Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

As I have said --- there was no "Careers Advice" when I was at CH ---

I have been ------ a Soldier,a Manager for the Vestey Group,an Antique Dealer, a Production Controllor, a Works Manager, a Director of an NHS Trust, a UKAEA Microscopist, a Founder of Dorset Mind and a County and District Councillor.

I have three Pensions (Index linked) a happy marriage to TBA, a satisfactory Bank Balance and Invetments

Now where did I go wrong ? ----- obviously, I would not have led a happy and such a successful life had I been blessed with any "Advice" at CH.

I am 82 and fit.

Now I know the above will infuriate some of you ------- bu I don't moan about the bad things ---

There is no Smiley for SMUG !!

I was always brought up to be kind and tactful, NEILL, and not to be boastful.

Your post makes me feel downright angry.

But isn't that what you like? There you are.

Its called ---IRONY Darlin'

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Its called ---IRONY Darlin'

That's a very unusual dictionary you have, Neill!

Mrs C, not sure how long you have been at CH, but in the eighties we had weekly compulsory 'Careers Lectures' inthe deps, where we had a guest speaker to discuss elements of post school life. Memorable ones included a guy from IBM (no name but great presenations) 2 old blues who ahd set up in business as the Cornflake Shop (high end Audio equipment), John Edmonds (OB) who was head of the GMB union at the time, and a couple of guys from the city.

Some were very dry, but most were quite good...do these not go on any more?

Lectures still happen for Deps and Grecians - but to a lesser extent careers linked - unless you want to be an astronaut or hypnotist......

cstegerlewis wrote:

"...John Edmonds (OB) who was head of the GMB union at the time..."

I was very interested to read that, as I have been told on several occasions that Edmonds was embarrassed to have been to a public school and tried to hide it in case it tarnished his image with his fellow Trades Unionists, and for the same reason he never visited the place. Obviously, that it not true, so many thanks for correcting what was clearly a false rumour.
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On another tack, several years ago I proposed running a series of panels at the school under the title "So you would like to be a..." (fill in the blank as necessary, e.g., doctor, scientist, schoolmaster, etc). My idea was that professional recruiting teams, recruiting officers, etc, are all too slick and are trying to recruit people into their company or whatever - in other words, they have an axe to grind, and are not really interested in someone who is not already over half-way committed. I also know that there is a huge amount of expertise in the Old Blue community. So, my proposal was to set up a series of panels of Old Blues in a particular field (doctors, dentists, vets, authors, poets, naval officers, army officers, air force officers, psychiatrists, civil servants, local government officers, nurses, whatever), who would give a presentation on their profession, dividing the subject among themselves so that they covered selection, training, various aspects within the profession, development within the career, what is good and bad about it, etc, etc. The aim would be to be informative and to give a rounded impression of the career, and actual recruiting would be banned. After the presentation there would be an open discussion period, followed by individual sessions, as required. This would, I thought, give those thinking about a particular career some good information and, perhaps as important, deter those who would find it would not suit them. There would, perhaps, be one per term at most, and each presentation would be open to all ages so that, for example, a twelve- or thirteen-year old thinking that because he/she liked pets, they might make a good vet, but did not know what would be required, could find out without entering into any form of commitment.
Unfortunately, as the suggestion came from an Old Blue rather than from within the school it was turned down.

Mrs C. wrote:Lectures still happen for Deps and Grecians - but to a lesser extent careers linked - unless you want to be an astronaut or hypnotist......

I did a couple of lectures to Grecians in the mid 1970's about the role of the City banks but it wasn't really career based. I suppose it was something of a parallel to our visit walking round Ford Dagenham shop floor when I was at CH.

I like what foureyes suggests very much. The pupils do have the opportunity to take part in a careers assessment but it isn't very helpful ,I have to say. You do various aptidude tests and answer questions about your likes and dislikes but the results are very vague and complicated.

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:As I have said --- there was no "Careers Advice" when I was at CH ---

There is no Smiley for SMUG !!

Neill

If I reach 82 and can feel financially secure, still married to the woman I love and enjoying every minute: I too will feel very smug

Keep trucking

LongGone wrote:

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:As I have said --- there was no "Careers Advice" when I was at CH ---

There is no Smiley for SMUG !!

Neill

If I reach 82 and can feel financially secure, still married to the woman I love and enjoying every minute: I too will feel very smug

Keep trucking

I think I might well thank Divine Providence for my luck, pray that it continued, and keep my vanity to myself! (Sorry, irony! )

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Its called ---IRONY Darlin'

I think you've just stumbled across condescension, too.

If I were you I'd be very careful about addressing a female poster in that manner......

craig,

Mike Frogatt is the IEEE's guy who goes round schools explaining why being an Engineer is fun (works for Sony Entertainment) I wonder if CH have had him around. I am convinced he must look like Professor Brainstorm now.

As an IT recruitment consultant I once volunteered to go and talk about careers in IT but never heard anything back. And Craig they weren't compulsory every week i am sure there were 12 a term and we had to choose 8. And who remebers the silly computer test held in a room in the classics block near Keeleys classroom that you answered a hundred questions saying which of 2 choices you would rather do (run a plant nursey or drive a tractor etc) and it gave you a print off of your suggested job.

said I should be a taxman

I thought everyone got ceramic artist as a recommendation? (which I was told at university was actually some sort of checksum so that the teacher knew you had filled it in correctly).

In Neill's day in the Army women were listed under sports gear.