He began his football career playing part-time for Burton Albion in the Northern Premier League while studying for a civil engineering degree at the University of Nottingham.
He managed 13 league appearances again in 1983–84 – this time scoring twice – but did not make the squad for the FA Cup final, which Watford lost 2–0 to Everton.
The Latics were relegated from the FA Premier League just after this disappointment, but Jobson remained loyal to them for more than a year afterwards despite their failure to return to the elite.
He helped them qualify for the Division Three playoffs in his first season at Spotland,[14] but featured less frequently in the following campaign and retired in May 2003, playing the final game of his career six days before his 40th birthday.
Jobson succeeded Nick Cusack as chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) in November 2002, remaining in the post until he retired as a player.