Jack Eatherley

Sky Sports Participation Lead

Can you tell us about your current role?

I head up our ‘Force for Good’ partnerships  in Sky Sports

What are your main responsibilities?

I manage a series of large partnerships with governing bodies and charities on ways we can work together to create change in Sky Sports, on screen, the media industry and wider society. I focus on inclusion and increasing participation in sport.

What is a typical week in terms of how you break down your time?

My job is quite email and online meeting heavy. I spend time strategizing with different partners on ways to work together. We create, usually an annual plan and work together with regular catch ups to achieve it.

Can you tell us a bit about your career path to this point and key tips for career progression?

I completed an arts degree and then worked at a start-up football homeless charity, after four years I moved to Brazil to teach and returned to the UK keen to use my skills in social impact to work for a company. I focussed on corporate social responsibility and got a job at KPMG and then Sky. I worked for 10 years in the corporate side of Sky predominantly focussing on creating initiatives to inspire young people using sports, media and the arts.  

I was always trying to improve the reputation of Sky. In 2016 I took a secondment to set up a secondary school and in 2019 I took a role in Sky Sports to do my current role.

What skills and knowledge are important in your role and the sports industry?

You need to be polite and good with people. You need to represent your company and be compassionate and empathetic with your external partners. Most of all you need to be efficient with your time and create plans and then deliver. Strategic skills you can learn but modesty, hard work and kindness is the starting point.

What are you looking for when it comes to recruiting? What makes people stand out?

First impressions sadly are still really important, understanding your recruiter what they do and what they value is important. It’s easy to research but only a few people do it. Being confident is a positive but modesty is more important no one wants to work with a know-it- all. Lots of your job you will learn when you do it. The first thing is to show that you are easy to work with and enthusiastic.

What advice would you tell young students with an interest in sport and keen to pursue a career in sport?

Meet people and ask for them to recommend other people to meet. When opportunities come up they may just remember you.  Try to write your perfect job today and work backwards, constantly thinking about your next steps.

3 great things about working at Sky Sports

1. Its super creative!
2. Its fast paced and exciting
3. My particular job has real purpose.

3 challenging things about working in your industry

1. Not all projects go well, sometimes you work hard on stuff and it gets paused or cancelled.
2. People stay in roles for a long time so roles can be hard to come by. You need to be quick and assertive and proactive.
3. Like any industry difficult people and bad managers can be the hardest to deal with.