Jaskiran works for the FA as Club Governance Coordinator. Since a young age, she had a passion for football. A Law degree from the University of Hertfordshire initially put her on the route to becoming a solicitor. However her true passion soon took hold and it was here Jaskiran was able to combine her love for football with her career.
Let's hear her story...
Tell us about your current role?
I’m a Club Governance Coordinator for the FA. It’s a varied role which has given me the chance to work on both domestic and international aspects of the game. As an example when the England national team play abroad I oversee the process in accordance with various sanctions. This can be for clubs too and has allowed me to build relationships with teams across Europe.
I also get involved with the checks for new football club owners through to ensuring kit regulations are being met and adhered to. It’s a little bit of everything!
When did you realise you wanted to this as a career and work in football?
I studied law at the University of Hertfordshire as I always figured it would be a solid degree choice and open up lots of opportunities for me. During my second year I realised that I wasn’t excited about the legal career route; I always knew I wanted to go into something I had a genuine passion for.
Since the age of 7 or 8 I fell in love with football and grew up as a massive Arsenal fan. After the 2010 World Cup I harboured ambitions to make a career from football. Having realised my career didn’t lie in legal practice, I realised there was a big legal element with football on the governance side. The more I looked into it, the more I realised I wanted to be involved in governing the game.
What steps did you take in order to get to where you are today?
I had to make a lot of my own luck. After finishing my law degree I started to look into courses that would take me into football. Initially I saw career opportunities with FIFA but wasn’t eligible for these at the time. I needed the additional qualification which I undertook at De Montfort University (Sports Law and PG Certificate). I travelled to central London from Warwickshire attending 40 lectures over the year while working in roles as a legal secretary.
I saw jobs with the FA at Wembley and started applying for them. Initially I joined on a contractual basis and did several rotations through the organisation. There were times where contracts would finish but I worked hard and built relationships fostering trust across the organisation. This led me to being appointed permanently into my current role…the rest is history!
Do you have a career plan for where you would like to get to?
I’ve always wanted to run FIFA! Ideally I would love to reach the top level of the game and work for a club, UEFA and then FIFA.
The FA offer a range of courses which are open to staff looking to progress their career in the manner I am. FIFA also have courses too and I am regularly expanding my network of relationships, for example with Inter Milan and with the French FA who I visited at Clairefontaine earlier in 2020.
Any advice you would give to 18 year old you?
Don’t give up, no matter what obstacles come up. Also to be passionate about your career and remember to keep an eye on the bigger picture. When you find the spark that makes you passionate about your career, don’t lose it!
A big thank you to Jaskiran for sharing her career story with me. She is an excellent example of someone who developed a clear plan and used equal parts hard work and tenacity to achieve what she has.
If you are unsure about which step to take next in your career, get in touch to arrange a bespoke 1:1 career coaching session and unlock your true potential.
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