Career success must never be pre-determined by background.
I’m the oldest of 6 girls and I grew up in Croydon in a household where no-one had previously had the opportunity to go to university. My family really encouraged me to be ambitious but they didn’t have the experience to advise me about my future. I was reliant on ‘little moments of luck’ to get me to where I am today. At 16, a chance comment from a well-informed friend motivated me to make a last minute move from my state comprehensive to a nearby grammar school to do my A levels. Up until then I didn’t know Grammar Schools even existed. My new school had a great track record of getting excellent academic outcomes and they knew exactly what it took to get into Oxbridge. With their help and expertise, I got the grades and was soon accepted to study PPE at Lincoln College. Arriving in Oxford in 2008 was a real wake up call. I quickly realised that, although I was an avid reader, I had not had the opportunity to explore the sorts of thinkers my new peer group had been regularly exposed to. The things they took for granted – like career aspiration, work experience and internships – were beyond my comprehension and seemed completely out of my reach. At each stage of my life I mixed with fewer and fewer people like me. I met very middle class pupils in sixth form and then suddenly I was the only student of Black British heritage in my year group. At every stage it was a major transition and a significant culture shock that no-one had prepared me for.
My next ‘little moment of luck’ was when I met the organisation I now work for, Rare Recruitment. They approached me at the Oxford African and Caribbean Society – which was just as well and I would never have had the confidence to approach them. They explained that they could support me to make informed decisions about my career. Previously, there was no-one at home who knew what was possible, I had no idea what careers were out there. Rare mentored me, coached me, helped me write CVs and applications. They gave me practice interviews and explained how assessment centres worked. They effectively opened up my life and my future and before long I joined the Civil Service Fast Stream graduate scheme.
People shouldn’t have to rely on moments of luck to flourish in their lives and their careers. If an accident of birth means you don’t come from the sort of family that has been getting you ready for your career from birth, that mustn’t be the end of the story. Career success must never be determined by your background. Smart young people mustn’t slip though the net. They must be given the opportunity to make informed decisions about their futures.
