Two alumni, a parent and representatives of local businesses gave their time to help inspire the next generation at a Careers Carousel this November. Representing a wide range of careers, they delivered a series of interactive talks about their work to Girls’ Division Year 8 pupils. These sessions helped the girls to start exploring their options for the future.
Old Girl Sara Hatia (Class of 2024) is a second-year Solicitor Apprentice at Weightmans LLP, working full-time while studying at university one day a week to work towards her law and legal practice degree. She was able to share insights into the different practice areas of law and what they entail, as well as explaining more about degree apprenticeships and their benefits. She advised those girls interested in a legal career to choose subjects they enjoy and are passionate about, as they would be more likely to succeed. Her session also included a role-play activity and an interactive quiz to help the students understand what the law is all about.
Old Boy Sub Lieutenant Charlie Jones (Class of 2020) joined the Royal Navy in January 2024 as a Warfare Officer. Before commencing Initial Officer Training at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), he was a Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme student sponsored by the Royal Navy while studying Mechanical Engineering at Aston University. He told students that working in the Royal Navy means being ready for anything at any time, spoke about the importance of teamwork and confidence, and said that his role is full of both variety and challenges as well as the chance to see lots of the world. He explained that his works alongside soldiers from many different countries and alongside NATO. He also advised his audience to say yes, as “opportunities come to those who step forward”.
Parent Hesham Ali is a Consultant Orthodontist at Royal Bolton Hospital and has private practice through the North West. He also teaches on the MSc in Orthodontics as Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Manchester, as well as delivering lectures to undergraduate dental students. He explained what orthodontists do, sharing case studies that showed the impact on patients, but also describing the teamwork needed, as he works alongside dentists, hygienists and gum specialists to resolve cases. He advised pupils to stick to their passions to end up in the right career, and said that personal satisfaction in a role is key to enjoying a job.
The Careers Carousel also featured speakers from three local businesses.
Matthew Thornton is an Optometrist who is currently Optometry Director for the Specsavers practices in Bolton’s town centre, at Middlebrook and at Sainsbury’s. He talked to pupils about the different roles within optometry, how this field has developed alongside our understanding of eye health, and the technology in use today, including the microscopic details that are available to optometrists when conducting an eye test. He spoke about his passion for great patient care and customer service, and the positive difference optometrists can make to people’s lives.
Grace Barton is a data analyst who now runs her own data business, using data insights to help companies better understand their customers and make smarter, evidence-based decisions. Her background is in Psychology, and it was her curiosity about what drives people’s behaviour (not a love of maths) that led her to data. She spoke to Year 8 about what she does: helping brands to understand what is or isn’t working for their business, and turning the numbers into graphs and dashboards to help give insights. She showed some of the data behind ‘you might like …’ prompts on business pages.
Ben Kirby is a Design Engineer and Team Leader at MGF Ltd, a Temporary Works company offering design and supply of equipment for excavation support and structural propping of existing buildings. He talked to pupils about civil engineering, which he described as “the art of directing sources of power in nature to benefit society”, and described engineers as problem-solvers. He said that civil engineering has a focus on being environmentally friendly and explained the huge amounts of pressure involved, using the Hoover Dam as an example. He also touched on routes into becoming an engineer, for example through a degree or apprenticeship.
The Year 8 girls were engaged throughout the morning as they discovered more about this wide-ranging variety of careers. The Careers Carousel event was a great jumping-off point for them to start thinking about what they might like to do in the future.
Photos from the Careers Carousel:
