On Friday 28th September, Dr Devika Patel addressed a large group of students keen to learn more about a career in psychiatry. Devika explained the differences between a psychiatrist and a psychologist, talked about what to expect from working in mental health and the different specialist areas. She also talked about work-life balance, salary, and the typical day of a psychiatrist in the NHS.
Other students learned about life as an officer in the British Army. Mrs Hargraves was able to talk about her own experiences of operational tours as well as providing information about the varied career options and travel opportunities in the Armed Forces.
Some students opted to hear from Old Edwardian Tara Parashar, who talked about working in digital marketing and journalism. As Social Media Content Editor for the National Theatre, Tara was able to share her experiences about the variety of her job, from creating film content for different platforms and analysing data on audience engagement, to interviewing the likes of David Tennant. She spoke honestly about the mistakes she has made which allowed her to learn and grow, as well as the value of having an open mind when making the most of opportunities.
Monday saw three Old Edwardians return to School. Hannah Whitehouse spoke to girls about careers in the Police Force and her role as a Detective Inspector in West Midlands Police. It was fascinating to have an insight into the work of those who serve to protect our communities and the importance of neighbourhood policing and offender management. Hannah gave a great breakdown of the variety of areas in which a police officer can specialise: crime investigation, counter terrorism, firearms, surveillance, air support and the dog section amongst many others.
Over lunchtime, some girls were able to hear from Katherine Coates about her vast experience in all aspects of corporate and commercial law. Katherine highlighted the value of enjoyment of a subject for achieving top grades at university, and the diverse skills that a career in law draws upon and develops.
Ruth Maclean, Product Manager at Pivotal Software, talked about her work in the technology industry and involved students in an activity aimed at helping them to identify the ‘sweet spot’ in considering what they enjoy and what they are good at when it comes to exploring future career paths.
In addition to her careers talk, Ruth also delivered a lunchtime talk focused on studying PPE at Oxford. She talked about how the combination of disciplines attracted her to the course (“three degrees for the price of one!”) and debunked a few myths about the stereotypical PPE student, as well as the career prospects upon graduating. She went on to discuss the process of being admitted to Oxford and gave some practical tips for those looking to apply.