Sport : Entry and progression

How do I find a job?

Check the following resources for vacancies:

• professional bodies, such as The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES)
• English Institute of Sport  and UK Sport  
• Leisure Opportunities  
• national newspapers
• Local Government Jobs  
• Jobs.ac.uk  

The majority of positions within the sector are non-graduate. Graduate schemes are not very common but do exist with some of the larger national and multinational chains. They are usually in sales, duty management, IT, finance and marketing. 

Jobs are advertised in terms of business need, so tend to be all year round. 

Your university may have details of alumni working in this sector - try to use these contacts for inside information on future job vacancies.

Target your applications to the position you are applying for, providing evidence of the skills and qualities the employer seeks.

Find out more about job application advice.

What skills do I need?

Essential skills include:

• customer service;
• communication;
• teamwork.

Academic qualifications are not usually required for the majority of positions and responsibility usually increases with experience.  A degree is essential, however, for the small number of graduate schemes and for teaching, lecturing and sport science-related vacancies.  Increasingly, local councils are asking for degree level qualifications for work in sports development. 

Where can I find work experience?

Structured schemes are rare, although there are a large number of voluntary, part-time and seasonal opportunities that exist with local authority health and sport centres. Contact your university sports centre as a starting point.  Coaching qualifications may be very helpful in gaining work experience in sports and fitness. Consider joining a vacation summer school camp to gain experience if you have sport coaching qualifications. 

If you can demonstrate good customer service skills, the majority of gaming, betting and theme parks will offer entry-level positions, such as croupier, and will train you on the job.

Contact employers direct with a CV demonstrating good customer service skills.  Niche areas such as sport science and sport psychology require a proactive approach as vacancies are unlikely to be advertised.

Is postgraduate study useful?

Most positions do not require postgraduate study. A Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Management (Chartered Management Institute (CMI) ) can be useful for trainee manager roles, although many employers tend to fund employees to do this. Specialised roles such as biomechanist and sport performance analyst require an MSc in a relevant subject.

Further study tends to be supported once you are employed in the sector. Details of Sport UK courses can be found on the BASES website. It is usual within local authority sport and health clubs to study for the Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (IMSPA)  certificates and diplomas. Accreditation from professional bodies is more common with staff in senior positions. MBA study may be useful for senior manager positions.

How can my career develop?

In most areas, there is no set path for career development.

• Being flexible about location will improve your chances, as it is common to move jobs to take a higher level position.
• Popular areas for career development include sport development and administration.
• Those working in local authorities and governing sporting bodies may progress to regional or national sport development managers.
• For those in administration, progression from leisure client officer to assistant director of leisure at a local authority is possible.
• Sport science graduates could progress to consultant level with additional experience and qualifications.
• Manager and area manager positions are possible throughout the sector, usually based on performance.