As part of our transition programme for Year 11-13 students, we have had various guest speakers join us online to discuss their career paths with our students. Our guest speakers have already achieved phenomenal heights in their various areas of profession, whether it is in sports journalism or the banking sector, and were all eager to share their incredible experience and knowledge with our students.
One of the first guests from Google was Mr Kevin McDaid discussing his career path and what challenges he envisages in the modern workplace. Our students were shocked to discover that despite being quite young, Kevin had pursued multiple career paths, with his forewarning that most occupations we currently have will become obsolete in the near future. Kevin shared valuable life lessons, particularly his change of university and course choice. He discussed the transferable skills he acquired though his degree in economics, whilst also reminding students that he had never studied it at A Level. He also greatly excited our students by revealing the opportunities available to find internships at big global companies.
Wednesday’s careers chat had more of a family and creative feel, with the graphic designer, Stephen McLaughlin speaking to some of our Art and Media Studies students. He discussed the importance of maintaining a portfolio and combining economic necessity with creative inspiration. In addition to speaking about his own career path, he also shared some exciting projects he had recently completed. Our students walked away inspired to pursue their dreams and to branch out into different fields.
After the meeting with Mr Kevin McLaughlin, sports journalist, Alisa, one of our Year 11 students took the time to share her impression:
“Heading into the interview, I don’t believe many of us knew exactly what to expect, since this is the first time our school has organised something like this. However, it was certainly an interesting and educational experience. Mr McLaughlin shared with us lots of different work stories and some fascinating information about the various stages of his career path, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of choosing his career. Some subjects mentioned were how journalism has changed over recent years, especially due to the rapidly growing use of social media; the opportunities that come with journalism, such as being able to meet renowned athletes in person; and particular difficulties, with which a sports journalist might be faced, for example having to be careful with what you reveal to the public, as this may be controversial or damaging information."
Our students also met with Mr Ken McCarthy, a successful businessman based in Barcelona, who was able to take time out from his busy schedule to talk with our students. He explained his story of how he came from a small village in the west of Ireland to working in future markets training in Chicago. He also provided fascinating insight into the challenges of operating a business in the current economic climate. His advice to get a “valuable degree” as a starting point definitely resonated strongly with our students.
Our students were also incredibly fortunate to have a session with Mr Ronan Doherty, a senior manager in the banking sector. Mr Doherty’s talk touched on aspects of leadership, how he refined and matured in his leadership style, and also the importance of mental health issues. What was fascinating to our students was that Mr Doherty focused on how his activities outside of work, namely managing a football team, helped him become a better leader. The key takeaway was to be brave and to pursue a career that makes us as happy as can be!
Written by Brendan Henderson, Head of Year 11
