Miguel Cabrita, who swam for Portugal in the Barcelona ‘92 and Atllanta ’96 Olympic Games

Since retiring from competitive swimming in 1998, Portugal’s Miguel Cabrita faced career challenges typical of many athletes i.e. the need to earn an income balanced against a desire to invest time and money in study. As Miguel put it, “I had to choose between pursuing my studies without any financial help, or to become employed and earn an income. This last option prevailed.”

Whilst enjoying teaching swimming professionally, at 33 years old (2007) Miguel was concerned about his long-term work and life aspirations, without a clear career path in front of him. In 2007, the Portuguese Olympic Committee introduced him to Adecco and the Olympic Future Programme ("Programa Futuro Olímpico") – the ACP in Portugal.

This helped Miguel get his career planning on track: “I attended a group meeting with fellow athletes and then two personal interviews with training and programme specialists. The goal was to find the perfect match between our business, sporting and learning background and the areas in which we would like to work, regardless of our previous experience.

“Now, after attending these meetings and thanks to Adecco’s counseling I'm fully confident that I'm able to answer to the worrying doubts hanging over my future, as opposed to having absolutely no idea whatsoever about it! It's an unforgettable experience!”