Find Your Path – Old Boltonians’ Mentoring Scheme

Amazon Fulfilment, ISBN 9798589045352 Fred Longworth, Norman’s father, spent 40-years collecting insurance premiums, mostly by bicycle. Norman attended Oxford Grove School then Bolton School and in the course of his work has travelled the world. This is one of many reflections of Lord Leverhulme’s vision for the School. From Oxford Grove Norman brought a developing interest in music and from the Unitarian Church an active social life. At Bolton School he became a keen cricketer and discovered a talent for languages. In the RAF he trained as a statistician and after national service he became a teacher. Always inventive and innovative he created a medieval village with his class in one school and devised outdoor geography projects at another, taking pupils to Scotland, Wales and the continent. His experience prepared him for a role in education at IBM and this also required further training in maths and computer science. In London he worked with IBM on liaison between schools and industry. A particular highlight was a session with the Covent Garden Opera at Woodberry Down School whose headmaster was a nationally-recognised figure. A conference in Marseilles was the beginning of Norman’s international career. In South Africa he was uncomfortably aware of the difference in provision for white children and black children for whom he was assigned to install computers, learning later that the government “had reneged on the agreement”. In the USA he examined developments in satellite distance learning. Norman was invited to take part in the European initiative for lifelong learning, linking schools, cities, countries and continents. UNESCO envisaged a global platform for learning cities and principles continually evolved, leading to definitions of skills and their applications. Travel introduced amazing experiences. In Australia with Maggie, his wife, he saw aboriginal cave paintings, in Zambia they visited the Victoria Falls, in China they saw the fields of terracotta warriors. In Thailand he concluded, “My dad was wrong. There are places worth seeing outside of England.” Now they have retired to the South of France and this book is witness to shared ability, active lives and dedication to lifelong learning. Bolton remains a vivid memory as a series of dialect poems shows and the reader recognises the depth of Norman’s gratitude to the town, his parents and the School. Charles Winder (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-1999)

The Find Your Path scheme is offered free of charge to all young Old Bolts seeking support and guidance on their journey into work. Every mentee is personally hand-matched with a mentor specifically chosen for their wealth of professional experience and extensive network of contacts. Through their mentors’ bespoke advice and specialist insights, including assistance with application processes and preparation for interview, mentees are able to leverage the Old Boltonian network to help set themselves apart from the competition. Two recent participants in the Find Your Path scheme can attest to its impact. Ben Crossland (Class of 2014) sought the support of a mentor in navigating the first unfamiliar steps onto the career ladder, after completing a degree in International Relations at St Andrew’s. After working with his mentor to assess the Ben now works for a tech company in opportunities available to him, Ben was able to move forward with clarity, the USA initially securing a role with a Digital Marketing start-up in London and subsequently being recruited to Oracle, a tech company based out of Austin, Texas. Muhiyud-Dean Mirza (Class of 2017) joined the scheme during the final year of his Mathematics degree at the University of Warwick. MuhiyudDean’s parents work in entirely different occupations, and thus were not able to offer informed guidance on how he Muhiyud-Dean has joined a could make best use of his Mathematics degree. Being paired with a mentor consultancy firm from outside his family network, who was able to offer neutral, tailored advice, was invaluable to Muhiyud-Dean as he considered the career path most suited to his skills. Through his mentor’s extensive network of contacts, he was connected with professionals working in the industries he was considering, as well as with senior figures in several industries of which he had not previously been aware. As a result, from knowing nothing of how a Mathematics degree could translate to a career in Consulting, MuhiyudDean secured a job offer from Kubrick, a consultancy firm specialising in data, where he started this autumn. In these uncertain times, where the graduate employment market is the most competitive it has ever been, bespoke advice from an experienced mentor can provide the margin of difference required to succeed. Whether you’re considering the career path you wish to pursue post-graduation, or have found your plans have been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, working with a Find Your Path mentor could be of real benefit to your prospects of success. If you feel the Find Your Path mentoring scheme could make a difference to your career progression, or would be interested in supporting fellow Old Boltonians as a mentor, please contact the Development Office.