Making Hay at Mail Online thanks to Raise Your Game

Kick It Out’s ‘Raise Your Game’ conference delivers a unique insight into working in the world of football and offers attendees the opportunity to progress in their chosen career within the industry.

Anthony Hay, who attended the conference for the third consecutive time at Wembley Stadium this year, has used the advice he gained from the event to achieve employment with Mail Online.

Anthony spoke to Hayley Bennett, Kick It Out’s Education Officer, about his progression through the Mentoring and Leadership Project and the key role the conference has played in his development.

HB: How did you initially find out about ‘Raise Your Game’ and how has it helped you?

AH: “ I found out about the conference whilst I was at Brighton University. They sent an email to everyone which advertised when it was happening.

“I was in my second year at Brighton when I first went to ‘Raise Your Game’. It has led to some excellent opportunities with Yannick Bolasie and also eventually getting a job at the Mail Online through Warren Haughton.

“I first attended the conference in 2012, and have been to two further conferences during that time including the one this year at Wembley. At the second conference I managed to meet Yannick whom I have since kept in contact with and have even written a blog for him, which I ghost wrote for my former employees. I speak to him quite often.

“At this year’s conference I met Warren Haughton, who works for talkSPORT, and Leon Mann who I also now have contact with. Gaining these types of contacts has allowed me to prosper and lead me towards the career path that I want to be going on.

HB: How did Warren Haughton help you at the Conference?

AH: “I had a one-to-one mentoring session with Warren at the conference and during our chat I explained how I wasn’t particularly happy at my old job. I asked him how could I progress to the next step in my career and he told me how he had done it and gave me some of his contacts.

“After the conference I took Warren’s advice and just contacted everyone who he told me about on the day and eventually I got the job at Mail Online.”

HB: As you’ve mentioned, the conference helped you find your current job at Mail Online – how is it going so far?

AH: “I’ve only been here for two months but it has gone well so far. I left my old job and I needed to find a new job quite quickly so I basically got in touch with all of the contacts I had, some of them through the ‘Raise Your Game’ event, and they (Mail Online) got back to me swiftly saying I could come in for training and work experience.

“I am currently writing and building articles for other journalists who are not in the office because they work from home. We have to build articles and then put them on the website, but we also get our copy published in the newspaper and I have had two by-lines in the paper.

HB: What would you say to others who are considering attending future conferences?

AH: “Two of my friends have always joined me in coming to the event and I have also tweeted about it beforehand to try and entice other people to come along. People who were in the same position as me who haven’t attended are probably just lazy to be honest – as far as I see it, if you are getting free help you might as well take it if it’s going to help you in the long run.

“These events are excellent because there are so many different mentors in different fields across the whole game, not just in journalism, who can help attendees succeed. It is free advice so there is no reason not to take it.

HB: What are your hopes for the future?

AH: “I want to keep climbing the ladder at Mail Online and see where it eventually develops. I would like to be out in the field a bit more, reporting on games but I need to gain more confidence in order to climb the ladder. I would definitely come back to the conference in the future because I know how useful it was helping me build my career.

“I would also like to thank Troy Townsend who has been a massive help as well. He has always kept in contact with me and asking how I am getting along which has been great.”

To find out more about Kick It Out’s ‘Raise Your Game’ annual conference, please click here

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