Careers in Sport
Robin Woollam – Careers & Employability Adviser
November 2012
Todays session…
• Careers in sport – some general points
• Some sports careers examples…
• Starting to think about your career choice – how
to go about career planning
• Some resources/websites you might find useful
Some general comments
• Around 50–60% of sport and exercise graduates enter jobs directly related
to their area of study
• 45% of current employment was secured via contacts or speculative
approaches to employers.
• Graduates reported that the most important qualities needed in their
current positions were: time management, communication, organisation,
negotiation and presentation skills.
• A high percentage of graduates in exercise/sport/leisure/health related
work reported that they are currently using much of their learning from
their degree course.
• Common advice from graduates to current students was to gain work
experience while on the degree.
Based on two, 5 year follow-up surveys of graduates from the Department of Exercise and Sport
Science, MMU, Cheshire - BASES
Building a career in sport
• First job is sometimes at the ‘bottom rung of the
ladder’, and not always a position that necessarily
states having a degree is a pre-requisite (e.g. health
and fitness instructor, recreation assistant, lifeguard,
sports development officer)
• HOWEVER, your degree will help you get that job, and
as importantly, enable you to work your way up.
• Graduates move jobs quite frequently in their initial
working lives, using skills & experience developed at
University along with the experience gained in early
roles
• Sporting careers are incredibly diverse, covering a
wide range of job functions & areas.
• Can be the case that employers have limited
resources for training/developing staff, especially
with public sector cuts
• Get to know all the key sports web sites well find out about the skills needed in sports careers,
keep ‘up to speed’ with developments etc.
Some key messages
•
Read as much as you can about what sports jobs are actually like: There are a
wide range of websites providing career-profiles and case-studies of people
working in sports jobs. Most branches of sport have professional bodies which
provide detailed careers information
•
Get heavily involved in sports activities: Assist at sports clubs in whatever ways
you can, whether this is organising events, fundraising or coaching.
•
Learn to network effectively: Make maximum use of the many contacts available
to you in your time at university, such as those gained on placements, or other
work experience/shadowing/volunteering you might do.
•
Obtain practical sports qualifications: Accrue as many practical awards as you can,
relevant to the areas that interest you e.g.: coaching and refereeing awards; fitness
or strength and conditioning qualifications; life-guarding certificates.
•
Get as much relevant sports work-experience as you can: The more volunteering
you do and the more practical qualifications you obtain, the more likely you are to
be able to get paid part-time sports work.
‘If you want to work in anything relating to sports
then a CV with periods of relevant work
experience is pretty much essential. There are so
many people going to university to do sports
related courses that although the leisure industry
is growing, it’s perhaps not growing as fast as the
graduates are arriving, so if anything, it’s getting
more competitive’.
Manager for a Regional Sports Partnership
Some career destinations…
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SPORTS EDUCATION
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PE/Sports Teaching/Lecturing
Outdoor Pursuits/Activities
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SPORTS COACHING & DEVELOPMENT
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Coaching & Instructing Sports
Sports Development
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Fitness & Leisure Facility Management
Sports Administration
Sports Management Consultancy
Sports Events Management
Sports Advertising, Marketing & PR
Sports Sales
SPORTS MEDIA
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Sports Journalism
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Research
Biomechanics / Performance Analysis
Exercise Physiology / Strength & Conditioning
Sports Nutrition & Dietetics
Sports Psychology
HEALTH AND FITNESS
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SPORTS MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATION
& MARKETING
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SPORTS SCIENCE
Fitness Instruction / Personal Training /
Instructing Exercise
Health Promotion & Exercise Referral
Clinical Physiology
Sports Physiotherapy / Sports Therapy
SPORTS PERFORMANCE & OFFICIATING
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Professional Sports Performance
Sports officiating
Careers open to all graduates
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Accountancy
Banking
Distribution
Insurance
Journalism
Marketing
Public relations
Purchasing
Sales
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Administration
IT
Financial management
Leisure / tourism
Human resources
Retail
Transport
Social work
And lots more…
What actually happens to our sports
graduates?
• Increasing number go straight into coaching /
teaching / teaching assistant roles in schools
• Considerable number enter one-off
administrative positions in both sport and nonsport organisations
• Postgraduate Study – substantial number go on
to PGCE to train to become teachers, or to
Master’s courses in specialist aspects of Sports
Teaching…
• Most common route for Primary or Secondary is still PGCE
• Alternative school-based routes becoming more common (SCITT, School
Direct (GTP no longer exists)).
• Funding for teacher training depends on class of degree
• Qualified teachers earn in the range of £21,600 - £37,000 (Leadership and
head-teachers earn in the range of £42,400 - £105,000
• Relatively secure, well-paid career with structured career path, compared
to other sports jobs
• If you want to teach, you must start thinking about making yourself a good
applicant NOW – see Careers for more help with this
Salary figures are intended as a guideline only
Sports Science
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Sports Science – first degree not always enough – MSc preferred
Practical coaching/fitness qualifications strongly desirable
Experience difficult to get but strongly desirable
Severe competition for ALL posts (even unpaid internships)
Networking essential to get experience
More opportunities in Health sector than in elite sport
– Also more opportunities for those who take a PhD route,
combining research / university teaching / sports consultancy
– Most Sports Psychologists develop careers this way
• Sports scientists earn between £20,000 and £40,000 a year (high
level posts can be £60,000 or more)
• Links to Job Profile and a Case Study (thanks to Loughborough
University)
Salary figures are intended as a guideline only
Sports Coaching & Development
• Relevant coaching qualifications/substantial experience essential
• A large proportion of coaching is carried out by volunteers!
