In May of last year, Moxi brought you the educational back story of our CEO, James Lowe www.moxi-recruitment.co.uk/blog/a-sit-down-with-james-lowe. With GCSE Results Day now upon us, I felt inspired to share mine!
I remember my GCSE and A Level Results Days very clearly. The build-up; the excitement; the trepidation; the tension – on both days – were almost palpable.
Leading up to my GCSE results, I’d been offered a place at Sixth Form College to study Maths, English Literature and Psychology at A Level, with Art at the old AS (Advanced Supplementary) Level. I particularly loved these subjects at school and wanted to continue my journey of discovery through each of them, post-16.
On GCSE Results Day itself, I was actually on holiday with my family and can vividly remember making a call – shaking like a leaf – to my school from a sun-drenched Bulgarian beach, to speak with my teachers back home in Manchester, and ask them to give me my exam results over the phone, which they duly did.
In truth, it was a pretty mixed bag of results that they relayed to me from a staff room over 1,500 miles away, but sufficient to get me into Sixth Form College and help me progress with my education.
Fast-forward two years to my A Level Results Day, and the same feelings of exhilaration; fear and anxiety gripped me as I awaited my academic fate. This time, however, these were soon assuaged by the UCAS website confirming that I had got my University place… I had got the results I needed. Job done! Or so, on the face of it, it seemed. That summer, I had had my first taste of gainful employment, and this had sown serious seeds of doubt in my mind about higher education and University life. Whilst I would have loved to carry on studying Psychology, I didn’t know if I necessarily wanted a career from it.
Already knowing I’d got my place at University almost killed the moment of getting my results, but I still celebrated with my friends. We were all heading in very different directions on the back of our results. Eventually, I decided to stay in work, which was the right decision for me and one over which I still have no regrets.
In terms of employment, I have been very fortunate in that I’ve been able to identify opportunities that interest me, whether in terms of the challenge or my own personal values. After some time spent in investment banking, I moved on to work with a social housing provider before progressing into recruitment. The common thread running through these seemingly very different industries, is that they’re about working with people, helping to solve real problems that affect lives. Making a positive difference through the work I do is something that is extremely important to me.
One way or another, this momentous time of year for so many of our young people is about fresh starts. Whether these be in further education, higher education or the world of work. Take some time to decide what’s right for you; which path you wish to take, whether you’ve got the grades you need or not. If it’s not gone quite the way you’d wanted it to, then look beyond your results and think about what you enjoy doing; what inspires you. Be brave!
There are so many genuine opportunities out there for apprentices or entry-level roles, give something a go!
Plus, if you’re a College or University leaver, then why not consider a career in education yourself!
We have the training programmes you need to be successful in the classroom, including our popular Introductory Teaching Assistant programme. Call me today on 0300 303 4414 for a friendly chat about your options!
