Education & Experience
Educated
to degree or equivalent
Yes,
I have a degree in Exercise Science
Does
your job require vocational qualifications
In
order to work as Fitness Instructor or Exercise to Music Instructor
vocational qualifications are needed.
Number
of recognised vocational training courses you have achieved
I have a Level 2 Gym Instructor
Qualification, along with Level 2 Exercise to Music, Spinning and a
few others.
Previous
roles that gave you the experience you needed for your current job
include
I
completed some work experience for my local Borough Council Sport
Development department while at University which really helped me to
understand the industry as well as giving me the opportunity to talk
to people already working in the sector.
Also:
Education
Development Officer, PRO-ACTIVE London
Adherence
and Monitoring Officer, Bromley MyTime
Fitness
Instructor, Esporta
How
many years relevant work experiences have you had before your current
job
I have been in my
current role for 2 years. Previous to this I have 3 years work
experience.
The Job
Employer
Academy of Sport,
London South Bank University
Describe
your typical working day
Thankfully,
no two days are really the same. Certain administration tasks I do
include organising departmental management meetings, dealing with
email and telephone queries, updating the website and managing my
budget. I also manage recruitment events where students between
school years 9 and 12 come in to experience studying sport at
university. I manage the Elite Scheme, where we recruit sports
persons who want to continue in or start in higher education, by
supporting them and helping them to balance their sporting and
educational commitments. The Academy Director and I, sit on the BUCS
(British University and College Sport) London Region where we work
with other higher education establishments in London, and nationally
to developing the sporting offer for students.
The
Academy of Sport manages the Gym here at the University which enables
me to keep up my Fitness Qualifications. I often teach classes such
as Aerobics, spinning, step and Nike Training Club.
On
top of all this, I manage a pan-London women’s football project
which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund. This is a 3 year project, of
which we have just begun the 2nd
year. The overall aim of the project is to get women aged over 25
involved in the sport, at the same time equipping them with the
knowledge to improve their health as well as giving them the
opportunity to gain coaching and official’s qualifications.
Why
you love what you do
I
enjoy keeping physically active, and I enjoy sharing my knowledge
with others, and empowering them to make positive changes in their
lives using sport and exercise as a means of doing so.
Also,
I get to work with people and meet people who share my passion, and
there is often a lot to be learnt from the experiences of others.
There
are also so many opportunities for creativity! If you have an idea,
and you can put it on paper, there will be a fund out there somewhere
to help you put in into action!
What are the key factors to doing it well
Being able to communicate with different audiences is one key factor
to doing my job well. One day, I may be presenting to the Board, and
the next I may need to speak to a student. Communication is vital in
anything you do.
Words
of wisdom, what have you been told or learnt that will help others
aspiring to your job and any top tips
Network,
network, network! The world of sport is a very small place. If
someone sees your name on a job application and they have had a good
experience of meeting you, that can only go in your favour.
For
those that want a job like yours, are there any points
that
should be seriously considered before embarking to achieve this goal
Experience
is key! Experience isn’t just about having a job; there are lots of
opportunities for volunteering which enable you to learn new skills!
Even being on a football team gives you experience of team work for
example, with most skills being transferable. If you are the social
secretary and organize the team budget, that is budgetary experience.
The Person
How
did you decide to follow this career path, what attracted you
I
didn’t know what I wanted to do until my final year of university
when I learnt that sport development units existed in most London
boroughs. At the time, I was more interested in Exercise and Health
before I learnt the breadth of the industry. I enjoyed sport in
primary school; however, my experience in secondary school was not a
pleasant one. This made me want to work with other people who want to
get into sport / exercise but may not feel comfortable or confident
doing so.
What
character traits do you have that suit you to this job
I’d
like to think I am friendly which helps to put people at ease
especially when teaching classes. I enjoy working alone as much as I
do in a team and I love to learn new things which means I am always
eager to seek out new opportunities.
Your top
professional feel good moments
Being chosen
for the 1st
Leadership Succession group at LSBU, which has assisted my
progression into management.
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