Snakes and Ladders: Why Career Support Should Start Before the Struggle
By Dr. Leon Lloyd, Clive Palmer, and David Grecic
Introduction: From Uniform to Civilian Life
What happens after the final whistle or final tour? Many athletes and military personnel step into the unknown after careers built on peak performance, structure, and identity. But are employers and society truly ready to support that transition?
In a newly published article, Snakes and Ladders: Developing a Culture of Prevention Ahead of Cure, Dr. Leon Lloyd and co-authors Clive Palmer and David Grecic explore the need for a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to helping elite performers navigate career transitions.
Read the full academic article here:
Snakes and Ladders – Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies
Research Summary: Three Projects, One Purpose
This research is rooted in Dr. Lloyd’s PhD by Portfolio and covers three distinct but interlinked projects:
1. After the Final Whistle
Explores the experiences of elite athletes during retirement and career transition. It examines how well their transferrable skills like discipline, leadership, and resilience are understood and valued in the civilian workforce.
2. Taking Sport to the Battlefield
This project dives into the experiences of elite military personnel, drawing comparisons with athletes. It uncovers the often-overlooked professional and emotional readiness that veterans carry and how little of that is reflected in typical recruitment processes.
3. Finding Careers, Not Jobs
Shifting focus to hiring managers and employers, this stage explores how organisational cultures and systems either unlock or hinder veterans’ full potential. The key insight? Most veterans don’t need charity, they need clarity and challenge.
Reflections from the Field: Researcher Positionality
The article doesn’t shy away from the emotional complexity of this work. It highlights how identity, gender, and power dynamics shaped access and interpretation in male-dominated environments. Through honest reflection, the authors confront discomfort, ethical responsibility, and the emotional toll of deeply human research.
Key Takeaways: From Cure to Culture
Snakes and ladders isn’t just a metaphor, it’s a reality for many navigating professional reinvention. Progress is often followed by setbacks. Employers play a critical role in either offering ladders (support, clarity, coaching) or becoming snakes (bureaucracy, assumptions, shallow recruitment practices).
The article advocates for:
- Early Intervention: Support systems must be in place before a problem arises, not just when someone is already struggling.
- Cultural Shift: Employers should create ecosystems that recognize and nurture potential, not just experience.
- Human-Centered Design: Recruitment and onboarding should be tailored, not templated.
Why It Matters
“We’re not helping people find jobs. We’re helping them find new identities.”
— Dr. Leon Lloyd
This isn’t just about helping veterans or athletes, it’s about reshaping how we value lived experience, transition, and growth. Whether you’re an employer, a policymaker, or someone navigating your own career pivot, this research reminds us that prevention is more powerful than repair.
Want to Read the Full Study?
Access the original published article here:
Read on Academia.edu