Mayfield school holds annual careers event

Mayfield School held its fifth annual careers fair on Monday 22nd January 2018 which was described by one parent as “informative and inspirational”.

The event is aimed at raising the girls’ awareness of the wide range of career opportunities available to them. It also highlights the qualities, skills and qualifications required for certain career paths, helping them make informed choices about their future.

It was well attended with over 200 students participating and had a busy line-up of speakers covering over 21 different career options. Mary Whitlock, a Year 11 student who attended talks on Journalism, Civil Service (Westminster), Publishing and Museums, said: “The talks were all very interesting and informative and I really enjoyed hearing about careers I perhaps hadn’t thought about.”

We asked Amanda Glubb, Careers Co-ordinator at Mayfield, a few questions prior to the event.

Q: What itinerary does the evening follow?

A: There are four talks running at any one time. These can be formal presentations, slide shows or less formal discussions. Each talk lasts 25 minutes and includes time for questions from the girls.

Q: Who will be speaking at the event?

A: There are 25 speakers at the event covering 21 different career areas. These include: an airline pilot, solicitor, editors, film and TV director, journalist and novelist, accountant, banker, sports therapist, a Westminster civil servant, physiotherapist, psychiatrist, GP, a doctor in A&E, nurse, structural engineer, aerospace engineer, chartered surveyor, stage make-up artist, vet. 23 of the 25 speakers are female which I think is empowering for our pupils to see.

Students at the careers evening

Q: Do students have an opportunity to meet the speakers during or after the event?

A: Absolutely. The school offers supper for the speakers, many of whom have travelled down from London especially to attend the evening so students can talk to the speakers in this informal setting before or after the talk.

Q: Do you invite previous students back to talk at the event?

A: The majority of speakers are in fact OCs (Old Cornelians – Mayfield alumnae) but we also have some current parents, relatives of members of staff, representatives from training providers, and residents of Mayfield village giving presentations. We are very grateful to them all for giving up their time for this event.

Q: What support does the school provide to its school leavers in applying for university/apprenticeships/jobs?

A: Almost all of our pupils go to university straight from school or after a gap year so we give support with university applications, writing personal statements, Oxbridge entry and interview practice.

Students who are thinking of applying to overseas universities also attend events in London with our sixth form staff. All of the girls are encouraged to consider the wide range of options available to them.

A female pilot who came to speak at the event

Q: Does the school run any other careers events and work experience schemes for its students?

A: The Careers Evening is part of an overarching CEIAG (Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) programme at Mayfield that includes formal careers lessons as part of the curriculum, 1:1 careers guidance interviews, and other employer-contact events such as our recent “People Like Me” event for Year 8s.

The School’s next career venture is a Futures Fair, which will be opened to students at other schools in the area. Scheduled for March, it will coincide with National Careers Week and National Apprenticeship Week.