I went from volunteering with Pontypridd United to working with the Welsh national team

Ever watched a football press conference, or spotted a player making an appearance at a school or local club? These kind of events take careful planning to make sure everything goes right, and that a club's message reaches the fans in the right way.

Rhianna is a communications and engagement executive for the Football Association of Wales (FAW). Rhianna's role involves many different tasks, she says that "in a nutshell it's a bit like being a press officer." She manages media relations for the Cymru women's team, working with broadcasters to raise the team’s profile.

Seeing a young girl's face light up and them having that connection to the national team…it makes it all worthwhile.

• Had a passion for football from a young age. Rhianna’s grandfather took her to her first football match to see Cardiff City's men's team
• At school studied history, religious education and photography, choosing subjects that she enjoyed rather than subjects specifically linked to her future career
• Studied sports journalism at university
• While studying she took part in volunteering, she volunteered with university radio, at local football club Pontypridd United FC, and gained experience with the Football Association of Wales' women’s domestic leagues, doing podcasts and social media.
• She joined a mentoring programme for young girls and women wanting to pursue a career in football
• Applied for her dream job and secured a role with the FAW (Football Association of Wales) as a media and content coordinator before moving to her current role.

There are lots of different ways to progress within football media and communications.

Rhianna works in the media team. Her career progression has followed this path:

media and content coordinator --> communications and engagement executive

Communication roles can include writing, planning campaigns, understanding different audiences and evaluating what content works. It could even include protecting or developing an organisation’s reputation. As well as overseeing media days, press conferences, and pre or post-match interviews, you could equally end up focusing on social media or find that you enjoy the communications side of the job more.

Rhianna would like to one day go into a slightly more managerial role. “I would just like to be able to pass on what I've learned and continue to grow" she says.

• Get comfortable with the uncomfortable: You might be asked to do something unfamiliar or out of your comfort zone. Rhianna believes it’s important to push yourself as you will learn a lot in the process.
• Be open to opportunities: If an opportunity comes up in an area that you’re passionate about, give it a try, it could give you a valuable experience.
• Volunteer as much as you can: Volunteering can build your experience and that can make you better at what you do.

There are different roles within the world of football media and communications. Salaries can vary but speaking from her own experience Rhianna says, "initial salaries can be between £24,000 - £30,000 but this can increase depending on the level, for example it would be higher than that if you were in a managerial role."

Rhianna is a communications and engagement executive, but some employers divide up those responsibilities. All the different areas of her role can have various other job titles, like social media manager or press officer. Find out more about the role of a press officer below.

What to expect if you want to be a press officer

• Press officer average salary: £24,000 to £45,000 per year
• Press officer typical working hours: 37 to 42 hours per week

What qualifications do you need to be a press officer?

You could get into this role via a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship or specialist courses run by a professional body.

Sources: National Careers Service

This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.

For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).

Bitesize Careers, in partnership with The Open University, has launched the Follow Your Passion campaign, exploring how you can draw on your passions and interests to find your future jobs, with the focus on football.

From content creation to computer game design, nutrition to number-crunching, check out the Bitesize Careers Follow Your Passion collection for loads of inspiring careers content.