At the end of the Summer Term, the Careers Department threw a challenge out to the students to take some time during the holiday to undertake tasks to develop their careers curiosity through work related experiential activities. We encourage such activities because they lead to personal growth and are an important way to refine employability skills and explore careers options. Whilst these are admirable reward enough, added enticement was offered in the chance to win an Uber Eats or Amazon voucher for notable entries!
Students were encouraged to explore the Careers SharePoint site and found links to work experience sign-ups, virtual learning opportunities and information on how to write a CV and approach a company for a work opportunity. Furthermore, they found guidance on how to reflect on their experiences using the STAR system, a key requirement of entry to the challenge.
From the Fourths to Lower Sixth, students completed virtual work experiences and volunteered at local organisations, some incorporating this with a trip abroad. Some of our more intrepid pupils approached a company of interest and secured a work placement; others researched more deeply about influential people or an aspect of a career; and one attended lectures at a university. They gained new skills and further developed existing skills and discovered surprising aspects about the jobs they thought they were going to do. All learned more about a career they were already interested in and several discovered an interest in a career path that they hadn’t really considered before.
Many sectors were represented reflecting an array of interests; Local Government (Housing), E-Commerce, Finance, Acting, Translation, Aeronautical and Space Engineering, Software Development, Technology Innovation (surgical), Asset Management, Marketing and Research (EMR).
Some students were able to benefit from rich conversations with significantly experienced people in a field and others learned about how they functioned in a work environment, perhaps learning about less appealing aspects or discovering how important adaptability can be. Despite an initial inertia many felt at the thought of dedicating precious holiday time to such pursuits, feedback indicates that the more they engaged with it, the more rewarding it became. Pictured below are prize winners; Pranav S, Amrit S and Sam Y.
Key reflections from some of the submissions reflect this as indicated by the student quotes below:
“I enjoyed growing my network.”
“I enjoyed the opportunity to talk about the job with people in the job.”
“I feel more confident in my ability to apply skills in problems solving and project management, regardless of the field.”
“I found the experience really rewarding and I am determined to pursue a career in this field.”
“Prior to this summer I was very set on applying for Law at university and becoming a solicitor… I have broadened my horizons and am not only considering different fields of law (competition law and arbitration) but also more finance related areas.”
“I had never realised this specific area of research existed… I never saw it as a viable career path.”
The Careers MTS SharePoint site is accessed via the MTS Pupil Portal. It is constantly being updated with new work experience opportunities and details of online courses and lectures so students should regularly check what’s new. We’d also encourage pupils to take advantage of their friends and family network which can offer invaluable connections. Support for applications can be obtained via the Careers office.
