FOLLOW YOUR PASSION
FROM TONBRIDGE TO TUTOR MATT BARRY (WW 06-11)
“F
ollow your passion” is easy to preach but harder to practice. Like many, I suppose, I left Tonbridge without a clear career objective beyond succeeding at the best University I could get into - Keele in my case. (Yes, I was one of the more rounded 70%…). Time may rewrite every line, but when I look back on my years at Tonbridge, one thing I am confident about is that I knew then that, one day, I wanted to be my own boss. And today I can not only say that I’ve succeeded in this, but also in doing something that is enormously fulfilling. But I haven’t arrived here by any route I could have predicted at my final school speech day. I was fortunate to go straight from University into the world of executive search, where over four years I worked with the top graduate recruiters including banks, management consultancies, technology companies and the Civil Service. Thousands of CV’s crossed my desk and I helped dozens of candidates prepare for job interviews. Two things struck me about students and undergraduates: the extent to which they under-estimate what top companies are looking for, and how poorly equipped they are in self-marketing skills. (Believe me, I’ve read more personal statements than you can shake a headmaster’s cane at!) The first thing I learnt is that technology is changing both who, and how, employers recruit. Top companies receive tens of thousands of applications each year - Google receives over 2 million! To get past the automated filters and stand out amongst the best, you need more than a good degree from a top University. Employers are seeking candidates with the personal qualities they value, and evidence of workplace relevant skills. Writing, numeracy and technical skills are expected, but soft skills are increasingly prized - the ability to communicate, persuade and network. Even when the job is highly specialised, such as a software engineer or laboratory technician, employers look for management potential and want to hire those who will ‘fit in’ to the organisation. When career coaching students, my best advice to is to get involved as early as possible in activities that demonstrate You can contact Matt via his website at www.kingsroadtutors.com
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O L D TO N B R I D G I A N N E W S
Setting up your own business for most is a leap of faith. We need to have something that will make people beat a path to our door. If we want to succeed, we need to be either better or different from the rest.