• Many professional coaches are self-employed – need to promote
their services and find a range of opportunities
• Sports Development professionals are often administrators, largely
managing volunteers, bidding for pots of public funding etc.
• Some jobs are project-based - limited timescale/fixed term
contracts, so job security is not great
• Recently, public sector jobs have been heavily affected by
Government cuts
• Sports Development salaries range from £20,000-£35,000, more in
senior posts
• Coaching salaries range from £17,000 - £28,000; £30,000 - £40,000
for senior posts
* Salary figures are intended as a guideline only
Health & Fitness
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In the fitness industry, practical qualifications (e.g. Personal Trainer) are as, if not
more important than academic qualifications
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Often gain experience working in gyms then become self-employed
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Common to hold more than one part-time job
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Often work evenings/weekends
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A range of opportunities available in the Health Service
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Career paths available for those who want to go into management
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Full-time Personal Trainers can earn between £18,000 and £40,000
* Salary figures are intended as a guideline only
Sports (Physio)therapy
• Roles working in injury management and prevention,
diagnosing injuries, planning & providing treatment
• Chartered status required for physiotherapy, more general
sports therapy less regulated (at the moment). Typically
gained through studying for a MSc in Physiotherapy
• ‘People’ skills important, alongside technical knowledge
• Networks and contacts can be key in finding career
opportunities
• People often start off working part-time hours
• Physios in the NHS earn £20,000 - £27,000, though starting
salaries can be from £16,000. Specialists can be from £24,000
- £33,000
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Society of Sports Therapists - www.society-of-sports-therapists.org/home.htm
* Salary figures are intended as a guideline only
Sports management, administration &
marketing
• Few graduate entry positions, some internships (often unpaid)
• Need to be prepared to start at low level
• Competition is severe, even for low level posts
• Relevant experience / skills equally important to qualifications
• Often better to start in non-sport management / marketing to gain
training and experience then come in as an ‘experienced hire’
• Salaries are very low at entry point but can be over £80,000 for
experienced professionals in senior commercial posts
* Salary figures are intended as a guideline only
Career planning…
• Think about where you want to be in:
– 2 years?
– 5 years?
– 10 years?
• It’s not about making fixed decisions now, it’s
about being aware!
‘Action planning’
• Where am I now? Assess situation
• Where do I want to be? Set some goals
• How do I get there? What are your options? What
information do you need? Who can help you?
• What action should I take? And when and how?
• Think about what skills and experience you will need,
and what skills & experience you currently have!
Some useful resources…
• National Careers Service Profiles - Sport, Leisure and
Tourism
(https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planni
ng/jobfamily/Pages/sportleisureandtourism.aspx)
• BASES – “A Guide to Careers in Sport and Exercise Sciences”
(http://www.bases.org.uk/write/documents/BASES%20Car
eer%20Guide%20revised%20edition%20Jan%202010.pdf)
• Prospects – Types of Jobs, Leisure Sport and Tourism
(http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs_leisure.htm)
Websites…
www.bucs.org.uk:
www.careers-in-sport.co.uk
www.exercisecareers.com
www.jobswithballs.com
http://www.coachingnysport.co.uk/
http://www.northyorkshiresport.co.uk/
http://www.wysport.co.uk/
www.humbersport.com/
www.sysport.co.uk
www.tynewearsport.org/
http://www.jobs.ac.uk: Jobs within universities and
education, also further study opportunities.
http://www.leisurejobs.com/
http://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/
www.leisurevacancies.co.uk
Look for jobs and careers advice spanning the leisure, fitness
and wellbeing industry with our dedicated website and job
search. With partners including leading gym chains, spas and
hotels, we provide you with access to their latest vacancies
and positions
http://www.lgjobs.com/: Local government jobs.
http://www.sportsweb.com/: sport jobs
http://www.ucsport.net/: Jobs within universities and colleges
within sport.
http://www.bases.org.uk/: Advertises vacancies within
universities. Advertise studentships for further study.
http://www.ccpr.org.uk/aboutccpr/jobs/: Advertises sport
positions such as development coaches in Gymnastics.
http://www.efds.co.uk/jobs: Offers sports jobs in
development areas, eg. Sports development manager, Casual
Disability sports coach.
http://www.isrm.co.uk/jobs/jobs_flowsports2.php4: Institute
of Sport and Recreation Management. There is an email and
phone number contact for job enquiries.
http://www.ispal.org.uk/: Jobs hosted by Leisure opportunity
jobs.
http://www.skillsactive.com/resources/active-jobs: Sports
development jobs advertised.
http://www.sportni.net/: Sport jobs in Northern Ireland.
www.sportengland.org
Advertises jobs in sport
http://www.sportscoachuk.org/: Register for Sports Coaching
jobs.
http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/SiteNavigation/Jobs/: Jobs
in Sport in Scotland.
http://www.sports-council-wales.org.uk/jobs: Sport Jobs
listed in wales.
http://www.uksport.gov.uk/vacancies/: Jobs in sport listed,
development managers and coaches e.g. Fit4 life coordinator,
National Disability Coach. A very concise list of jobs posted in
councils and universities across the country.
http://www.wsff.org.uk/vacancies/: Jobs for women in sports
professions.
http://www.youthsporttrust.org/page/currentvacancy/index.html: Jobs at YouthSports Trust.
Finally…
• VISIT CAREERS!
– We are here to help, whether you have no idea
what you want to do, or know exactly what you
want.
• Do your research. Being informed is key…
• Don’t panic if you don’t know yet!
– Plenty of students don’t know what they want, or
don’t decide until nearer when they leave. Just
make sure you start thinking about it!