How The FBA’s Guaranteed Internship Opens Doors in Global Football
When looking to enter the football industry or make a career switch, many people take the first step of finding an internship to gain hands-on, real-world experience. In industries like football, starting out on your own can be difficult, and not having the right experience or the right network can make it very hard to find a job. At The Football Business Academy, Candidates are guaranteed a guaranteed football internship working with a Club, League, Federation or other football organization.
The FBA understands that breaking into football is extremely relationship-driven, and experience within a professional football environment is often what separates Candidates who get hired from those who don’t. The internship gives Candidates hands-on exposure, daily access to decision-makers, and real responsibilities that directly translate to future roles. Many football jobs are filled through trust, familiarity, and proven work ethic, which is exactly what the internship through The FBA program helps establish.
That’s precisely one of the main reasons why 16th Edition Candidate Jonathan Abraham chose The FBA to pursue a Professional Master Degree in Football Business. We sat down with him to ask a few questions about his internship experience at The Irish FA and how it shaped him for success.
“The guaranteed internship definitely played a key role in me deciding to pursue this opportunity at The FBA. I applied for a plethora of internships, probably in the hundreds. Constantly getting rejected can be deflating. With the promise of a program that secures internships for its candidates, it takes away the stress that you deal with when finding your own internship.” – Jonathan Abraham
Supporting Candidates through the Internship Journey
While most Masters programs on the market include an internship, The FBA is currently the only 100% football-focused business program to offer a guaranteed football internship. At the FBA we have a designated department to make the transition as smooth as possible. This team tailors the experience to Candidates through a survey and a 1-on-1 meeting to find out what individual goals each Candidate has. Then, they will target which partner or contact could help them reach those goals. This vast pool of connections includes clubs, leagues, federations, agencies, and more. Once a potential match is found, The FBA Partnership Department sets the Candidate up for an interview with the football organization. This meeting works in two ways, helping the Candidate see if the opportunity is a good match, and allowing the Organization to see the potential of the Candidate, setting the ground for a possible internship. Should everything align with both parties, a match is made. If either the Candidate or the Organization does not believe it is a good fit, which is possible like any standard job interview, then the Partnership Department will work towards other opportunities that align with the Candidate.
For Jonathan, he personally felt that the process took a bit longer than expected; however the first option wasn’t a match, and the second option took a bit longer to reply. These are just some of the realities of the football industry, which is made clear early on to Candidates in the program. However, he told us “with the help of The FBA staff I was able to relax during this time period. Also, whenever I had questions, they were always there when I needed assistance.”
Not only does The FBA staff help prepare the internship, but the theoretical, industry-specific classes offered during the program also can help shape the journey. During Jonathan’s internship, which you can read more about below, he told us that one of his tasks was to compare social media numbers with local competitors and give a brief explanation as to why sponsors should partner with the organization. During this process he remembered Professor Amar Singh’s Digital Football Content & Marketing class and that it isn’t important just to have followers but to make sure they are engaging with your content. This was something Jonathan found in both Northern Ireland and the Irish FA’s social media accounts, making them stand out compared to their local competition.
What a Real Football Internship Looks Like
Before stepping into his internship through The FBA, Jonathan previously interned at several clubs in the USA. However, these were online, so he did not have in-person experiences with a football organization before The FBA. Not only was this internship his first in-person experience, which can be very difficult to land on your own, but it was also his first time working with a National Team rather than a club.
Jonathan’s internship took place with The Irish FA. His role was Communications Intern, and his responsibilities included penning articles on various programs and activities for the website with particular emphasis on female players and the elite youth pathways, supporting members of the communications team during international matches and domestic cup finals, and accompanying digital team members when filming for social channels. Additionally, he started a new written series, “Born to Play,” and revitalized the previous series “Meet the JD Academy Players.” Jonathan really enjoyed his post about Jonny Evans, who you can read more about here. All of Jonathan’s posts on the Irish players, through both series, can be found on The Irish FA website.
Jonathan also told us that as a more introverted person, this role really pushed him outside of his comfort zone, as he was asked to do on-the-spot interviews. “After Northern Ireland’s senior women’s match against Iceland, I was walking down to the pitch with one of my bosses; he asked if I could interview one of the players and the manager. Although I was not prepared, I said yes because I believe the key importance of internships is to learn and push myself.”
This, along with other responsibilities, helped him develop adaptability. A skill that is non-negotiable in the ever-evolving world of football, Jonathan told us that each day is different in the industry, and his internship helped him learn and develop this better. He also found himself more assertive. Before his internship, he wasn’t always comfortable giving opinions to those in senior roles, as he didn’t want to offend anyone. However, through his role, he found that this was welcomed. The staff listened to his ideas and took the time to understand his concerns, which ended up giving him more opportunities.
Not only did this role help him grow, but having the opportunity to travel for an internship helped him mature, having to learn to live and adapt to a new culture and country. He said, “Even though both of our main languages are English, everything felt foreign to me, but I loved getting to learn about other people’s cultures and customs.” With the football industry being in every corner of the world, being open to different cultures and customs is very important. It also can bring in new and fresh ideas, especially into a country like the USA, where Jonathan is from and where football still has a lot of room for growth.
Building the Future of Football—On and Off the Pitch
“My advice to future candidates: do an in-person internship experience.”
One of Jonathan’s biggest eye-openers is that the football industry doesn’t slow down. Even though international matches aren’t happening as often as at a club level, the work never stopped. And by having this face-to-face opportunity, he felt more supported than in any other role he’s taken on and built a network that will last. He was able to build the trust and have communication that would get lost in his online roles.
Thanks to this opportunity, Jonathan is now certain that he wants to work in communications in the football industry. Without 3 months of hands-on experience, he may not have realized this passion. “Getting to wear several different hats opened my eyes, which made me enjoy this experience even more. Also, with a plethora of major football-focused tournaments coming to the U.S., I would love to play a role in helping grow the sport in the country.”
Now, Jonathan has set a goal to mentor fellow South Asians who want to pursue a career in the football and sports industry. Growing up in a household with two foreign parents, both hailing from India, he said the beautiful game has always been a huge part of him and his family’s lives. He wants to share this passion he has with those around him.
If you are looking to take the next steps and enter the Football Business Industry, but have some questions, you can reach out to Jonathan for more information on LinkedIn. The Admissions Department is also always available to answer any questions, and the program brochure can be downloaded here.
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