Prior's Field Careers Catch Up - December 2023

Careers Catch Up

what is your next step?

- Staff focus - Miss Murray

- Discover geography

- life after sixth form

- hear from a PF Old girl

- Organisation techniques

- careers competition AutumnTerm Term2022 2023Vol Vol26 Summer

The AutumnTerm seems to have flown by and the seasons have changed from balmy evenings to frosty winter mornings already! Meanwhile in the Careers department, the Fifth Form have all undertaken their Morrisby psychometric tests which generated a detailed report for each student advising them on possible future paths. Mrs Wilson then had an individual Careers discussion with each Fifth Form student to help them to work out their next steps and longer-term plans.

Upper Sixth students have been working on their UCAS and other applications and have also been busy putting their Enterprise skills into practice by planning the school RAG Day for the end of term. The Lower Sixth have been starting to explore possible university courses or apprenticeships, and they have been impressed with the wide range of options available to choose from.

Our lectures have continued, with a particularly memorable visit from Old Girl Amy Maris who gave a fascinating talk on life as a TV and Film Stunt Performer and what it is like to work in the industry. Here she is, in the photo above, demonstrating her sword fighting skills!

If you would like to have a chat about careers or your subject options then please contact Mrs Wilson, Head of Careers, by popping into the Careers Office, or Huxley House, or send her an email at kwilson@priorsfieldschool.com.

Competencies and Skills

ORGANISATION Does your desk look something like this?! If so, it could be helpful to develop your organisational skills!

Employers like their workers to be organised and efficient, whether it is turning up on time for work, keeping things looking tidy or being able to find that ever-so-important document quickly.

So what could you do to improve your organisation?

- Declutter your workspace to avoid distractions - Write a to-do list - Prioritise your tasks

- Set goals for yourself

- Reward yourself

You can read more about organisational skills here: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/organizational-skills

STAFF FOCUS

* Miss Murray * 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.

Life after Sixth Form: Most Unusual University Degrees!

There are some very unusual university degrees in the UK these days! Maybe you would like to study Time by doing a Horology degree in Birmingham, or possibly Ethical Hacking in Dundee to help to reduce the world’s cyber problems? If these do not appeal to you, how about studying Ethnobotany in Kent to learn how humans respond to plants, or even Surf Science in Plymouth while you catch some big waves! Do you enjoy arranging flowers?

Then a degree in Floral Design in Myerscough could be just the thing for you. Prefer animals? You could go to Chester University to study Animal Behaviour and Psychology – apparently cockroaches have personalities!

To find out more about unusual university courses, visit the link below: https://www.savethestudent. org/extra-guides/10-mostunusual-uk-university-degrees. html

In this issue we will hear from Polly Murray, Development and Alumnae Manager: Have you always worked in schools? If not, what else have you done and what was it like?

I taught Music Technology at Longacre after university, but this is my first full-time job in a school. In between, I have had many jobs in learning and development and event management. I have had some very bizarre jobs over the years, so come and ask me about the time I had to flood a house and put rotting meat in a room – I told you it was bizarre. The things you do in your 20s!

What skills do you think help you to succeed in your career?

From a very early age, I would help in my dad’s shops, so retail was something I’d always done. I think the customer service that I learnt from the very beginning stood me in good stead for interacting with people all through my working life.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell myself to ‘go for it’. I was so shy and didn’t have the confidence to do what I would take in my stride now. Stop caring what people think and don’t try and be anyone else.

Above all, try not to let others get you down!

What do you love about your job?

Opportunities Unifrog is the Careers platform used by students in the Fourth to Sixth Form.

Scan the QR code to explore your career options. www.unifrog.org

I have found a job I absolutely love, as it incorporates so many things I enjoy – I get to meet Old Girls of all ages, I edit the alumnae magazine, I manage the alumnae social media and web pages, I look after a team of volunteers in the school’s archive, I put on events, host tours and reunions and everything in between. Being a former pupil of the school really helps to connect with the alumnae.

Careers Competition!

What are Green Careers? Find out and email Mrs Wilson with the names of 3 Green Careers for a prize!

Scan the QR codes to learn more:

Work Experience – On-line Jobs There are now many opportunities to gain work experience from the comfort of your own room – and some of them are even for free! This can be a great way to gain work experience, particularly in areas in which it might be more difficult to gain experience in person, such as in the medical profession, counselling or manufacturing. It will help you to understand the role, develop the relevant skills and it looks great on application forms for courses or jobs. One organisation offering on-line work experience is Springpod, you can see their range of opportunities by clicking on the link below: https://www.springpod.com/virtualwork-experience

PF ALUMNAE Dr Olivia Goode

PF Old Girl: 2005 - 2007 Find out what it takes to work in a laboratory from Dr Olivia Goode https://community.priorsfieldschool. com/news/old-girl-in-focus/109/109Research-success-for-Dr-Goode

FEATURED SUBJECT: Geography and where it can take you With the growing importance of issues such as climate change, migration, environmental degradation, global disease and inequalities, Geography is one of the most relevant courses you could choose to study.

As a subject linking the arts and the sciences Geography is highly flexible in terms of what you can combine it with, both at GCSE and A Level.The broad nature of the subject also means that it provides lots of opportunities for careers. For example, Geography is an obvious choice for careers in sustainability and green issues, urban regeneration, energy supply, retail location, managing the effects of hazards and climate change. For careers in the world of business, an understanding of global economics forms an important part of Geography. If you are thinking of a career in law, human rights or international relations, then Geography gives you the opportunity to consider relevant issues such the consequence of migration on societies. If you are working towards a future course in medicine or veterinary medicine, then Geography is a good choice to give your A Level options the breadth that universities seek.

Organisations across the world are increasingly relying on locational intelligence to make better decisions. As a result, skills in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) such as ArcGIS are in demand more than ever. This makes Geographers, who have strong data visualisation and spatial analysis skills, even more sought after in the workplace.

Of course many A Level students do not yet have a clear idea of what kind of career they might want to pursue.

If you are in this position, remember that Geography as an A Level gives you the chance to keep your options open, as it covers both arts and science components. The skills of a geographer are vast and there are many jobs that geographers can do.

There is lots of support and advice on our Frog page – click on the ‘Going Beyond’ tab to get started!