A multiplicity of career choices

Wow, the SHAPE Careers Day at Tomlinscote School was mightily impressive. The event organisers said, and it was confirmed by the exhibitors I spoke to, that it was the best careers day they’ve held.

I occasionally wonder whether I’d like to be a student in today’s world, and mostly contentedly conclude that I’m happy with the life I lived. However, and my wife and I both agree that our working lives may have been different had we had the variety and multiplicity of career choices and advice available to the students at today’s event.

Those who know me, know that I’m happiest chatting to people, whether I’ve met them before or not. So how much fun do you think I had chatting to over 90 exhibitors, and then of course there were the students and the teachers to talk to.

We arrived just before midday and left around 5.0pm. We chatted to most of the university and college exhibitors. Here’s just a smattering of the other exhibitors we spoke with; IBM [who had an ex-Tomlinscote student on their stand], Volkswagen [who had their national training manager on their stand], a firm of private investigators, Tante Marie Culinary Academy [the oldest culinary academy in the UK, and amazingly based locally in Woking], CTC Aviation [who had a First Officer of Monarch Airlines, and a trainee officer from EasyJet on their stand], leading accountants Deloitte, and local accountants Menzies [who had a fully qualified accountant on their stand who was a past student of Kings International].

I could go on, and on. But I won’t, just to say that we joined the exhibitors and student guides for a much-needed late lunch prior to the evening session which began at 5.30pm. This is an event that deserves business, and parent support, and ongoing funding.

Finally, the ubiquitous Surrey Heath Residents Blog [aka Cllr Paul Deach] was there to capture impressions, including my inane witterings.