Some things I’ve learned as a recent graduate in S&C

Before I get into this, I’d like to preface it with the fact that I am by no means in a position to be preaching on how to succeed as an S&C; these are just some things that have worked for me (n=1), and some realities I’ve faced as a recent graduate in the S&C/Sport performance world.

With the number of college courses available in sports science around Ireland, you’d think there’d be endless jobs, but the path isn’t that clear. However, thanks to great people involved in the industry & network, it’s getting clearer every year.

I started my undergrad banking on the notion that jobs were in abundance, but I figured out swiftly along the way, this was far from true. After looking at various job specifications, I naively assumed that getting the masters would be a job pretty much sorted for me. Little did I know that this was just the minimum requirement, which led me to try other ways to make my passion my job. Below are some harsh realities that I wish I knew and some ways I’ve used to start to make it work.

I feel obliged to say here that before you commit long term, make sure you love it. I’ve seen many people who think they love it just fall away because it’s not happening for them fast enough. It can be a challenge when your peers are in well-paying, secure jobs, while you may be in a part-time job to make ends meet and volunteering with local teams to get something on the CV. For me, there were times when friends could do things that I just didn’t have time or funds to do, and that doesn’t feel great. This is one concession that I had to make, and it did make me question - was it worth it, so just make sure it is. 

Maybe this can only be figured out along the way but keep in mind that S&C is not like most other jobs. So, here’s a couple of things that helped me in the last two years as a recent graduate in S&C.

Do your research. One thing that helped me here was talking to people in the jobs you want to get. Ask questions, send lots of messages, emails, visit places, try spending a few days shadowing a coach and immerse yourself in various settings and try to get a feel for it; this comes down to what you want, so it’s very individual. 

First things first - Coach. As much as possible. It’s said a lot, but for a good reason. Get experience with all age groups, various sports, different environments. We know if you want to be good at something, you must do it, and the same applies to coaching. There’s no substitute for it. So reflect and assess your practice and think about how you’re developing into the coach you want to be.

Network. ‘’It’s all about who you know’’ is cliché but very true. Meet people for coffee, do favours for people, attend webinars and seminars, all the obvious stuff. I’ve personally found the Irish S&C network and other platforms to be great. All coaches are so helpful on there and you’d be surprised how much you’ll get from a chat. 

Be agile. S&C is such a reasonably new ‘’industry’’ and is still in constant flux. Don’t be too rigid in your plan, as things may change. Try new things and find your way. For me, it’s been a process of taking a step, reassess, move laterally, take another.

Social media can be a tool if used correctly. I say this with caution as I think social media can be negative too. Engage with people you want to learn from. Twitter is good for staying on top of the news and seeing what all the cool kids are doing. The odd bit of self-promotion helps; just know that word of mouth will always win out. 

Again, I can only speak for myself, but from this process of figuring out how to make S&C a job, I was left with a crystallised love for it. I’m not anywhere near where I want to be, but I’m a couple of steps closer, and the above things helped me get going. I hope to look back on this in a couple of years and add/change a few things, but hopefully, this can be useful to someone starting. 

Dave O’Neill BSc., MSc.

Founder of Elevate Performance and Strength & Conditioning Coach

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