Friends of Harrow Education Enhancement Sub-Committee, in conjunction with the School, organises an annual Careers’ Fair for students in Y10-Y13. Students can speak with a variety of panellists drawn from parents and friends that represent a broad variety of professions. The response to our recruitment request this year on 8 March was overwhelmingly positive, with a large number of parents volunteering their time. As a result, the number of panels was increased to 21 professional areas this year, with half of the panellists coming from the current parent body. In addition to new volunteers, we were very pleased to welcome back some volunteers who have participated in the Careers’ Fair for four years and still finding it fun and rewarding.
The cumulative career experience of the panellists was most impressive. While some have remained focussed and become industry leaders in their fields, it is not uncommon to see a change of career direction. It was repeatedly noted that a broad educational base leads to the possibility of pursuing a variety of careers upon graduation.
The exciting and versatile career paths of our panellists truly inspired the students:
- An electrical engineer became a data scientist;
- An Astrophysics major became a materials scientist and then a communications consultant, whilst a Semiconductor Physicist entered the finance world as an electronic trading manager;
- Investment bankers and engineers diversified into a broad range of areas including PR and crisis management, electronic trading, policy development and strategic advice to government, major project consulting, senior management of multinational corporations, photography and film production, and interior design;
- A respiratory medicine specialist moved into clinical anaesthesia;
- Medical doctors and dentists expanded their interests and roles to business management, teaching and training;
- A crown servant and prosecutor described broad experience in a variety of disciplines including aviation with the RAF, engineering, export, foreign matter and policy;
- A Psychology and Journalism graduate became a market analyst in a fund management company;
- A lawyer became a professional singer;
- A software engineer became a musician and entrepreneur;
- An English major graduate became a vet nurse;
- A Royal Naval College graduate flying fast jets for the RAF, became a property analyst, followed by a management role in securities’ sales.
Student feedback included: “I have found my career!” “No, I no longer want that career!” “It is hard to make a lot of money! Some students showed their appreciation and politely wrote: “Thank you for organising this event!”