Sports coach/instructor : Employers and vacancy sources

Different types of employer offer different kinds of coaching opportunities. The range of employers includes:

• charitable sports trusts and local authorities, for community programmes;
• schools;
• colleges and universities;
• sports councils;
• sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs) - see the Sports Coach UK  website ‘links’ section for a list;
• private sports clubs;
• hotels;
• fitness centres;
• leisure facilities.

Coaches may also work one to one with professional sportspeople on a self-employed basis and will need good results to retain clients and maintain job security.

Holiday camps and organisations such as PGL  recruit coaches to deliver a variety of activities, mainly in school holidays. You can also arrange to work abroad as a sports coach over the summer, particularly in the USA, through organisations such as BUNAC .

Some coaches find work within community schemes such as Football in the Community , in which coaches employed by professional football clubs train others to become involved in fund-raising events and sporting activities in primary schools. Coaching opportunities for women are growing in football, disability sport and activities to cover teacher non-contact time in schools, including out-of-school clubs developed as part of the government's extended schools programme.

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Leisure Jobs
• Jobs With Balls
• Leisure Opportunities
• Leisure Vacancies
• Local Government Jobs
• Sport England , Sport Northern Ireland , Sport Scotland  and Sports Council Wales  (for vacancies with these bodies and other sporting organisations).
• Local authority recruitment bulletins.
• Local and national press.

SkillsActive - The Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure, Learning and Well-being  provides information on where to look for jobs with details of magazines, newspapers and recruitment agencies. See also the Sports Coach UK  and UK Sport  websites for lists of links to sporting bodies.

Whilst word of mouth is a key source of work for self-employed coaches, they may also advertise through their own websites or through directory-style websites such as Find Me A Coach . In some cases, for example in professional football, jobs may not be advertised, but suitable candidates will be approached directly. In many areas of coaching and instruction you need to be proactive in seeking opportunities, and networks must be maintained, perhaps through voluntary work, even during periods of unemployment.

Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.