How to make it in the sport and exercise industry

UTS Careers today hosted an installment of The Job Truth Series, with leaders in the sport and exercise industry as panellists.

The special guests included:

• Dr Andrew Walshe: Director of High Performance for Red Bull (Los Angeles)
• Matthew Jeffriess: Strength and Conditioning Coach and Rehabilitation Coordinator for the NRL Referees (Sydney)
• Michael Rennie: Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Sydney Swans

Matthew and Michael are also UTS:Sport and Exercise PhD candidates, working with our UTS Health academics Professor Aaron Coutts and Dr Job Fransen.

So what’s their advice to aspiring sport and exercise science and management students?

• Get lots of practical experience across as many domains as possible
  Don’t expect a 9am-5pm job
• Look for an alternate income stream to ensure you earn on the side, because it can take a while to make it
• BUT, it’s a booming global industry, so keep an eye out for international opportunities (sometimes they pay double!)
• Look at different sectors within the industry, such as health innovation, data analytics and health science
•  The sport industry in Australia is very competitive, so doing further study after your undergrad course such a Honours or PHD can really help
• Diversify your interpersonal and communication skills – things like travelling and being in social situations can really help you work with others
• Drive and improve any artistic skills (if you have them!)
• Throw yourself out there, especially UTS:Health students, who are based at the UTS Moore Park precinct and are surrounded by elite athletes!
• Ask your lecturers about volunteering to help UTS PHD research students, as this will open up opportunities
• Explore psychology and mindfulness training, because the industry is beginning to really focus on this
• Gain some skills in Excel 
• Get a good understanding of the companies you would like to work for
• Once you know the company, find the gaps in the skills they need and then do whatever you need to do to get those skills

Most of all – get involved, diversify your skills (Excel!) and once you land a job hold onto it, because there’s a long line of people behind you.

Find out more about sport and exercise at UTS