Refaat Eletr - Graduate Case Study
Refaat Eletr graduated with a degree in Sport Business in 2023 and has since gone on to secure a role with the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) as a Deputy Medical Director.
What does your graduate job involve?
Supporting the running of the EFA Medical Department, working under the Medical Director to build and manage programmes for club medical staff including coordinating a mandatory sports medicine certification programme for Egyptian Premier League clubs, handling official communications and documentation, and helping develop the department's external presence and partnerships. Most recently I worked with the Egypt football team at the World Cup.
Why did you decide to apply for this role?
I wanted to build on the practical, people-facing skills I developed at LJMU in a structured environment where I could keep learning while contributing from day one.
Three things you like about your job:
- Working at the intersection of sport and healthcare
- Being part of building something new (like national certification standards) rather than just maintaining existing systems
- The variety; one day it's medical policy, the next it's communications or events.
What did the application / selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage?
My route into this role came through networking rather than a traditional application process building relationships within the industry during and after my internship helped open the door.
What help and support did you access from the Student Futures team?
I made the most of everything Student Futures had to offer from CV and application support to careers advice, mock interviews, and events. Having that all-round support made a real difference in how prepared and confident I felt going into the job market.
What relevant work experience / skills / volunteering / Student Union activities did you use during the selection process?
My Co-Creation Internship experience with the Student Futures team, including interviewing, filming, editing, and presenting, gave me communication and organisational skills I could point to directly in interviews.
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?
Say yes to opportunities that seem unrelated to your "ideal" job skills like communication, organisation, and working under pressure transfer everywhere.
Would you do anything differently in terms of your employability if you were a first-year student again?
Take every opportunity that comes to you.
How has studying your specific degree subject at LJMU helped you to develop the skills, knowledge and/or experiences that will help you in your future career?
Sports Business gave me a foundation in how sport operates as an industry governance, structure, stakeholders which now helps me understand the wider context my medical department work sits in, even though my current role isn't clinical.
Have you faced any challenges making the transition from university into work and how did you overcome these?
Moving countries and building a network from scratch was the most challenging aspect but you just have to put yourself out there.
Any other advice you would give to LJMU students around careers and employability or your own experiences not covered in these questions?
Be open to roles that don't look exactly like your dream job on paper — the skills often matter more than the title.
Support from the Student Futures team
If you want to talk about potential careers options with your degree, need help finding opportunities or want support with your CV, application forms or preparing for an interview, you can get advice and guidance by booking a 30-minute 1-2-1 careers meeting with a Careers and Employability Adviser from the LJMU Student Futures Team. You can also come along to a Careers drop-in which take place weekly at the Careers Zones for quick careers queries.
If you are thinking about starting a business, freelancing, pursuing a side-hustle or have an idea that you want to explore further, email the Start-up Hub and a member of the team will be back in touch, or visit the Start-up Hub website.
For help finding part-time, temporary or casual you can fit around your studies, email the Unitemps team or visit their website.