If you were reasonably academic at school, the mainstream direction of travel leads only one way… UCAS applications and university. My route was no different as I completed my GCSEs at school, A Levels at college, then progressed onto university, where I completed a Sport and Exercise Science degree. This seemed to be the standard careers advice for anyone who was interested in sport at the time, and having a degree seemed essential to boost your career prospects.
University: Character Building and the Cold Reality
I loved my time at university! While I learned many transferable skills and successfully completed my degree, I also matured as an individual, enjoying the independent living and many social nights. Plenty of character building! 3 years later and I had completed university and achieved my degree; however, I was left unemployed and looking for an opportunity to start my career in the sport sector.
This proved challenging as my degree did not directly qualify me for a particular job role, and opportunities in sport and exercise science were limited and often required further qualifications and experience before being eligible for a paid role. I cast my net and applied for a variety of roles and landed an entry-level administration position here at Sport Structures, and this is where my management and leadership journey begins.
Embracing the Apprenticeship: Overcoming the Stereotype
Fast forward 5 years… I am employed as the Apprenticeship Programme Manager, and I oversee the day-to-day operations of our apprenticeship department. This is perhaps the role I envisioned as a graduate coming out of university, but it has taken some work to get here!
I worked in my administration role for a few years, which provided me with a base knowledge of the company’s products and services, but I was keen to push on. Luckily, I was provided the opportunity to complete my Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship. Working for an apprenticeship training provider does have its perks! Before working at Sport Structures, I would never have considered an apprenticeship. I had never been signposted to an apprenticeship before, and the stereotype of apprentice tradies on site did not fill me with confidence (sorry tradies!). It also felt like a backwards step completing a level 3 qualification as a graduate, but I soon realised that I did not know as much about management and leadership as I thought!
From Competence to Confidence: Proving My Leadership
During the apprenticeship, I was exposed to new experiences and more responsibility, which empowered me as a manager. I embedded theory into practice, which gave me confidence that I could lead projects and manage resources in a way that was best for the team. This experience was very validating. I not only proved to myself but also proved to my colleagues that I was a capable leader and someone they could trust with additional responsibility.
Shortly after completing my apprenticeship, I had the opportunity to progress into the Apprenticeship Programme Manager role, which I currently fulfil. Being a manager comes with its challenges, but I am well-equipped to manage everything that is thrown my way thanks to my previous knowledge and experience. I have since enrolled on the Level 5 Operations Manager apprenticeship to continue my development and improve my effectiveness in my role. As a manager, I am not only responsible for myself, but I am also responsible for the staff I manage, too, and I am conscious of the positive (or negative!) impact I can have on the people around me. I enjoy bringing the best out of others, and I can only do this by being competent myself. For me, confidence comes from competence, and I know if I continue to develop myself, I will always to right by my team!
