FIRST CLASS HONOURS
CAREERS NETWORK
OP CAREERS NETWORK
We are grateful to Old Pocklingtonians who give their time and expertise so generously in support of current students and recent leavers. Offering advice and opportunities through the OP network makes a positive difference to young people and their future career. Thank you.
Congratulations to the following OPs who have recently gained first class honours.
Their names will be put up on the honours boards in the Music School( Assembly Hall) as a lasting record of their achievement.
Alice Boyes( 06-13) BA( Hons) Business with Marketing Management Northumbria University
Emma Burley( 04-13) BA( Hons) History Liverpool University
Lydia Clark( 11-13) BA( Hons) Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Starred double first University of Cambridge, St John’ s College
David Dickinson( 04-12) MChem University of York
Sam Fletcher( 07-13) BSc( Hons) Psychology with Criminology Northumbria University
Catherine Hebden( 97-08) BSc( Hons) Podiatry Huddersfield University
Alice Horne( 03-10) BVM BVS( Hons) MRCVS Veterinary Medicine and Surgery University of Nottingham
Sarah Megginson( 99-10) BSc( Hons) Business Oxford Brookes
Roger Moorhouse( 06-10) BSc( Hons) Engineering University of Bristol grow the network
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OP MENTORING PROGRAMME LAUNCHED
One of the best ways the OP Association can help students is to offer an insight into other OPs’ experiences of the industry they are looking to join. This is the philosophy behind a new mentoring scheme being launched by the OP Association committee. The aim of the scheme is to give student OPs and sixth formers the opportunity to have a one-to-one connection with an OP to help develop skills and make decisions about future career options.
Committee member Richard Booth( 92- 02) who has been spearheading the scheme alongside ex-officio President, Tom Nash( 67-77), said“ The scheme offers a great opportunity for our younger members to tap into the knowledge and expertise of OPs who already have experience, insight and perhaps most importantly hindsight into a particular industry or career sector. I know from my own experience at university how invaluable it can be to have this type of support and knowledge to guide you through what can seem like a minefield at the time, especially if your parents or family members have no connections to the industry you are interested in.
“ Our mentors are all OPs who are keen to give something back and share their experiences of opportunities after graduation, so it is a win-win situation.”
The scheme is also being made available to sixth form students. OP President, Andrew Wilson( 89-99) explains“ We are offering the scheme to sixth formers as well as student or recent graduate OPs with the idea of aiding the transition from school to university to work. When I was at bar school I was assigned a mentor and although she was based in London when I was in Leeds, and I only needed to call on her a couple of times to assist with CV and interview skills, it was a huge benefit to me to know that she was there and willing to help me. I envisage a similar system with recent leavers; an OP mentor who, perhaps, studied the same course or works in the same environment as a student OP wants to be.”
As well as offering practical advice about job applications and CVs, the scheme can also provide insights into different roles, organisations or sectors, preparation for graduate recruitment and the application process, help to identify personal skills and qualities, and objective feedback to help target areas for improvement. There may also be the opportunity for workplace visits or work shadowing.
The list of mentors is not just limited to OPs. Both former and current parents from the
Elliott Dobson on the left with Nick Baines
Pocklington School community are already getting involved. Current parent Nick Baines is one example. He recently signed up to the scheme as a mentor. He commented“ I was talking to Tom( Nash) about the scheme and thought it was a great initiative. I wanted to help, so decided to offer support as a mentor to OP Elliott Dobson( 07-13). He is currently in his third year of an MA in Economics at Herriot Watt University and is thinking of going down the business finance route. To help him qualify this career path more, I found him an intern role in my company’ s( TSYS) finance department. So far things seem to be going very well for Elliott and our finance team are very pleased with his contribution, so everyone’ s happy! Aside from Elliott establishing if this is indeed the direction he wants to go, it adds to his CV, making him all the more employable when he graduates. If he wants me to, I will continue to act as his mentor as he completes his final year at university and moves into full-time work.”
So far the OPA has ten OPs and parents who have volunteered to act as mentors covering areas such as finance, business, sales and marketing, the food and drink industry, manufacturing, business, start-ups, leadership, management, professional services, IT and surveying. The next phase will be to pair up these mentors with mentees and develop the programme from there – watch this space!
If you would like to get involved in the OP mentoring programme either as a mentor or a mentee, please contact Rachel in the OP Office who will give you further details and get you started.
Tel: 01759 321307, E-mail: darer @ pocklingtonschool. com
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