This has little to do with the usual vigorous investigation of the HE firmament or slipshod careers advice practiced in schools and everything to do with the fact that it’s a year after I approached a publisher. At that time I had the vague notion that writing a book might just get people to pay attention to what was happening in schools in a way that speaking to them and the parents and the largely (and still so) disinterested press who ignored the whole business.
Originally it was going to be called How your school is screwing you, but the publisher thought that may be a little on the nose and a bit American for our sensibilities. Something on balance I tend to agree with. But come what may, the day has finally arrived and the book that I birthed has emerged squawking and mewling into the world. No more double checking for typos, no more reading and re-reading it to see if it makes sense. No more time for self doubt and anxiety, it’s done, it’s out, it’s in the world.
Yes, of course I want to sell books and change my life, hell that’s the whole point of the book in any case, to set yourself career goals and try to achieve them, but fundamentally I want it to sell because I think it’s needed. There is unquestionably a real and severe lack of coherent, sensible advice on careers – specifically about how to access them and the practical steps necessary to achieve that. Yes the Government have their new strategy but it will only ever be as good as the people who lead the classes. Work will be farmed out to the usual providers and nothing will really change. There’s a level of self interest in even the most seemingly altruistic organizers of careers related events, overseas conferences and so on. Whatever happened to someone standing up and saying, if you want to write a CV, this is the best way to do it…
That’s what the book is, a practical common sense guide to help students figure out what to do and when and for interested parents to help guide them. If you’ve read this far and come on this journey then perhaps I could ask you to journey a little further and buy a copy for the teen in your life. It’s cheaper than having them live with you until they’re in their 30s.
The book – https://tinyurl.com/y8re84zo
