WFS Talent is the result of a partnership between World Football Summit, the platform that brings together the main leaders in the football industry, and AltoPartners Spain - headed by Sara Bieger, an international consultancy firm specialized in executive search with more than 20 years of experience and offices in 34 countries.

Johan Cruyff Institute, together with WFS Talent, strengthens its Career Services area to facilitate the employment of its students in the sports industry

Johan Cruyff Institute has reached an agreement with WFS Talent, the first firm specialized in human resources solutions for the sports industry, to strengthen its Career Services area. Thanks to this agreement, Johan Cruyff Institute students will enjoy an exclusive premium service aimed at helping them to obtain a job in the sports industry.

This unique service, which will be available from this academic year, is a further step in the strategy of Johan Cruyff Institute to continue training new generations of sport management leaders and contributing to the necessary professionalization of the sports industry.

WFS Talent is the result of a partnership between World Football Summit, the platform that brings together the main leaders in the football industry, and AltoPartners, an international consultancy firm specialized in executive search with more than 20 years of experience and offices in 37 countries.

Through this new agreement, Johan Cruyff Institute, academic partner of WFS since its creation, joins this strategic alliance that seeks to advance the process of professionalization of the sports industry.

“Sport has changed a lot over the last few decades. It is no longer enough to have champions on the pitch. To thrive in this complex and competitive industry, you need to have the best in every area—from the pitch to the very last office,” explains Marian Otamendi, director of the World Football Summit. “WFS Talent was created with the aim of contributing to the necessary professionalization of the industry, which is the mission that inspired the creation of Johan Cruyff Institute. That is why we are happy to have reached this agreement, which will not only benefit the students of Johan Cruyff Institute but also the industry as a whole,” she adds.

As a result of this agreement, the network of students and alumni of Johan Cruyff Institute will have preferential access to the job and internship offers on the WFS Talent portal, which will give them a competitive advantage over other potential candidates with a similar profile.

The service includes:

Career Services

• Introduction of our students’ CVs in the WFS Talent database at the beginning of the academic year, with CV templates and tips on how best to complete them available for use.
• Two-hour career counseling session (face-to-face or online) in the last month of the program on how to stand out in a job interview and the keys to negotiating your salary.
• At the end of their program, students will be able to update all the information on their employment objectives, desired position, availability, countries of preference and future projection to create a more detailed profile in the WFS Talent database.
• Preferential access to all offers on the WFS Talent portal. Our students’ CVs will be included in the selection process of WFS Talent clients that are not published on the website during the following 18 months.
• During the first year after the end of their program, all those interested will have access to a face-to-face or online consultancy session with a human resources consultant who has a good knowledge of the sports industry.
• During the second year after the end of their program, those interested may apply for a ‘career advice session’ with a consultant to discuss a specific topic, such as preparing for a job interview, advice on their LinkedIn profile, how to improve their CV, or other valuable advice.

Internships

During their program, students are offered different options for internships (in-person and online) in clubs, federations, sports institutions and companies, both in Spain and internationally. Both areas of the service are included in the Master in Football Business in partnership with FC Barcelona, with an ‘executive’ profile. In the case of the students of the Official Master’s Degree in Sport Management, both online and on-campus in Barcelona, the internship area is included in the registration fee, giving them access to the professional orientation area with preferential treatment and exclusive prices.

Students and alumni of master’s and postgraduate degrees from any location, in on-campus, blended and online modes, will have access to the different areas of the service, with special Johan Cruyff Institute rates.

“For an academic institution like ours,” says Mariël Koerhuis, general manager of Johan Cruyff Institute, “the development of our students’ professional careers is essential. We need to offer a springboard for our sports professionals to take a leap. This collaboration with WFS Talent, which benefits not only from the extensive experience and network of WFS but also from the expertise of the prestigious executive search firm Alto Partners, reinforces this purpose.”