Well, thats what I did today!
30 years on I returned to King Edward VI Grammer School in Louth to talk to the Y13 students (that's upper 6th form in old money!!) about employability skills and career choices.
Now I’m not your model KEVIGS student; I didn’t particularly enjoy my time there, I wasn’t an academic success and I turned down my teaching uni offer, went to Lincoln college and quit 1 year later!
So, why go back? Well, credit to the school they are keen for the kids to hear about different perspectives and experiences, but what to say to them?! I gave it some thought and even chatted with my daughter who only one year ago would have been sat in the same hall listening to me (and cringing inside no doubt!!) and asked her what she wished someone had told her before she left.
So, alongside the practical advice about job hunting and interview techniqes, this is what I came up with:
1) You don’t have to know what you want to do when you grow up. One size does not fit all. Success is not defined by your academic qualification.
2) Follow your heat and make decisions on what makes you happy. Try to understand what you need from life, not just your immediate wants and don’t stress about the next step, it’s just another stage of an endless journey which you can endure or enjoy.
3. Try to be happy!
Funny how true all the above is for any of us at any stage in our lives!
I don’t know whether they really heard me or not, but a teacher at the back came up to me at the end and said he’d heard a kid who he knew was struggling, tell his friends as he left that he enjoyed that and found it really useful. Some kids even asked for the notes afterwards!
That’s enough for me ❤️
Thanks for inviting me back KEVIGS and hope to see you all again soon 🙂
