Sports graduates could find themselves involved in some pretty exciting opportunities post-university. Take Joe Taylor, for example, a Sports Marketing graduate from Leeds Metropolitan University.
Rugby fans will undoubtedly be fervently awaiting the Carnegie Challenge Cup final due to take place on Saturday – and any Sports graduates who plan to watch it should take note of the rugby ball and painted pitch, which were both designed by Joe.
This is the sixth and final year that Leeds Met University have sponsored Rugby League’s most prestigious competition, so it looks like Joe has managed to make his mark just in time. After graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in Sports Marketing and PR, he was approached to design the ball and the Wembley pitch painting in a bid to emphasise the connection between the Challenge Cup and the University’s Carnegie brand. Depending on the type of Sports degree you did, there is a plethora of options to choose from.
If you are looking to go into health and fitness, you could: coach at a local sports centre, perfect if you are particularly skilled at one or more sports and want to help others reach their potential; or become a personal trainer, a rewarding career path which permits you to see the results of your efforts. You could even end up managing the club where you work!
If you enjoy the scientific side to sport, you could consider: exercise physiology, which concerns the mental processes, behaviour and wellbeing of individuals; lifestyle consultancy and nutrition; sports therapy, which involves giving advice to athletes on how to train and compete safely as well as treating injuries.
If you are more of an ‘outdoorsy’ then type you may prefer to work in the outdoor pursuits sector, promoting sports as a recreational activity – or somewhere like Center Parcs, working in adventure tourism where you might find yourself abseiling, climbing and cycling on a daily basis.
Other exciting career paths include: sports media, such as writing, PR and marketing; sporting events organiser; health promotion specialist or sports development officer. Many of these would allow you to work with the community, so if you consider yourself to be a ‘people person’ they may be worth bearing in mind.
Sports graduate jobs may not be as difficult to find as you think, so keep an open mind and cast your net far and wide.