Member Resource Library

This white paper describes how ATs can intentionally shape their career paths by identifying opportunities for advancement both within and beyond traditional athletic training workplace settings. This includes preparing for roles in leadership, education, research, administration and emerging health care sectors where the skills of ATs are highly valuable

The athletic training (AT) profession is dominated by early career and career-advancing professionals, with nearly 52% of Certified Athletic Trainers possessing zero to nine years of certification. The exact number of athletic trainers (ATs) leaving the profession is unknown. However, any attrition of ATs in the career-advancing demographic is concerning as it minimizes the number of mature, seasoned professionals available to model professional longevity. With over half of ATs with 12 years or less of certification indicating their optimism for staying in the AT profession has decreased since March 2020, it is now more important than ever to identify factors contributing to consideration of attrition and develop strategies to improve professional commitment, persistence, and retention. Research and resources on goal setting and goal attainment in AT are scarce, suggesting that ATs may not be fully equipped with the necessary professional identity development and self-advocacy skills to articulate their goals and value to employers. In turn, this inability to articulate their professional goals and value to the organization may lead to a lack of job satisfaction and career advancement. The purpose of this session is to equip ATs with the skills to set actionable career advancement goals and articulate those goals to current or future employers. By defining and understanding one's own professional goals and assets, ATs of all experience levels can develop a stronger sense of identity within the AT profession. This professional identity can boost the AT's self-confidence and empower them to take on advanced roles within their organizations. Also, when ATs understand and align their professional values with their work, they are better equipped to contribute to the goals of their organizations which could lead to enhanced job performance, satisfaction and retention; ultimately benefiting the employee, the employer and the individuals they serve.

Journal of Athletic Training Article: The labor market suffered a mass exodus of employees, including healthcare workers, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research highlights the vulnerability of young professional athletic trainers (YPATs) to attrition. Investigating pandemic-related employment changes and their impact is essential for developing strategies to improve the retention of YPATs.

NATA Now article that reviews what to know about AT burnout.

Read on tips and best practices for those who are considering working in the per diem space.

Journal of Athletic Training article written to identify the causes, effects, and prevalence of burnout in athletic trainers identified in the literature.

So you have already found that job posting on the NATA Career Center, applied and been contacted for an interview. Other than getting your suit cleaned and copies of your resume printed, what else should you do? Most people will prepare for the usual questions they are asked (“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” “What makes you a great candidate for the job?”) and even some funky ones (“If you were a kind of Athletic Tape what would you be?”). But a wise move would be to have questions to ask the interviewer, more than the common ones (“What is the pay and/or benefits?” “What are the hours?”). Here is a list of great questions that you may want to ask that will show you are knowledgeable and prepared.