Careers Catch Up
Where will your next leap take you? - Meet your new careers coordinator - options after sixth form - What is emotional intelligence?
- discover drama - hear from a PF Old girl - enter the new careers competition Summer AutumnTerm Term2022 2022Vol Vol23
Welcome to our Autumn 2022 Careers Newsletter! It has been a busy term with lots going on.We would like to hear from you – Do you have ideas for future content? Have you done some interesting work experience or have a part-time job? We would love to hear about it! Mrs Wilson started at Prior’s Field in September as the Careers Co-ordinator and a Business teacher. She has been enjoying getting to know the students and carrying out one-to-one Careers Discussions. If you would like to have a chat about careers or your subject options then please just let Mrs Wilson know - by popping into the Careers Office, or Sixth Form Boarding House, or send her an email at kwilson@priorsfieldschool.com
Competencies and Skills
Emotional Intelligence We often describe people as intelligent – we may mean that they are good at subjects such as English and Maths and they are achieving high grades in their tests. However, Emotional Intelligence is not referred to as much in society - but it can be equally, or arguably even more, important! So, what is Emotional Intelligence (EI)? It is when people are skilled in perceiving, understanding and handling emotions. This skill is invaluable in every career in order to build positive relationships with your colleagues, customers and other stakeholders. Emotional Intelligence can be developed in a number of ways.These include: practising awareness of others, looking inward to your own responses, working on how you respond to others and learning from your mistakes. These can be good skills to discuss in an interview.
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You might like to read more about Emotional Intelligence here: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/emotional-intelligence
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STAFF FOCUS * Mrs Wilson *
In each edition we will hear from a member of staff about their career journey and hear what they have to say about how and why they are in the job they are today.
Options after Sixth Form: On-line Studies There are many options available to you to help you to develop your career long term. One option is to study on-line, perhaps alongside a job. One of the advantages of Covid was that it focused people on developing the technology to study on-line, and this opened up a whole world of new educational opportunities. Many qualifications are available, from free courses that just take a couple of hours to complete, all the way to more formal qualifications such as Bachelors and Masters degrees. There are both advantages and disadvantages to studying on-line, and these should be considered carefully. The pros can be that you can study for a qualification from the comfort of your own home or office, and you can work it around any jobs or other responsibilities. You can often work at your own pace and would have more of a choice of educational providers as you would not have to travel to them. However, you must be self-motivated, and you would be reliant on your technology working effectively! One very popular option is the Open University, which is the largest academic institution in the UK by student number. It started over 50 years ago, giving everyone in the world access to distance learning. Students can study a variety of different qualifications such as diplomas and degrees. They can choose to study one subject, or they can build up points from several different subjects to be awarded an Open Degree. For more information about Open University follow this link: https://www.open.ac.uk/
Careers Competition! Did you know that Whoopi Goldberg used to be a Bricklayer?! Find out about 3 other celebrities who used to do a different job to the one they are famous for and email your answers to Mrs Wilson for a prize!
In this issue we will hear from Mrs Wilson, Careers co-ordinator and Business teacher Have you always been a teacher? No, I originally worked in Arts Marketing, for venues such as Wimbledon Theatre and Fairfield Halls, then I was the Groups Manager at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I later trained to be a teacher and also worked as a housemistress in a junior girls’ house. I then added Careers to my role as it was a natural link with teaching Business. Qualifications Undergraduate: CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing - ACIM Postgraduate: CIM Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing - DipM PGCE (Certificate in Education) NCFE Level 1, 2 and 3 in Counselling skills What skills do you think help you to succeed in your career? Multitasking is important – I am a big fan of writing ‘To do’ lists on post-it notes! Also getting involved and being open to trying out new ideas. What advice would you give to your younger self? Appreciate the small things every day at work - anything from successfully helping a student to enjoying a hot drink with colleagues at break time. What do you love about your job? I have loved getting to know the girls and staff at Prior’s Field through my teaching and careers discussions. It is such a friendly and vibrant school. I am also a big fan of unicorns - so this really is my dream job!
Work Experience – Alumnae Support Hello, I’m Polly Murray and I was here as a pupil from 1995-2000 and I work here as Alumnae Manager. My job is varied and involves helping match current students with Old Girls who can help you.
PF ALUMNAE Clare Aldrich Talent Acquisition Business Partner at QBE Insurance
You’ve come to the right place if you are looking for help and advice with your career, specifically from someone who has ‘been there, done that’! If you already have an idea of what interests you, then please come to room 614 in the Sixth Form House and say hello. I have a database full of PF Old Girls who are willing to help. We may just have someone already doing what you want to get into - it’s worth an ask! We also love to help with work experience, so we might know someone already working in your dream job and we can ask if you could shadow them. Whether it’s a stunt woman, a vet, a first officer, a barrister, a declutterer and everything in between, we’ve got you covered! Use the search function on our careers page to make the first step!
Opportunities
PF Old Girl: 2005 - 2012 A Levels: English Literature, Music, History and Philosophy and Ethics The University of York to study Music Scan to watch an interview with Clare
There are lots of opportunities available for you to sign up for. Scan the QR code to see if you are interested in any of them.
FEATURED SUBJECT: Drama and where it can take you! Drama is a subject which many students assume is all about performance. However, it really is an all-round subject which can be beneficial for any future career path. Studying Drama develops important skills of empathy and understanding. The course encourages pupils to reflect on life and to be creative, while building a sense of community together. You will learn about the world around you, how and why people make the choices that they do. Using well known plays, students explore how scripts can be re-imagined, how meaning is created and how to challenge an audience. This naturally helps to develop skills of analysis and evaluation which complement many other subjects. Students can also learn about the technical aspects of theatre which can be essential to a production.There are so many jobs related to Drama - just see where the subject could take you!