Dom S.
About me
| Dom S. | |
| Politics, Economics and Philosophy | |
| Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE) | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Derwent | |
| 2022 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Football Reporter | |
| The Evening Standard | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Journalism and publishing | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2023 |
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A day in the life of a Football Reporter in the United Kingdom
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for The Evening Standard, the largest newspaper in London and the one everyone reads on the London Underground!
What do you do?
I'm a Football Reporter, which means I write match reports live from football games, I interview players and managers, I speak to agents and other sources to get stories, and I write other football-related news and feature pieces.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
When I was 12, I realised I could combine my love of football and of the written word into a single dream career. From then onwards, I just did everything I could to try and make it happen.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
Not really. I knew it would be fun, fast-paced and very competitive. It is indeed all of those things.
Describe your most memorable day at work
Transfer deadline day 2023. Right from 7am in the morning until 3pm, I was following up transfer stories about footballers moving clubs. Then I jumped on a train and travelled to Luton to cover Luton Town's match against West Ham. That finished at 11:30pm, and throughout the game I had one eye on the pitch and another on my phone as I kept up-to-date with the latest transfer stories as the transfer deadline fast approached. A tiring day, but full of healthy adrenaline.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
You have to make sure every sentence is worded correctly, otherwise fans from big football clubs can take what you've said out of context and turn the story into something it wasn't supposed to be. You also have to have good time management skills, ensuring you're at all the matches and press conferences you're supposed to be at the right time. It's also important that you write quickly but proficiently. Match reports cannot be sent in late!
What’s your work environment and culture like?
Most football reporters work from home and then travel to events. Meanwhile, the editors and sub-editors who set up the paper work from the office. We all have a healthy relationship and communicate so that the paper looks as good as it can.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I played college football, which offered a helpful release from other priorities. I was also Sport Editor for the university newspaper, Nouse, for all three years I spent at York — allowing me to get a real feel for what producing a newspaper is like in a day-to-day sense. Finally, I was the Speakers' Officer for the Club of PEP (the society for PPE students). This helped me gain confidence in emailing or phoning famous people in order to get them to speak to students. I would then host the events, meaning my public speaking improved too.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I have no intention on leaving my current role at present. Grow in confidence, become more experienced, improve as a writer, and break more stories!
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
If there is something you want to do or like the idea of trying out, I would urge students today to get on with it and have a go. There are a lot of people with passions. There are much fewer who have done something about it and set themselves apart from the rest of the field. Be the latter. Prove how enthusiastic you really are about pursuing a certain career path.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Anything, within reason...
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
I'm happy to mentor any students considering a career in journalism — or, indeed, in sport.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Dom’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Dom a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Dom to be your mentor.