Andreas Sergides' Graduate Story
What did you study at Manchester Met and why?
After finishing my undergraduate degree in Sport & Exercise Science at Manchester Met, I decided to stay at the university for my postgraduate studies and chose the Strength and Conditioning course. It was a relatively easy decision as I had already started gaining experience in Strength and conditioning during my undergrad and knew that this was the career path I wanted to follow. The connections I made in the Sports Science department made me choose Manchester Met over other universities. The lecturers and tutors inspired my next steps in the industry and provided support, whether that was to improve my academic knowledge and understanding, or my coaching skills.
Did you enjoy your time at Manchester Met? What was your favourite part of your experience?
I wouldn’t change a single thing over the last four years. My favourite part was my involvement with Manchester Met Sport and the Men’s Rugby Union club as a strength and conditioning coach, where I gained my first coaching experience. I’ve met some incredible people, including coaches, staff and players. I’ve made friends for life and learnt so much about coaching and creating relationships with people – it has made me a better person.
What journey did you take whilst looking for a job once finishing University?
I followed the advice from my tutors and lecturers and started looking for an internship early in my studies. My sector is very competitive and most graduate jobs require one if not two years of coaching experience, so I knew I had to secure a job or internship before I finished my studies.
During the second year of my undergraduate degree, I secured an internship in the future coach programme at Manchester Met Sport. I started working with various sports teams at our university. I worked my way up from an intern to a part-time paid role, having showcased my commitment and excitement about developing our sports team. During my third year, I also had the opportunity to start providing sports science and strength and conditioning support to Manchester City FC Academy. This was great for my development as a coach, and further enhanced my CV. I enhanced my coaching skills during my studies by securing a summer job as a personal trainer at a private gym. It might sound like a lot…It was! A career in strength and conditioning is not easy, but it’s my passion and something I’d want to keep being part of in the future.
What is it like working in your field?
Challenging! Physically and mentally. Long hours, early starts, lots of travelling, lots of rain, not particularly well paid compared to other fields of work. However, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching the athletes and teams you work with improve and achieve their goals.
What does your day-to-day life look like at work?
Working two part-time jobs means that I have to be at different places every day. I tailor my coaching delivery and content to match the demands of the sport, ability level and age of the athletes I’m coaching on a given day. However, I work in multi-disciplinary sport environments, which means I am constantly in contact with sports coaches, physios, nutritionists and sports psychologists, to try and learn from them and provide the best support I can to the athletes I work with. Socialising is also a massive aspect, as I speak to about 50 different people every day, including players and staff. Everyone has something interesting to say about what’s going on in their lives, which I think is great.
What skills or experience did you learn at Manchester Met that are key to your work life?
My undergrad gave me a strong understanding of physiology, biomechanics and psychology, and my master’s helped me delve deeper into the training modalities used in high-performance sports. However, the most important thing for me was taking the advice of the Sports Science department’s staff, to set up my career earlier on.
What advice would you give students looking to get into your field of work?
Don’t wait until you finish your studies to look for internships or job opportunities. There are opportunities at university to help you kick-start your career, enhance your understanding of training modalities and improve your coaching skills. Local clubs or gyms are a great place to start. Email people, ask questions, ask for shadowing opportunities, and ask established coaches if you can spend a day with them at work. Do everything you can to get your foot in the door.
Do you think you could have done anything differently during your course which could have better prepared you for working life after graduation?
I think a mistake that I made was taking on too much work at times, which meant that I had to put my academic development on the back burner. Looking back I should’ve probably taken less shifts at work to focus on my academics, especially during assessment periods. You have to find the right balance between gaining work experience but also try to excel academically.
If you could give one piece of advice for those starting their career journey, what would you say?
In our field, nothing will be handed to you for free. You need to provide value, you need to show people how you will make them better, you need to earn the respect of players and staff. Put your head down, follow the advice of established people in the field, be curious, ask questions, constantly find ways to improve yourself and be patient.
