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A Visit to the Sevenoaks School Careers Fair

Hello from Richmond,

Last Thursday evening I attended the Sevenoaks School Careers Fair.

Going back to Sevenoaks is always a nostalgic affair for me. I spent two of my most formative years at this wonderful school - from 1992 to 1994 to finish my school career with the International Baccalaureate ( IB).

I joined Sevenoaks as a distinctly average pupil (the school was neither as popular nor as selective then as it is today). I left with a great IB score, a place to study a BSc in Economics and Philosophy at the London School of Economics, some unforgettable memories I still cherish, and friends for life, all around the globe.

So, I owe this place a lot. And I try to give back to Sevenoaks School when- and wherever I can.

Night-time stroll around campus - School House

So, what’s the Sevenoaks School Careers Fair?

Sevenoaks School hosts a yearly event where it invites over 100 Old Sennockians, parents and friends to meet with students from Years 11 and 12 to share their knowledge and career experience. With pupils starting to think about life after school, getting a lay-of-the-land on what career options are out there makes a lot of sense.

For two hours, pupils sit down for brief one-on-one chats with representatives from different industries. Industries represented that evening included aviation, asset management, banking, biopharmaceuticals, charities, civil engineering, communications, cyber security, education, energy, finance, fintech, government, healthcare, insurance, investment banking, IT, legal, medicine, media, marketing, property, public health, retail, science, technology, venture capital and veterinary medicine.

...the library...

A really great idea!.

I was invited to talk about my experiences as an entrepreneur in education. Probably somewhat unsurprisingly, my table didn’t get many visitors at first. After all, who wants to think about a career in education when in the middle of one of the most intensive educational experiences of your life? So, I sat for a good 15 minutes twiddling my thumbs before a couple of 6th Form boys took pity on me.

...the arts department...

My impressions? Amazing kids with an amazing breadth of interests!

In total I probably spoke to over 20 pupils. None wanted to be entrepreneurs in education per se. But all were curious about what I had to say. Most were a little shy at first. But as I asked the typical, annoying questions only grown-ups can pose, they opened up about their plans.

What struck me most was the pupils’ refreshing breadth of interests.

I spoke to a young Chinese gentleman about his dream to become a concert pianist. He told me about his passion for Rachmaninoff and how he’s tackling the second piano concerto at the moment. His friend was all nods of enthusiastic agreement. “He’s absolutely amazing. And he has big enough hands to play Rachmaninoff!”, he quipped.

The fair in full swing!

A young Year 11 pupil with a charming Irish accent (and nose-piercing, which would not have been allowed when I was at Sevenoaks. Times change!) told me about her plans to become an astrophysicist. She’d recently done an internship at CERN in Geneva and proceeded to give me a five-minute crash-course in particle physics. I didn’t understand much of it, but her passion for physics was palpable.

Yet another visitor to my table told me about her online jewellery business and was donating 20% of profits to support homeless women. She showed me stunning earrings, bracelets and rings, all of which she’d made in Sevenoaks’ art department. Really beautiful designs. So nice, I bought a bracelet and a ring for my wife afterwards.

Yep, even a pilot representing.

Unsurprisingly, most of the pupils I met had no clue what they wanted to do. Or if they weren’t yet convinced. “My dad wants me to be a lawyer”, a young lady from Romania told me, demonstratively rolling her eyes to heaven.

Everyone to a person impressed me with their great questions, engaging and polite demeanors and genuine curiosity. What a lovely, impressive bunch!

To round off my evening, I bumped into my old economics teacher Mr Smith. After over thirty years! Grey-haired, slow, deliberate stride, but same twinkle in his eye. “Ferdi! I need you to help me start an entrepreneurship course here at Sevenoaks. Can you come back in a couple of weeks?”

So, it’s Sevenoaks for life, I guess ;-)

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—A Visit to the Sevenoaks School Careers Fair

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A Visit to the Sevenoaks School Careers Fair