As part of our ongoing World Ready Programme, Year 12 came together last week for an insightful session on the concept of “Non-Linear Careers.” In today’s world, the idea of having one job for your whole life is disappearing. Instead, most people now move between different types of work as they pick up new skills or find new things they’re interested in.

Ms. Postlethwaite, Deputy Head of Sixth Form and Head of Careers, set the scene by sharing some striking statistics that highlight why adaptability is now so important:

5–7: The number of times 18–24 year olds are expected to change jobs.

21%: The percentage of graduates who use their specific degree subject in their daily work.

66%: The number of millennials who express a desire to change their career direction entirely.

A panel of familiar faces revealed their own non-linear career journeys, featuring Mr. Hegarty, Ms. McQuillan, Mr. Desai, Ms. Beckerman, Ms. Postlethwaite, and Ms. Eckert, all shared stories from their previous professional incarnations, which included:

• Professional DJ and Podcaster
• Accountant
• Ghostwriter
• Actor
• Small Business Owner

The discussion moved from personal history to practical advice. Our panellists encouraged students to “de-catastrophise” the idea of a plan changing, urging them to be flexible and embrace the occasional chaos of the job market.

A key takeaway for the Year 12s was the importance of exploration. The panel suggested using internships and part-time jobs specifically to “try things out” – even roles they don’t think they want long-term as you will learn something valuable about yourself.

Finally, a wise word of caution was shared regarding “side-hustles”: sometimes, monetising a hobby can steal the joy from it, so it is vital to maintain interests and hobbies purely for ourselves outside of work.

A huge thank you to our staff panel for their honesty and for showing our students that while the path to success isn’t always a straight line, it is certainly an exciting one.