TRANSITIONING FROM STUDENT TO PROFESSIONAL: EXPERIENCES OF RECENT U.S. GRADUATES IN SPORT AND PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY.

Career tracking in sport and performance psychology (SPP) is critical in understanding how to best prepare students for careers in the field. Currently, there is little information regarding how SPP professionals progress throughout their career. The present study expanded upon a quantitative project (Fitzpatrick et al., 2016) that explored the experiences of SPP graduate students in the United States transitioning from graduate school into their early career. Analysis of qualitative data (n = 13) resulted in four themes: personal characteristics, reflections on education, experiences seeking and gaining employment, and perceptions of the field of SPP. Exploration of participants’ experiences offers insight into how graduate programs can best prepare students for career transitions and reinforces the need for continued exploration of SPP professionals’ progression throughout their career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]