If we go back just two years ago…
I was a dedicated track and field athlete plagued with injury whilst pushing myself to my limits. University was fast approaching and I needed a career plan for the future.
One day I was watching an Ad campaign by New Balance and the impact it had on me was something I wanted to share with others. I wanted a career in which I could capture an audience’s attention and retain it, by creating and developing relationships that they would value within the business world.
EUREKA!
That is when I knew marketing was the route I wanted to take. So now we have a passionate sports marketing student with little experience, but a vast amount of enthusiasm and the willingness to learn.
Since starting university, my perception of volunteering got flipped upside down, and I was forced to change my stereotypical views. My first real volunteering experience was at the Manchester City V Monaco match. I say “real” because all my previous volunteering experiences felt like a chore and my heart was not in it for the right reasons. So I thought I’d give it all another chance, and since that day I have never looked back…
Volunteering has given me the opportunity to work alongside some of the biggest charities in the UK and appreciate the hard work that goes on to help those people less fortunate and in all kinds of challenging circumstances.
It has made me value volunteers in a different way, as sometimes we forget that many of the biggest events around the world are fueled by the labour and endowing nature of these people.
I have also developed skills, that have aided in my development at University and work. these skills allow me to apply my experiences to academic work and really understand what I am doing. The connections and relationships I have created have improved my professional interpersonal skills and opened up new opportunities.
My volunteering has allowed me to gain sponsors and raise money for charity events that I have helped to run and organise. These experiences have led to my involvement with StreetGames, a fundraiser to help disadvantaged children receive meals throughout the summer holidays and, Street2Feet a football tournament for people who are currently homeless or come from a disadvantaged background. I also set up and run a jogging club at Manchester Metropolitan University, for which I organise runs, events and manage the club’s social media activity. Additionally, volunteering has provided me with the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals that have inspired me to pursue my life goals.
It was during my volunteering that I had unknowingly started using TeamKinetic’s volunteer management software, as it powers MCRVIP to keep track of my volunteering hours and to apply for new opportunities. The volunteer management system made it simple for me to keep track of all my work, and meet my volunteering hour targets which are well over a 100 hours now. So when the opportunity of a placement with TeamKinetic arose, I had no hesitation in applying for the job role of a marketing coordinator.
I had confidence that all the hard work I had invested in my academic and voluntary pursuits would put me in good stead in the application process. I was delighted to have been invited to interview and despite all the nerves I had, I left the interview unsure of the whether I had done enough…
Thankfully, it would appear I did. As here I am writing my introduction blog surrounded by a driven team, with shared values and aspirations.
I look forward to beginning my journey at TeamKinetic and sharing my experience through our blog. Thank you for your time. Feel free to reach out to me if you have anything you would like to share.
Ashraf Liles
Marketing Coordinator
ash@teamkinetic.co.uk
