Focus Points #2
Insights for professionals and organisations working in women’s football — from career navigation and leadership lessons to strategies that strengthen the structures behind sustainable growth.
What does it take to build a career in women’s football today?
We asked our featured face of the women’s game, Nicole Allison, CEO and Founder of Worcester City Women FC, about what she looks for in people who want to work in women’s football and why the qualities that matter most often go far beyond what appears on a CV.
From proactivity and bravery to team collaboration and shared purpose, Nicole outlines the values she believes are essential for building careers and contributing meaningfully to the growth of the women’s game.
3 Values You Look For In People (Beyond CVs):
1. Proactivity - evidence of action, not just theory
For me, it’s important to see that someone has taken action to build experience or apply what they’ve learned. There are now many degrees in football or sports management, which is great for the industry, but “theory isn’t enough”.
I look for evidence that they have proactively gone and done something. Those who created opportunities for themselves, gained experience, or applied their knowledge in a practical way.
You need to show how you’ve applied that learning. That might be volunteering, working in grassroots football, taking on projects, or finding ways to build experience independently.
I’ve built my own career this way: contacting organisations, building networks, and creating opportunities rather than waiting for them. That’s the mindset I look for in others as well. In environments like women’s football, particularly at developing clubs, we need people who can take initiative and contribute quickly. “We need people to just get up and go.”
Proactivity shows adaptability, resilience, and a genuine desire to help the game grow.
2. Bravery – ownership of your own pathway
Building a career in women’s football also requires the courage to step forward when the pathway isn’t always clear.
Alongside initiative, I value courage — especially the willingness to step forward when opportunities aren’t clearly defined.
Women’s football doesn’t always offer straightforward pathways, and progression often requires creating your own route. That might mean changing careers, putting yourself forward for opportunities, or pursuing experience even when the outcome is uncertain.
As I often say, “You can’t wait for people to open doors for you. That’s not going to happen as a woman in the football industry. So you’ve got to be brave.”
For me, bravery is about taking ownership of your development and being willing to step into the unknown. Especially for a woman in football, you have to be brave enough to step forward and make things happen, and help create opportunities for others too.
3. Team impact - collaboration, passion, and shared purpose
I look very closely at how people work with others. Football, and sport more broadly, is about teamwork, and you can’t put a price on people who understand how to work together, understand each other, and add value collectively.
I always ask candidates about their interests and passions outside of work or study. I want to know what drives them as people. If someone has a passion for sport, theatre, or anything they genuinely care about, it tells me a lot about their character and contribution.
Ultimately, I like people who can work individually but also make an impact as part of a collective, those who bring energy, self-awareness, and genuine enthusiasm for what they do.
People who understand the bigger purpose of women’s football and that this work isn’t just about winning matches, it’s about breaking down barriers, creating opportunities, building pathways for women and girls, and contributing to something meaningful.
The women’s game is people-driven, built on collaboration, shared growth, and community impact. When someone connects with that purpose, they don’t just do a job, it is helping move the game forward.
As a club, do you look for similar values when hiring people for your organisation? As a candidate, are you actively developing these qualities in your career?
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