We are all aware of the positive impact that playing sport can have on our physical and mental wellbeing; but have you ever stopped to consider how it could do the same for your career? Here, five of our female employees in Ireland, speak about how playing sport has helped them to develop a number of skills and attitudes, which they use on a day-to-day basis at Enterprise:
Lauren Kelly – Assistant Manager – Rugby
Skill – Self-belief
I started playing rugby when I was 15. At the time, there weren’t many females on my team, as women’s rugby wasn’t that popular. People tend to make assumptions about you and the things you can and can’t do, especially as a girl. Playing rugby has taught me that I can always achieve a lot more than what other people think, just by believing in myself and my own personal strengths.
At work, believing in myself has helped me to fast-track my career; allowing me to get promoted to Assistant Branch Manager after working for the company for just 8 months. For me, as a woman progressing through what is perceived to be a male-dominated industry, it has helped me that I believe in myself so that I don’t suffer from imposter syndrome and don’t second guess if I deserve my role. I know 100% that I deserve to be where I am because I have worked hard and performed in all my previous roles.
Kelly Doran – Strategic Account Manager – Camogie
Skill – Dedication and Development
I got involved with camogie in primary school, playing with the school initially and then with my local club. From an early age, it instilled the need for commitment in me. You need to be committed to learning different skills and techniques and have a want to do well, develop and improve for your team, these transfer into the working world at Enterprise. I have continuously pushed myself to learn and understand everything about the business and develop new and existing skills along the way. This has allowed me to progress within Enterprise from Management Trainee, to Branch Manager, through to my current role as a Strategic Account Manager.
I have recently joined my local club, playing in the Gaelic Mothers and Others league, a campaign from the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, designed to get women back involved in sport. Not only has this allowed me to meet more people in the community I live in, but it also shows I am never too old (!!) to develop new relationships and my skills further!
Rebecca Gillespie – Management Trainee – Gaelic Footbal
Skill – Work Ethic
I play Gaelic football with my home club, where I also help to coach the U14 ladies team. At Enterprise we work hard and we reward hard work. This is the same as in Gaelic Football. If you work hard enough, through training and practice and effort to learn and develop new and existing skills, you’ll naturally be more successful.
Growing up I played basketball as well as Gaelic football, which meant training twice a week, all year round; but I reaped the rewards with several All Ireland Basketball medals and 3 GAA County Championship medals. Enterprise is the same, working hard to get my training completed and myself promotable, means that I’ll reap the benefits that come with promotions and career progression in the future.
Siobhan Langan – Management Trainee – Multi Sports
Skill – Communication and Leadership
From primary school up until college, I was always very passionate about sport; trying out as many as I could fit into my schedule, from Gaelic football, camogie, soccer and hockey. At Enterprise, one of our company values is that ‘customer service is our way of life’, so having strong, clear and adaptable communication skills allows you to build greater customer rapport; through sports, by learning how to communicate clearly and effectively with people from many different backgrounds within a team, has really enabled me to excel within this area.
Furthermore, having previously been a captain of several teams, I’ve had to lead and guide other teammates on the pitch, which has hugely helped me in my role at Enterprise. I am able to remain calm under pressure, whilst making important decisions that would impact the team as a whole. I understand the value of letting others have an input and knowing how to incorporate others’ ideas into the decisions that I make. This means everyone feels valued, that no one is left out and that every employee or player in the team is just as important as the next one.
Amie Tunnah – Assistant Manager – Basketball
Skill – Teamwork
I have played Basketball for the past 10 years and have grown up with the girls from my team and those who I have played against. By growing up being involved in sport, there are many different attributes that have allowed me to adapt into working within Enterprise, with one of the most important being teamwork.
Effective teamwork within a branch is what allows it to function on a day-to-day basis. Without everyone supporting each other and helping each other out, it would not be as successful as it needs to be. In the branch, as in sport, you must work together to achieve a common goal and trust your team mates to make good decisions; one poor decision not only affects the outcome of the day, but could also do damage to the brand itself, so it is vital that we work together in an enjoyable and supportive way.
Communication, leadership, teamwork, a strong work ethic, commitment to self-development and self-belief, just a few of the skills you develop when playing sport. There are many others that aren’t mentioned here, competitiveness, adaptability, flexibility and resilience etc. Being a member of a sports team will give you the soft skills that Enterprise is looking for, so make sure you browse all the graduate jobs and internships available across the UK and Ireland that Enterprise has to offer.
