PGC: 'Those Who Dare' Networking Event

On Friday 18th November, College hosted a career networking event titled ‘Those Who Dare’ for UC5 to SFC2 (Year 11 to 13) students. This was a big step away both from the digital events held during the pandemic, but also from single field events, involving professionals from a wide range of careers. We moved around in a carousel-like format in small groups, ensuring that we could speak to as many guests as possible. This prevented a ‘pigeonholed’ mindset into a singular career path and allowed us to ask questions and learn from an amazing variety of experiences. Among those in attendance were a firefighter, artist, pilot, journalist, diplomat, musician, archaeologist and detective constable.

As students, it’s sometimes easy to feel constricted by a very narrow view of success. This probably involves a rigid career plan by the time you’re 16, for example, going to university, then finding a respectable job with a high salary (most likely as a doctor or lawyer). After speaking to the many guests, it is evident that success holds many different shapes and forms. Though everyone differed greatly in backgrounds and lifestyles, from a master’s in Archaeology to not going to university at all, what brought all the guests together is their clear passion for what they do. This passion, this drive that they shared, was a product of them taking a risk, daring to do something different, at some point in their lives.

I think I speak for many when I say the evening was incredibly inspiring. Being able to hear someone’s story in person is vastly different from reading it from a career pamphlet; even if we weren’t particularly interested in taking on a specific career, there was something valuable to be gained from every conversation. My favourite piece of advice was “it's never too late, you just need to have the courage” – something that fits the motto ‘Those Who Dare’ perfectly.

Alicia, SFC1 (Year 12)

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