This term we welcomed our new Careers and Higher Education Guidance Counsellor, Samantha Cathro. Samantha joins us from Riverside International School in Prague where she worked as High School Careers Counsellor. We met up with Sam this week to find out more!
Welcome to Dover Court Sam, tell us more about your role here at DCIS
Thank you! I will be working alongside the Academic and Pastoral team to support DCIS students through their academic and career decision making.
When should students start thinking about their future studies and the world of work
Children are never too young to start thinking about what they enjoy and what possibilities lay ahead for them. However, we know that the job market is changing so quickly and that the subject that you study at university does not necessarily determine your future career path. In the UK up to 70% of advertised graduate vacancies do not require a specific degree and are open to graduates of any discipline. As such, we always encourage students to think about what they enjoy and what they are good at, as they are more likely to succeed if they are taking subjects they love and have a passion for.
How can students prepare for their future?
Apart from working hard at school, I always advise students to keep up their interests and hobbies outside of school. Extracurricular activities can really help to further develop skills such as creativity, teamwork, problem solving and leadership, which university admissions tutors will be looking for. It’s also a great opportunity to talk to adults working in your areas of interest who can give advice and may even be able to offer work shadowing and work experience opportunities. Even if you don’t know what you want to do when you are older, talking to different adults about their experiences and their jobs can give you some ideas. It is almost impossible to have an understanding of all the jobs available, and many of our students will go on to do jobs that haven’t been invented yet, but beginning to understand what different people do will help you to start thinking about the skills and qualities that employers look for.
How are you enjoying living in Singapore?
I love living in Singapore. I am here with my husband and two children and when they are not playing sport and taking part in matches, we love exploring Singapore as there is so much to do! We haven’t travelled that much in the region yet but it is something we are really looking forward to.
What’s coming up?
Our Year 13s have completed the majority of their university applications now so we will wait to hear what exciting destinations they are headed to once they receive their results in July. Our Year 12s are starting to think about the courses they would like to apply for, that process starts in September and we will support them through that. In the meantime, we are holding a careers fair in February that our Year 10, 11 and 12 students will attend, and we are also holding a parent workshop on 11th February, which will help parents understand how they can support their children at home.
