From studying law at university to turnign his passion for football into a career at The Premier League, Temi's journey has been driven by resilience and dedication. Keep reading to learn how he turned a placement into a full-time position and the skills that shaped his path in the sports industry.
7 Mins Read
Can you give our readers a bit of background on yourself and when you knew you wanted to work in the sports industry?
I’m Temiloluwa Ife-Alabi, a lover of football and sports and a Law Graduate. I currently work as a Leadership and Workforce Development Executive at the Premier League. Like many, during my teenage years, I had dreams of playing football professionally, but I soon realised the slim probability. Subsequently, I turned my attention to alternative routes and ventures in forging a career in football, where my passion lies.
Before you secured a full-time role at The Premier League, you were on their 18-month placement programme. Can you tell us more about what that involved?
My placement involved rotating across three departments: Coaching, Legal, and Commercial. My responsibilities across all three departments were to support the various projects, initiatives, and functions that serve what we know as the Premier League product and its ecosystem. Across coaching, I was involved in coach development work; developing and shaping the coaching landscape to promote, develop, and deliver highly functioning and effective coaches. I supported the IP Enforcement, Commercial & Compliance and Club Regulatory functions in the legal team. Across commercial, I supported partnership functions and the delivery of rights to Premier League partners.
What did you enjoy the most about the placement programme?
The access. Growing up as a football nerd, it’s quite surreal to be involved in and around the functions, conversations, and initiatives that you would see on social media, newspaper headlines, and TV. My placement has exposed me to a breadth of work streams, environments, and events. In totality, I would describe it as a constant pinch-yourself moment.
You were able to turn your placement programme into a full-time role at the Premier League. What key things did you do during your placement to help you get the full-time role?
The three key assets that helped me translate my placement into a full-time role were:
Consistency: Consistency is a main driver in all walks of life to become successful in whatever field one desires. Being consistent in all my work practices, from the standards I set to how I communicate to even the minute details of my demeanor, assisted in depicting my character in a positive light.
Attitude and Aptitude: My attitude and aptitude for learning, seeking new challenges, and pushing myself were also determining factors. No matter the task, big or small, I was always consistent in my approach of giving 110%, reflecting, and seeking advice for improvement.
Desire: My desire to be proactive, strive for more, take action, seek advice, ask questions, think ahead, and strategise has propelled me to where I am today. I would not be reaping any rewards with a different approach, which certainly helped create my luck.
What does a typical day in the life at The Premier League look like?
A typical day working at the Premier League varies. My new role entails project management support for the broader development of the football landscape, improving leadership effectiveness, quality, and diversity in the game. However, depending on your function, a typical day may involve the standard routine of an office job. In other functions, it may incorporate the above and travelling to attend various events, workshops, conferences, activations, production shoots, and football matches.
What are three essential skills you think are important when working at a big rightsholder like The Premier League?
Competency, adaptability, and proactivity. In any role, it’s important to be competent in what is required of you, your team, and the company’s strategy. Adaptability is vital in all walks of life, but specifically in football and during my placement, which involved adapting to three distinctive department. Being flexible and competent was essential to performing my duties. Proactivity is another vital life skill; being proactive in your approach, work practices, and functionality will pay dividends.
How did you get this opportunity to work at The Premier League? If you had an application process, what did it involve?
I accessed this opportunity through LinkedIn. As a fresh postgraduate in the job market, I devoted time to job searching and one day stumbled across the Premier League Placement Programme. The application process was quite extensive and incredibly competitive. It involved an initial application process with a series of questions, an interview, an assessment day, and a final interview.
One of the biggest challenges for young people who want to work in sports is the need for more knowledge about available opportunities. Do you know of any other initiatives The Premier League runs to help young people gain industry experience?
The Premier League are currently collaborating with BCOMS to run digital editorial placements. They have also launched the first year of their Solicitor Apprenticeship and have the Premier League Internship Programme. As for other opportunities elsewhere, BCOMS, MERKY FC, Wimbledon, and many other organisations offer internships and placements. It’s a growing space in which opportunities are evolving. A word of advice would be to keep an eye out in this space.
Have you faced any challenges when looking for opportunities in the industry? If yes, how were you able to overcome them?
Like many, I’ve faced rejection. My process for overcoming hardship is resilience and determination. Life is never linear; there will be ups and downs, and once you can comprehend this concept, it evolves your perspective of the bigger picture. Being determined coincides with this resilient approach. Perseverance and determination to achieve your end goal no matter the adversity make accomplishment taste even sweeter in hindsight.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a young person who is looking to enter the sports industry?
My advice is to persevere. Your efforts will not be wasted, but they are a learning experience. Reflect, network, go the extra mile, be proactive, and question how you can better yourself, your knowledge, and your application in gaining entry into the sports industry.
What more do you think needs to be done to improve diversity and representation in the sports industry?
Greater diversity within the demographic of decision-makers, more entry-level access and knowledge of the disparities that affect our community, and a conscious, practical approach to emphatically enforce change from all accounts.
If you were to choose one person to shine a light on in the industry, who would it be and why?
Highlighting one specific person or entity would be difficult, but firstly, I would champion any person of colour in senior roles; their visibility and accomplishments go a long way in relatability and promoting a sense of self-belief. Secondly, I would highlight anyone active in the space attempting to improve representation by having internships, placements, discussions, and evoking the topic as the status quo. Lastly, the likes of Bridged & Merky F.C. are actively putting in practical efforts, whether by signposting, sharing insights, creating networks and forums or forging a landscape through job opportunities. All these efforts are not wasted; seeing the impact as time progresses will be positive.
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