Not the Path I Planned: My GoodShip* Story

It has almost been 3 weeks since I started working for GoodShip*. As a graduating Sport Business student at LJMU with a lifelong passion for football, I didn’t quite know what to expect to be working in an industry outside of sports. 

My journey here began with an opportunity to join the ‘AI Activator’ program. It’s a whole new industry that I have no expertise in, but I was intrigued to keep up with the latest AI trends, so I jumped at the chance. I figured it would be a valuable experience, but I had no idea it would eventually lead me right back to the industry I love.

The program started in a small room of 15 interns in the Student Life Building. You could feel the nerves at first (including my own!), but after some fun icebreakers (including making paper planes for different purposes), the atmosphere changed completely. The sessions, led by Gavin Sheratt from GoodShip* and Alex Keyter from Generative Minds, were eye-opening. I was surprised when I learned that with a well-written prompt, AI could produce amazing outputs like a simple video game like Tetris and websites within minutes! It was a powerful lesson on the value of knowing how to communicate with this technology.

Power of group working

The 15 of us were then split into 4 groups and each group was assigned to its own project. This is where my world of football made a surprising comeback. I was chosen as the project leader, which immediately forced me out of my comfort zone. This was a fantastic opportunity to step up and take my leadership and public speaking skills to a professional level. I focused on clear communication, making sure every team member knew their role. As a result, Gaz, Korben, and I built a great working relationship.

The notable highlight so far was taking charge of a meeting with a football club to get their feedback on Fableit. I was nervous, but I prepared the structure of the call, asked key questions, and we gained some incredibly valuable insights. It was one of those moments where you feel yourself growing in real-time, turning nerves into confidence.

I met some interesting people with diverse backgrounds in the short AI Activator program. Although I couldn’t see the project through to the end with a pitch presentation due to a job interview in Japan, I was proud of what my project team accomplished and heard great reviews about the performances of the other project teams as well. Luckily enough for me, my time at GoodShip* continued into a Communications Intern role.

Next steps

My first task was building a football contacts database of around 400 people. It was repetitive, mind-numbing admin work that really tested my work ethic. But this is where the AI program proved its worth. My new understanding of AI's capabilities helped me tackle the repetitive task much more efficiently.

Now, I'm working on communication campaigns and reaching out to decision-makers in the football world. It feels like everything has connected. I’m gaining direct insights into fan engagement—a topic I did my dissertation on. This experience is giving me a real taste of what it might be like to achieve my dream of becoming a football agent or working in a decision-making role at a football club.

If there's one thing this journey has taught me, it's that pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is where growth happens. I took a chance on what I thought was a non-sports role, and it unexpectedly gave me the skills and opportunities to get closer to my career goals. I’ve improved my collaboration skills which makes sense, I suppose, when you're interning at a company literally built on the idea of a good partnership! And I now have a new perspective on how technology is shaping the future of sport. I’m excited to see where the rest of this journey takes me.

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