Ok...not quite...but almost.
I've been invited back to my secondary school/ sixthform for their careers day to talk about careers in Marketing/PR/Journalism... at least that's the category they've given me. The fact that I didn't go to university and now have a job at one of the biggest media companies in the world less than two years after finishing my A Levels seems to have been skimmed over... I'll make sure that I make that loud and clear to the students during my presentation.
I really hope they give me another session to talk to the pupils about alternatives to uni. In an ideal world, I'd be able to address everyone, including those who already had their hearts set on university. Not just because I endured 24+ months of speeches, presentations, preparation days etc about university when I had no intention of going and I have a desire for revenge...but because all young people should know their options, they shouldn't just expect a degree through university. And if nothing else, so that they're made aware that their friends don't go to university, won't end up at the job centre every week for the rest of their lives. Those people then won't have to fight of nasty comments or defend their decision endlessly.
Not only am I looking forward to sharing this wonderful idea that you can and most certainly will get places without university with my younger fellow Bexley Grammar pupils, I can also PROVE that very statement to my teachers and senior staff who pushed me to university and shut down any other ideas that I had.
Well, whilst they're still being teachers, I am a qualified marketer, I have the most wonderful job at the Guardian and I enjoy my career every single day. So there!
