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Can you describe your current role and how you got there after graduating?

⁠I currently work as the Lead Academy Coach within the Futsal department of the Bloomsbury Football Foundation, a charitable organisation working around Greater London which promotes the physical, mental and social benefits of sport and football, particularly to young people. After graduating, I took the opportunity to go out to America and work full-time as a football coach for the Liverpool FC International Academy in Southern California. This was a great opportunity for me to experience life and work within a new culture and build upon my independence. Following this, I returned to the UK and took up a Masters in Leadership in Sport at the University of South Wales, as part of which we were encouraged to pursue real world professional development so I began a job search looking for an opportunity to further develop my leadership skills, within a sector that I enjoyed and was passionate about, working under a mentor and within a team that I felt I could learn a lot from, which is what led me to the Bloomsbury Football Foundation.

How did your degree contribute to your career development? 

Studying Sports Science and French as a Joint Honours at Bangor, I developed a good understanding of the theory and professional elements of sport, and particularly development, whilst learning more about different cultures and gaining a variety of experiences through the French side of my course.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your career, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge I have faced so far in my career was deciding whether to continue in or step away from my first full-time role following graduation. It can be difficult to leave something that you feel you’ve worked so hard for and made a difference, back into the uncertainty of not knowing the next step. However, continuing the hard work and consistently adding to your experiences can often lead you to a new and perhaps better pathway.

Are there any specific skills from your course that you use regularly in your job?

⁠There are many skills from my course that I use regularly in my job, such as information regarding skill acquisition whilst coaching players, periodisation and planning to guide progress over specific time periods, and communication skills, whether with peers or managers at work, players, or other stakeholders.

How important has networking been in your career progression?

⁠Networking is something that I’m still trying to actively develop, and whilst it hasn’t had a significant impact on my career progression so far, I have seen how much of a difference it can make to others.

What advice would you give to recent graduates entering the job market?

Be patient in looking for something that is the right fit for you, but continuously take opportunities to continue to develop yourself, whether through further education, courses, volunteering, or jobs that you can learn from to relate to your desired field.

Are there any professional qualifications or certifications you'd recommend pursuing?

⁠I would recommend pursuing as many qualifications as you can, I have found lots of free or relatively cheap qualifications that you can register to do to help your development. Of course, there will be obvious and often more expensive, required qualifications within your career progression journey, but qualifications that are related but not necessarily essential can help put you ahead. For example, whilst pursuing my further football coaching badges, I did some Futsal coaching badges, and this led me into my current role.

Where do you see the biggest career opportunities in the field of sport and exercise right now?

The world of Sport and Exercise is constantly changing and developing so the biggest career opportunities are hard to predict, I try to pursue things that I actively enjoy and see the benefit of, to build my own unique strengths and skillsets to the highest level possible and take the career opportunities that arise as a result of this.

What would you tell someone considering a degree at 91��Ʒ���ϳԹ�?

I would say Bangor is an amazing university to balance Sport, Education, and socialising whilst getting the most out of all three. The variety on offer allows for a huge range of possibilities without leaving you overwhelmed, and I was able to have some amazing experiences as a result of my time at Bangor, both from things that I expected and pursued and from opportunities that I would never have predicted before starting at Bangor.