Careers for Sports Therapy Students
The Society of Sports Therapists: www.society-of-sports-therapists.org
Work experience, networking and creative job hunting
Work experience is hugely important for access to all sorts of occupations. If you want to make a career in sports therapy then it is absolutely crucial. As well as giving valuable ‘hands on’ experience it is an opportunity to make contacts within the industry you are targeting – and your future work opportunities may rely heavily on this. There are opportunities to find work experience outside of those provided on your course.
The techniques and tips on the Creative Job Hunting page can be applied to any sector and for opportunities after graduating or for work experience.
If it is not possible to find relevant paid employment then volunteering is also a valuable option. Local sports clubs, private clinics, local authority facilities and private health and fitness clubs may be good places to target for both. As well as the 'hands on' sports therapy work it could be beneficial to gain experience in the running of organisations providing sports therapy services.
Some resources that may be useful:
Chichester District Council has produced a directory of local sports clubs: www.chichester.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4392
The Sussex County Sport Partnership also has a contacts section listed by sports: www.sussexsport.org
Search facility from The Fit Map for health clubs: www.thefitmap.co.uk/healthclubs/towns/index.htm (if the town / city you're looking for isn't listed in the menu, scroll down to use the search box)
Yell.com to search for sports therapists or health / fitness clubs: www.yell.com
www.careers-in-sport.co.uk - Careers in Sport guide provides an in-depth analysis of the different career options available in the world of sport.
Self-employment
Working as a sports therapist may involve being self employed. Links to useful organisations and sources of information are on the Self Employment page.
Combining with another occupation - portfolio careers
It may be necessary, especially at the start of your career, to combine sports therapy with other work. The section on portfolio working in the flexible working area from Prospects may be a useful overview of approaching work in this way: www.prospects.ac.uk/links/flexiblework
Related occupations include coaching, fitness industry / personal training, health promotion and sports development. Information on these areas and others is on the page for sports students.
General
The pages for sports students and adventure education students may also be of interest to sports therapists.
Further study
If you are thinking about further study there are several key areas to research. These include assessing the value of further study for your future plans, finding and applying to the most appropriate courses and funding your study. More information and course search facilities are available from the Postgraduate and Further Study page.
It can be necessary to be quite persistent in your course search as there is not a central admissions service for postgrad courses (except for some vocational subjects). UCAS's search facility can be particularly useful in identifying universities that have relevant departments and then the universities themselves are then the best source of information www.ucas.ac.uk.
Physiotherapy
- Chartered Society of Physiotherapists www.csp.org.uk
- A list of pre-registration accelerated courses in physiotherapy for graduates from related subjects (usually two years) is available at: www.csp.org.uk/director/careersandlearning/
ukqualifyingprogrammes.cfm. Make sure to check the closing dates for applications to these courses. - NHS Physio Assistant roles are advertised at www.jobs.nhs.uk.
- Job descriptions for Physio and Physio Assistants are available from: www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=292
Any Degree...Any Career and Skills
It is worth bearing in mind that approximately 50% of 'graduate jobs' are open to graduates from any subjects. More information is available from the Any Degree...Any Career? page.
The ability to articulate your skills to employers or colleagues is in itself hugely important in securing future opportunities, and particularly so if you are aiming for something not directly related to your subject. Some examples of skills are listed below. Your personal skill set may include some or all of these as well as others. Tools and tips for personal reflection are available from the PDP pages and the Decision Making page.
General skills may include:
- Personal management – self motivation, time management, problem solving skills, self reflection, ability to study independently, set goals, manage workload and deadlines.
- Communication – written and verbal (including presentation) as well as listening
- Team working, interpersonal and social skills – ability to negotiate and pursue goals in a team, respond to leadership and take the lead where appropriate
- Confidence – in expressing ideas and engaging with others.
- Considered thought: ability to challenge existing assumptions
- Information – research, analysis, reasoning, logic, critical thinking. Ability to use and assess a variety of sources.
- Business skills
Subject skills and knowledge may include:
- Diagnosis and treatment of injuries and prevention of injuries
- Theoretical and professional reasoning behind health interventions
- Awareness of health issues including cultural diversity in health and the multiple determinants of health
- The relationship between health and exercise
- Moral, ethical and social issues including those surrounding professional codes of conduct
Other options
Have a look at our sections: Which Career?, How do I get a Job?, Work Experience, Postgrad and Further Study, Work and Study Abroad / Time Out and Special Interest Groups for resources aimed at all students regardless of course. Subjects covered include CVs, applications, interviews, decision making, career planning through your course, work experience, postgrad and further study, gap year / time out, diversity, international students and ethical careers.
Generally we encourage you to start thinking about what you want to do after university as early as possible in the course (don't worry - we know it doesn't always work like that!). For some tips on this see the Career Planning Through Your Course page.