An interview with Dr Jade Salim
Why did you choose to work at St Mary’s?
I wanted to work at St Mary’s because of the size of the university. When I first stepped onto the campus, I automatically felt a sense of community, meaning I would have an opportunity to get to know the staff and students well.
I knew that the university was student-centred meaning that students’ best interest would always be at the heart of what we do. I believed that this positive environment would be the place I could do my research, teach what I love and create some positive connections. I very much believe and support the values that the university embeds.
Do you have any tips for someone looking to begin a career in Sport related industries?
The sport industry likes people to have more than just an academic qualification and to have had experience in the industry. During your studying it would be wise to try and get some experience, even over the summer. You will probably need to do this on a voluntary basis to begin with until you have the necessary skills. There is a balance between having both the understanding of your chosen area of study and the industry, as well as applied experience.
Try working in a range of different sports, not just the one you take part in. This will not only open your mind to other sports but create opportunities to work in other areas of sport also. It is important to work hard and build positive networks and connections.
I would advise setting up a LinkedIn account, getting onto Twitter and using these platforms to seek out potential opportunities. Every opportunity I have been given has been through connections, my persistence and giving people every reason to want to work with me. My main tips are to work hard, make connections, look out for opportunities and grab them when you see them.
Which past experiences do you bring to your lecturing?
Coming from a background of high-level gymnastics and coaching, I can apply that resilience and knowledge to academia. Having suffered adversity as a youth and having been supported through that, I made sure I became the lecturer that I needed when I was a young person.
At St Mary’s we have an open-door policy, which I think is valuable so that students know we are here to support them. My own experience in education taught me the value of a good lecturer-student relationship and how important this is to get the best out of students. It also taught me how I wanted to teach, so I work hard on making my lecturers as fun as possible.
What is your favourite part of your job?
I have two favourite parts of the job, the first being inside the classroom and the second being outside of the classroom. I love standing up in front of the class and being able to disseminate my knowledge to others. I get such a buzz when seeing the students interested in my topic and wanting to take part.
Outside the classroom is where some of the most important work happens. Learning about the students and supporting them through not only their studies, but also their everyday lives. I really enjoy getting to know the students and watching them grow through their degree and even beyond that.
Can you tell us a bit about your research?
I do research across two different areas – within sport, and teaching and learning. I have typically focused my research on sport injury and how we can help athletes to come back from injury in a positive way.
My research has used interventions such as gratitude letters and emotional disclosure to facilitate this growth. Recently, I have been focusing on teaching and learning research, around the student experience of black, asian and ethnic minorities.
View Jade's academic profile