AnalyiSport Guide – Where can I find jobs in football?

AnalyiSport Guide – Where can I find jobs in football?

The digital transformation of the football industry has not only changed the way the sport is played, but has also revolutionised the way entire football clubs operate.

Investment within the sport continues to grow as clubs seek to benefit from new commercial partnerships. Non-match day revenue streams are becoming increasingly profitable as club premises are used to host concerts and exhibition NFL matches, among other events. 

Post-covid revenue growth has been evident across both Men’s and Women’s football. The improved financial performance has led to the creation of new employment opportunities across all business areas in the industry.

Whilst football-based career opportunities have traditionally been restricted to pitch-side roles, this is no longer the case. As well as pitch-side, clubs are now actively hiring for operational, marketing and sales positions, to name just a few.

Given that many of these roles don’t directly influence the club’s on-field performance, previous experience in football isn’t always necessary. Sometimes clubs even prefer to hire candidates from non-sporting backgrounds. Aston Villa has recently shared in their adverts for data based roles that a background in football isn’t a main requirement. 

Careers in football are highly sought after and the marketplace is competitive. But for dedicated individuals who are willing to build their profile, research jobs and apply for suitable roles, securing a football job is eminently achievable.

It is important to be strategic when planning a career move. This means thinking about how and where to create opportunities for yourself in order to achieve your goals. When it comes to careers in the football industry, the first stage of planning is identifying where job openings can be found.

Which platforms advertise football roles?

There are numerous online platforms on which football roles are advertised. The non-exhaustive list below will go over some examples.

Indeed

Football clubs frequently use Indeed to advertise jobs in anything from analysis and coaching to operational roles, marketing and sales.

Opportunities can be found across all tiers of football, ranging from the Premier League to non-league clubs.

Indeed’s search function makes finding job posts very simple for the user. All you have to do is enter the name of any football club into the search bar and browse the results.

If there aren’t any jobs being advertised by a specific club, the platform will use its algorithm to show you other jobs related to your search, which will sometimes allow you to find openings at different football clubs or organisations.

LinkedIn

Professional social media platform LinkedIn is another powerful tool for job hunting. The built-in job search function allows the user to find jobs in very specific areas thanks to the advanced search filters.

Once you find the right combination of filters, you can subscribe to receive job alerts when new jobs of that nature are advertised.

LinkedIn is now used by many sporting organisations and football clubs for hiring purposes. Jobs are posted by club staff on their personal accounts as well as the club’s official page, and you don’t need to have a LinkedIn account to view these opportunities.

Searching using #keywords can help when looking for these job adverts. If you do have an account, though, you can follow key members of staff to keep up to date with every job opening they’re advertising.

Club staff will often share links to internal roles and positions posted on the club website so following or connecting to people in the jobs roles you are interested in is a good idea. You might also consider following HR Leaders at specific clubs or orgnaisations. 

Club websites

Football clubs often advertise independently.. Clubs’ official websites usually have a ‘careers’ section where a range of vacant positions are posted.

Whilst this jobhunting method lacks the convenience of a single job search platform, it often offers the most up-to-date job listings since new openings will likely be advertised on club websites before anywhere else.

Clubs like Liverpool have their own job portal where you can search for all of the recent vacancies. You can register your details and track your applications. Chelsea, Brighton and Manchester United also have their own career portals. It is now the norm that Premier League clubs have their own job portals where you can apply direct.

Football Association (FA) websites

People targeting a career in football can also use Football Association (FA) websites to plan their next move.

The English FA has a dedicated careers portal through their website at https://careers.thefa.com/jobs/. 

This search tool can be used to find jobs within the FA in both men’s and women’s football, national teams and grassroots football.

Given the range of positions on offer, you might not find what you’re interested in the first time you use the tool. But it’s important to develop a habit of regularly checking for new openings in order to be among the first applicants when you find a role that suits you.

Sports Recruitment Agencies

For individuals struggling to secure a job by themselves, sports recruitment agencies can offer assistance. Some of these agencies specialise in football and have developed partnerships with specific clubs, organisations or governing bodies within the industry.

www.globalsportsjobs.com have connections with footballing bodies and clubs around the world, whilst https://www.uksport.gov.uk/, managed by the British government, link applicants with football clubs in the UK specifically.

Football Job Platforms

Jobs in Football is one of the largest football platforms with clubs and companies posting jobs to the platform daily. You can set up your own profile and apply direct.

Jobs4football is another football platform, with jobs opportunities around the world. You will need to register to view the opportunities. 

Freelance Football Opportunities is a weekly paid newsletter with details of freelance opportunities. 

What is the best way to contact organisations directly?

If you find that there’s too much competition for job adverts posted online, or you simply want to speed up the job hunting process, you can always get in contact with football organisations yourself.

Proactively approaching individuals in the industry can serve to create opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available. 

LinkedIn is a great platform for finding people to contact, since football clubs and associations tend to list their employees on their profile.

When using LinkedIn, it is essential that your profile and CV represent you faithfully and look professional. An unprofessional-looking profile could discourage potential employers from contacting you.

A simple browse of clubs’ LinkedIn pages should provide you with the basic contact details for various professionals within the organisation.

Don’t be entirely put off if you can’t find the contact details you’re looking for, though. It’s usually possible to get in contact with the right person if you’re persistent.

Many clubs use a template for internal employee emails, such as [email protected]. You can try different template combinations until you find one that works. If you can identify the template, you should be able to contact anyone who works at that club as long as you know their name. Be conscious of sending multiple emails to the club, this isn’t a great idea.

Alternatively, it can be useful to request the contact details of a specific person from someone they work with and with whom you’re already in contact. 

Not everyone will have time to assist you, though, and you may have to send several emails before someone gets back to you. It is also worth bearing in mind that, in order to increase your chances of being noticed, you can reach out to employees in clubs’ women’s and youth teams, as well as the men’s first team.

When it comes to forging your own professional opportunities, patience is key. It’s important not to be disheartened if opportunities are hard to come by.