Sport, Fitness and Recreation

This is a diverse industry with employees taking on a number of roles and often having to be multi-skilled.

Maybe you would like to help people reach their fitness goals, have the floaties prepared for those learning to swim or you’re a bit of an adrenaline junkie and would like to take people on the journey with you! This industry is fantastic for people wanting an active job or career, who like working with people. It can be a good entry into the workforce, and you will develop transferrable skills that can be used in other industries later in your career.

What does this industry cover?

Organised Sport: The majority of Australians have played or participated in some form of sport, be it the different codes of football, netball, tennis or golf. This sector is often made up of grass roots organisations and relies on membership and volunteers.

Fitness: In this sector we are talking about gyms and the emergence of 24 hour facilities. People are more health conscious and more aware of what is available, so services supplied by a personal trainer are on the increase.

Community Recreation: If you are looking to work in a varied sector this is the one for you. You may be engaged by a club, school, community group or local government to work with their community activity programs.

Outdoor recreation: This sector is for those that love being outside and love activities such as bushwalking, canoeing, rock climbing and abseiling.

Job hunting information

Top priority skills for these industries are technology, communication, customer service, sales and marketing and small business skills.

Employers want staff with good communication, organisational, creative, time management and teamwork skills.

If you are working with children you may need to obtain a ‘working with children’ check.

You may need to specialise in a particular field so it is a good idea to try volunteering to find out more. Use your networking skills and talk to people that are already in the industry.

Be flexible as you may need to work split shifts, early mornings or evenings and possibly weekends.

Information for further research

Industry information is published by peak level associations, government and major employers. Accessing industry association sites, including member lists, is a good way of building up an understanding of an industry. Visiting employer websites and looking for careers or employment menus helps identify how employers recruit and the skills they are recruiting.