Connecting and Supporting Each Other

During this recent time of uncertainty, the Fettes community has truly embraced the virtual environment. This is evidenced by the huge growth in participation and connectivity with the full functionality of the Fettes Community Portal and increased support for the Fettes Career Partnership programme.

We are so fortunate to be brought together by our global Fettes connection. By joining the portal, relevant help and friendship is readily to hand.

There are now over 1,800 registered users on the portal. We have welcomed a wide range of Old Fettesians from those who were at Fettes in the 1940s and are looking to reconnect with their contemporaries, to those who left Fettes in 2021 and are looking for support and guidance in the next stage of their lives, and Sixth Formers exploring their options. Former staff and parents who are willing to offer career advice have also signed up to this fantastic resource.

Careers Support Offered From 700 Old Fettesians

We are exceptionally grateful to the 700 OFs who have offered support to the Fettes Career Partnership programme since we launched Fettes Community in April 2020. Here are just some of the ways in which our wonderful community has provided support.

Oxbridge Interviews

In October, Old Fettesians with strong academic experience supported 45 applicants to Oxford and Cambridge with virtual interview practice. At Fettes we are proud to support all Oxbridge applicants from Edinburgh High Schools alongside our internal applicants. We are tremendously grateful to everyone who helped share their time and expertise. The experience is hugely valued as you will read in these testimonies gathered straight after the interviews:

The interview was beyond helpful – the questions that were asked were thought-provoking and made me seek a better understanding of my subject. The feedback was great as well – I now have clear goals to work towards when preparing for my real interview. Applicant for English & French (Ox), Portobello High School.

My interviewers were incredibly helpful in giving constructive criticism and though it was quite nerve racking and stressful, I think it has helped me gain a bit more confidence and familiarity with how the process is likely to be if I were to get an interview for Cambridge. Thank you for organising this. Applicant for Human, Social and Political Sciences (Cam), Fettes College

Careers Day Part 1 and Part 2

Fettes College Careers Day is a key day in the curriculum for Lower Sixth Form students, providing focused time to explore career journeys beyond Fettes and to consider higher education destinations and courses. This year we had to deliver it virtually when the students found themselves learning from home.

We were so very grateful to the many young OFs, listed below, who responded to our request to create short career videos for students with first-hand expertise and advice on this year’s Careers Day topics: How to shape your future, building interpersonal skills and filling your time productively.

Millie Brown (PS-Ar 2007–2014), Rory Hardie (Ca 2012–2014), Emily Cheadle (Ar 2015–2017), David Biddulph (Inv-Mo 2005–2016), Hugh Dingwall (Mo 2009–2014), James Goodenough (Inv-Mo 2004–2014), Fenella James (PS-Ar 2008–2015), Alexandra Aird (Ar 2012–2014), Josh Law (Ki 2012–2014), Ralph Shackleton (PS-Ca 2004–2015), Ali Waugh (PS-Da 2009–2016), Tom Worlledge (PS-Mo 2009–2016), Vasily Shenshin (Ca 2009–2013), Lucy Macmaster (Da 2012–2016), Eliza Le-Roy-Lewis (CE 2010–2015), Douglas Beard (PS-Gl 2009–2015), Cal Cooke (PS-Ca 2009–2017), Alex Egerton-King (Mo 2010–2015), Michael Tansini (Inv-Ca 2001–2009), Cara McKenna (CW 2014–2018), Alfie Jeavons-Fellows (Gl 2014–2016)

We are also indebted to those who participated in our panel conversation ‘Making your Time Count’, chaired by Liam Vandoorne (Ki 2001–2006), CEO of the London based headhunting firm VARO Partners. Our panelists were:

OF Wilfried Vyslozil (SH 1973–1973), Executive Chairman of SOS Children’s Villages

Current parent Ingrid Emerson MBE, Chief Executive of Project Trust, the educational charity specialising in volunteering

Current parent Tom Morton, Director of ClimateCare, a business relating to climate change and the implementation of the Paris Agreement in East Africa

‘Be the best you can be by making your own decisions’ was the title of the closing session by Tim McEwan (Gl 1987–1992), MD Talent Development & Advisory at Sheffield Haworth and Fellow in Management Practice at the Cambridge Judge Business School. Tim brought our virtual Careers Day to a conclusion with some key points and reflections to guide and support plans and career journeys beyond school.

If you would like to view the Careers Day content it can be seen here:

www.fettes.com/careers-day-public-2021

www.fettes.com/fettes-careers-day-2021–part-2–2

UCAS Mentors

OFs in the legal field have been involved in supplying a professional context to Sixth Form university applicants for law. We are very grateful to those who have been providing insights into various aspects of the law and demystifying course subject content.

Post GCSE Programme for Fifth Form

By June, Fettesians were back at school but still not able to have many external speakers. Once again, we turned to the OF community for support through the Fettes Career Partnership programme and were delighted to receive welcome support.

Adam Gordon (JS-Ki 1988–1992), CEO of Candidate.ID, provided a highly informative keynote for our Fifth Form guiding them through the thought process to create their own unique standout CV.

Inspirational videos were provided by OFs demonstrating a wide breadth of career experiences, helping students to explore and embrace career discovery at this relatively early stage in their lives.

Internships

The Mentoring pages on the Fettes Community Portal have the option to offer and seek possible internships. Throughout this challenging time, we have been humbled that 174 members have been willing to explore and discuss internship opportunities for others. Though physical work experience has been an impossibility during the pandemic, we have heard lovely stories from young OFs delighted to gain virtual work experience through this route:

Just to update you, I took your advice and joined the Fettes Community Portal and reached out to a number of OFs who said that they were willing to help me find an internship. I wanted to let you know that an OF has offered me an internship at his company for six weeks in the summer which is amazing and I am very grateful. l think it will be very interesting and useful for informing what I want to do in the future. So thank you very much for that advice. Old Fettesian