The Founders
About us
Derek and Vladimir know how to manage the complexities of the work/life balance whilst pursuing excellence in sport, studies, and professional work. No other recruitment agency offers our quality of service, our calibre of professional network, nor do they match our hustle on and off the court. Get in touch if you have aspirations of furthering your professional career in or out of sport.
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DEREK GUIMOND
I’m Derek Guimond from Chicago, Illinois. My journey has been a bit chaotic to say the least. When I graduated high school I had several opportunities to tryout for D-1 volleyball programs but I had no D-1 offers. It was with great sadness that I was cut from the Loyola University Chicago roster my freshman year. Instead of giving up, I vowed to never give up on my dreams. I graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2015 after walking onto the D-1 team my senior year and won the 2015 NCAA national championship. Upon graduation, my college teammate and good friend Rob Chilcoat put me in touch with the coach at the University of Essex in the U.K. where he informed me there were opportunities to play volleyball and earn a Master’s degree. I graduated from the University of Essex in 2016 with my M.B.A. and with a revitalized passion for volleyball and sharing this opportunity with others. I moved to London and worked as a consultant whilst playing semi-professional volleyball for IBB Polonia London. We won the 2016 Volleyball England National Cup and the 2016 Super 8’s Championships. We also placed 9th in the 2016 CEV Challenge Cup. |
In 2018 I signed my first professional volleyball contract with Nea Salamina Famagusta in Cyprus. It was a dream come true. Nea Salamina Famagusta hired me for the 2019 season as an assistant coach and I doubled down on my passions for sharing this experience with others by establishing the Guimond Vukovic Group. We are delighted to have helped over 50 student athletes to continue their careers. There is a wealth of opportunities out in Europe and abroad - let us help you to achieve your goals and enable your success abroad and at home.
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VLADIMIR VUKOVIC
I am Vladimir Vukovic from Ruma, Serbia. In May of 2013, I graduated from Mount Mercy University (Iowa, USA) with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Economics. After competing at NJCAA D1 and NAIA D1, I decided to go back to my home country to work and continue playing basketball. I played for a professional basketball club Srem, competing in Serbian Second National League. In June of 2015, Mark Lloyd, at the time basketball coach at University of Essex (U.K.) and GB National Team Manager contacted me offering a full scholarship for my postgraduate studies. I accepted the offer immediately and applied for challenging MBA studies. This turned out to be a great opportunity as I had a chance to learn from experienced, knowledgeable, and globally recognized professors, out of which I must mention Jay Mitra as one of the world's top Entrepreneurship professors. |
In the season of 2015/2016, I played for Essex University, which was a tremendous experience as well. I enjoyed playing with an amazing group of talented players while averaging around 23 points and 15 rebounds per game. After completion of my MBA studies, I stayed in the UK for a few months to do an internship as a Business Development Manager at Signpost in Colchester. During my stay, I played for Greenhouse Pioneers, a well-known basketball club in London. As of early 2017, I reside in Belgium where I work as a corporate manager and entrepreneur while still playing basketball at a semi-pro level.
During my studies in the U.S. and U.K. I had a chance to become great friends with people from all over the world. Besides getting an athletic scholarship, having a chance to meet amazing people from different parts of the world is a wonderful thing about studying in different countries. Having a postgraduate degree from countries such as the U.K. provides you a unique advantage over other candidates regardless of your occupation. Furthermore, if you have a successful year playing your sport, then getting offered a professional contract is very likely to happen. Opportunities will come your way, so I highly advise you to step out of your comfort zone and choose the exciting and fun path. Don't think twice, get in touch with us and let's start looking for scholarship opportunities as soon as possible.
During my studies in the U.S. and U.K. I had a chance to become great friends with people from all over the world. Besides getting an athletic scholarship, having a chance to meet amazing people from different parts of the world is a wonderful thing about studying in different countries. Having a postgraduate degree from countries such as the U.K. provides you a unique advantage over other candidates regardless of your occupation. Furthermore, if you have a successful year playing your sport, then getting offered a professional contract is very likely to happen. Opportunities will come your way, so I highly advise you to step out of your comfort zone and choose the exciting and fun path. Don't think twice, get in touch with us and let's start looking for scholarship opportunities as soon as possible.
basic costs
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Course feesCourse fee's depend on your intended Master's program. They can range between £10,500 and £22,500 depending upon your course choice. Business degrees are more costly than most others, for instance.
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USA comparisonMost Master's degrees in the USA will cost around $50,000 per year. This means that, at current exchange rates, you could receive an approximate 50% discount on your Master's including the chance of a lifetime to experience the UK and play your sport abroad.
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average master's tuitionExcluding airfare, travel, food, and living expenses - a 1-year Master's will cost you between £15,675 and £21,275 (less any scholarship money)
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accomModationAccommodation (Rent) is approximately £5,500.
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health careImmigration Healthcare Surcharge (you have access to free healthcare while you study): £225
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student visaStudent VISA Typically cost around £300
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