Making the most of it

Study for your masters at LJMU

According to Conor Heeney, getting the most out of your postgraduate study is all about working hard, building relationships and immersing yourself in the whole experience. The Strength and Conditioning graduate spent his time at LJMU preparing for the career he wanted and is now the University’s Head of Strength and Conditioning.

Conor came to LJMU to study for a BSc in Sport Science. “I chose LJMU because of the facilities here, the lecturers and, of course the city itself,” he recalls. “The degree was also ideal for those who wanted to work in the sporting arena but were not sure which particular area to focus on.”

Although he enjoyed his studies, Conor had never considered a Masters as he hadn’t seen one which particularly appealed. “At the start of my third year we were told about a brand new MSc in strength and conditioning,” he says. “I had a job at that time and the plan was to build on it post graduation but when I heard about the Masters I knew it was the right move for me.”

Conor was attracted to the course due to its excellent blend of applied and academic content. “We were taught by world leaders and offered the chance of a really good placement,” he explains. “I spent time at Warrington Wolves and the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield and took up a Senior Strength and Conditioning Internship at LJMU. On graduation I had two part-time paid roles with the Liverpool under 21s ladies team and the Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme. This helped me build up some really essential experience.”

It was that experience that put Conor in the right place at the right time when a full-time job came up at the university. “I had always joked that I wanted my manager’s role from the beginning,” smiles Conor. “But when he moved on to a post doc position that became a possibility and I was really fortunate to be offered the job.”

Working in his chosen sector and loving every minute of it, Conor is at his happiest. “People ask where I see myself in five years’ time but I tend not to be a long term planner,” he says. “I look what I am doing now and I look at other opportunities around me and I know there really is nowhere else I would rather be. When the right opportunity comes along I’ll know and I will go for it. My university experience has given me the confidence to make those decisions.”

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