On Monday 21 September Bristol Grammar School's Careers and Higher Education department hosted its first virtual event – ‘Considering a Career in…the Army’ for a number of pupils in Years 10–Upper Sixth. The format of the event was similar to the one which focused on careers in the media industry before lockdown – guest speakers sharing their professional experiences and then taking questions.
Molly Coombes (OB 2012) studied Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Sheffield before joining the Army and finding her place in the Intelligence Corps. Her honesty in revealing to students that she hadn’t known which career path to follow during Sixth Form and that the epiphany hadn’t happened until she was knee-deep in mud with the Sheffield University Officer Training Corps was reassuring for many.
Jason Button, who leads Army Officer recruitment in the South West was able to give the pupils accurate and up-to-date information about application, selection and obligations in the Army. Many students expressed interest in the new format Army Internship which works somewhat like a GAP year opportunity.
The use of Microsoft Teams allowed students to ask questions via the chat function or through their microphone after lifting their ‘electronic hand’ and the format facilitated conversation with ease. Overall the event was a success due to generous guest speakers and the ability to adapt to new ways of working. The BGS Careers and HE department are looking forward to arranging similar events for other career sectors in the future.