrote the book Going Pro In Life. The book and the Going Pro In Life Career Development Seminar, offer you a career launch formula for landing a great first job and having a fulfilling career.

I’ve been in the workforce hiring people like you since I graduated. I know that this advice will make a positive difference for all college student-athletes who take the time to implement the strategies presented. The best part about what I did is that it’s simple to execute—not easy but simple.

Since you’re an athlete, I know you possess the grit and discipline to execute. But remember, you have to do the work. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. You know that already, so its up to you to put into action the things I’ll teach you.

It is my dream that all student-athletes live up to their full potential. I hope this information will be a valuable guide throughout your college career and that you will use it to seize opportunities and avoid pitfalls, and of course, to land a great first job!