Career Advice
Over the last few months, Top Ender has been having fairly serious discussions with Flyfour and I about her future. Conversations about where she sees herself in ten, fifteen, twenty years time. What career she thinks she might like. What university could be like for her. What she needs to do after her A-Levels and GCSEs. What she needs to do now to ensure she is ready for her GCSE's.
We've been serious and discussed various careers we think will suit her. Like maybe she could work in Air Traffic Control, or maybe she could be an Accountant or something else that deals with numbers. There has also, of course, been some slightly not serious discussions. Top Ender suggested where she could become either an Ancient Emperor's Concubine or a Vestal Virgin. We pointed out however that we don't live in ancient Rome and she doesn't speak anything other than English so these careers may not be for her.
There was one bit of advice in all the conversations that we had that she did take seriously. Get an Appointment with the Careers Advisor and see what they have to say.
So, Top Ender requested an appointment through her form tutor and was given a time slot to go along and meet with the Advisor one form time.
The appointment was not like the ones Flyfour and I had many years ago.
Top Ender and the Advisor sat and chatted about what interests Tops had, about what career she had in mind, what her current and predicted grades were, what her attendance at School was like, what her parents did and if they would be supportive of her goals. Top Ender made us all laugh when she admitted that she had told the Advisor;
"My parents are so supportive, I could tell them I want to be a Greek Prostitute and they would buy me the flight out."
Luckily, Top Ender and the Careers Advisor laughed heartily at this and I'm not going to be having a call from Social Services any time soon about pushing my daughter into unsuitable careers and our passports aren't going to be flagged up if we buy flights to Greece!
Top Ender left her careers appointment, with a plan.
With the help of Flyfour and I, she is now looking seriously at various universities.
Top Ender is comparing the courses and the course content, the percentage of employed students after graduation, the price of living in the various areas of the universities she is looking at, the rankings, the social opportunities and clubs on offer (and if there is a Guides Unit she can help out at!) and, heaven help me, she is planning on going to a few University open days to get a feel for the different places and to check out how far she'd' need to travel to Church each week.
I am so not ready for this!
We've been serious and discussed various careers we think will suit her. Like maybe she could work in Air Traffic Control, or maybe she could be an Accountant or something else that deals with numbers. There has also, of course, been some slightly not serious discussions. Top Ender suggested where she could become either an Ancient Emperor's Concubine or a Vestal Virgin. We pointed out however that we don't live in ancient Rome and she doesn't speak anything other than English so these careers may not be for her.
There was one bit of advice in all the conversations that we had that she did take seriously. Get an Appointment with the Careers Advisor and see what they have to say.
So, Top Ender requested an appointment through her form tutor and was given a time slot to go along and meet with the Advisor one form time.
The appointment was not like the ones Flyfour and I had many years ago.
Top Ender and the Advisor sat and chatted about what interests Tops had, about what career she had in mind, what her current and predicted grades were, what her attendance at School was like, what her parents did and if they would be supportive of her goals. Top Ender made us all laugh when she admitted that she had told the Advisor;
"My parents are so supportive, I could tell them I want to be a Greek Prostitute and they would buy me the flight out."
Luckily, Top Ender and the Careers Advisor laughed heartily at this and I'm not going to be having a call from Social Services any time soon about pushing my daughter into unsuitable careers and our passports aren't going to be flagged up if we buy flights to Greece!
Top Ender left her careers appointment, with a plan.
With the help of Flyfour and I, she is now looking seriously at various universities.
Top Ender is comparing the courses and the course content, the percentage of employed students after graduation, the price of living in the various areas of the universities she is looking at, the rankings, the social opportunities and clubs on offer (and if there is a Guides Unit she can help out at!) and, heaven help me, she is planning on going to a few University open days to get a feel for the different places and to check out how far she'd' need to travel to Church each week.
I am so not ready for this!