SSES BA Sport Management Graduate Dongwoo Lee now works for Nike Korea
Why did you decide to study Sport management?
When I decided what I to do for my future, there was the only one came to my mind, which is sport, especially football. I love everything about football, so it was easy to decide to study Sport Management in England, which has the best sport industry around the world.
What did you enjoy about the course?
I really enjoyed “Event Management” in the 3rd year. This module helps undergraduates to develop applied sport management skills by allowing them to set up their own sport event and put into practice all the theoretical foundations they have developed in their previous years in the course.
What skills did the course help you to develop that you found useful?
The course mostly required us to develop general understanding of Business Studies in Sports and of course, it consisted of presentation skills, placement opportunities at various sport organisations and group work. It made us to present our own ideas in front of the other students and helped me to steadily develop those skills during the course. In particular, for an overseas student, it was very helpful to being able to present my own work in front of others, speaking in English and trying to clearly explain and persuade others throughout my presentations.
Where do you work now and what does your role involve?
After graduating from university, I joined a marathon event agency in South Korea and worked for 8 months. While working in there, I applied to Nike Korea and finally became a member of Nike Korea. In Nike Korea, I am currently working in Demand and Supply Management. More specifically, I am an Allocation Planner, which is to replenish and allocate the right Nike product at the right time in the right Nike store.
How the experience at the course helped you in finding employment?
I think the course helped me to develop confidence through engagement with various applied activities and sport stakeholders early on in the degree. This enabled me to understand the dynamics of how the sport industry is structured and works, allowed me to gain knowledge in areas such as financial accounting, marketing and management, and allowed me to become more independent and confident in applying for employment, interacting with other sport professionals, and being more organized.
What advice will you give to our current students in relation to finding a job in sports management?
For those who are willing to work in any sport field, I think that you need to keep thinking what you really want to do for your future career. For me, it is Football and Nike. That is the reason that I have pushed myself and tried to develop further in order to be able to work in Nike and finally I visited Nike World Headquarters in Portland, USA. Please do not stay at your current situation and keep pushing yourself to get to your dream.