'Design You Future’ gave Kendrick students a massive opportunity to learn about new careers and potential higher education options. As a current Year 11, I found the evening helpful in consolidating my A-level options, as I could see where each choice could lead me. Having talked to younger years about the careers fair, they also found it very beneficial as they start thinking about what subjects they might like to think about form some possible career destinations.

On another note, I was really proud of my mum who got involved by encouraging the company she is employed by to attend the event. Although they have offices very close to Kendrick, prior to this they had never been in direct contact professionally with the school. She realises now, just how important this relationship could be in attracting bright young women into scientific clinical work and career paths they offer. If anyone reading this would like to offer either sponsorship or time and expertise to similar forthcoming events, please make contact with the school: admin@kendrick.reading.sch.uk

The evening was an enjoyable and informative evening for all students attending. It was helpful to see the range of jobs and universities to help them start to know what they would like to do when they are older.  For Year 10s, we are currently (or soon to be) deciding what sort of jobs we would for work experience so Learning to Work was useful in showing the different options we could choose from. It was also useful as I could see what jobs matched my GCSEs and so what line of work I could do when I am older. Overall, the event was hugely helpful and informative for all years attending and we look forward to attending future events like this one.

All of the students that went to the Careers Evening found it to be a wonderful experience. Some Year 9’s told me that the evening gave them a better idea of what subjects they want to take for GCSEs. As a Year 10, I found the evening very useful as I have work experience coming up in a couple of months so I was able to talk to people from businesses I would like to do work experience with. I was also able to see what universities offered potential career paths I would want to go down. All of the businesses and universities at the event gave great advice and had inspiring stories about their business/job. There was a great selection of businesses; ranging from Heathrow Airport Ltd to Virgin Media, this meant there was something that interested everyone.

“The event was filled to the brim with many different opportunities and students all across the year group. The businesses offered great advice to everyone, even as a Year 10, I found it extremely useful. There were various businesses that cover many probable future careers- from Heathrow to Visa, covering a large range of interests and able to adapt to all the student’s needs. As well as this, many colleges/universities attended such as Henley and Oxford. Personally, I found the Oxford professor very accommodating and quick to answer any questions my family and I had. My friends, in the younger years, also believed this event helped them understand more about the process of finding out about future careers better.  For me, it helped me consider different areas in which I could obtain work experience.” 

“I personally found the event very beneficial and informative, as it enabled me to look at post-school options and career paths based on Aeronautical engineering, which is what I would like to do in the future. Talking to universities gave me a feel of what the different universities are like, and I also opened myself up to the opportunity of doing apprenticeships, which is something I hadn't considered before. There were many interesting companies that I found out about - one being BAE Systems, who had an incredibly fascinating defence submarine project.’