Vicky Yarnold

Tell us about your job

I work as a full-time football coach in the International Department at Villarreal CF in Spain. I coach within the Player Development Program (PDP) where international youth players come from around the world to spend the season playing at the club. My role is to support these players within this program which involves carrying out training sessions and video analysis sessions with them.

Do you feel that your degree was relevant to your current role?

My degree was highly relevant to my current role. My dream job was to work as a football coach in Spain and therefore the combination of studying Sport & Exercise Sciences along with Spanish allowed me to develop my knowledge and understanding in both of these disciplines. Within the Spanish course I was able to improve not only my ability in the language but also to learn about various aspects of the country and culture, all of which have been key in preparation for my move to Spain.

Did you do a work placement? If so, how did this help your career planning?

During the third year of my studies at the University of Chester I was required to complete a year abroad as part of the Spanish course, and this was the perfect opportunity for me to gain experience within my desired career, which was to coach football in Spain. I found an internship at Villarreal CF for the year where I worked as a coach with a team in the youth academy, and I also completed tasks for the International Department such as writing and translating articles and producing content for social media. The experience I gained from my internship was crucial towards helping my career planning as it allowed me to establish what and where I wanted to pursue my career once I had graduated from university, and that was to return to Villarreal CF to work in a full-time position.