I remember surprisingly vividly my first day of school. My mum had dressed me up one notch down from a princess at a fancy dress party; grey woollen pinafore, holey white socks, dolly shoes and a large brimmed straw hat. Luckily I have yet to find the pictures of this, but the hat was so large; you wouldn't be able see my fresh 4-year-old face anyway.
Since being four and stepping out of my front porch to my grandparents and parents frantically taking pictures, I've experienced many "first days of school." However, none of these experiences truly took me back to the "first day of school" feeling; that was until I started my Training Contract.
Almost to the day 20 years later, I started my Training Contract. Like most people I suppose, things never come easy to me. In fact, the process of academic training and securing a graduate trainee position was easily one of the hardest things I've done in my life. My heart was in my mouth in the morning, it felt that every single moment of my life had been leading up to this moment that was happening right now... Walking into that office; being charming, well dressed and of course demonstrating sharp wit and intelligence. For me, this was far more nerve-wracking than the interview; we all know the rules for the interview.
You must now be wondering why I'm recounting what sounds like the near onset of a panic attack. I'm simply trying to set the scene and I'm sure many young people will identify with this anxiety. Our generation no longer has the level of job security than previous generations and graduate employment is far from predictable across all industries. In LPC colleges, Training Contracts are spoken about like magical beings, which are almost unobtainable. So much pressure is put on reaching that amazing offer, it's hard to know what to do next.
From my recent reliving of my first day of school in the form of the first day of my TC, there are a couple of observations I want to share with you. Firstly, always keep in the forefront of your mind that you were chosen because you are the right person; be yourself and you'll be fine! Secondly, don't listen to that voice in the back of your head, which is telling you to say something funny; ask a question or say something clever. Ask a question when you have a question, engage with others and don't force it. It's always when you force yourself to say something clever that you come up with the most stupid cringe-worthy comments. And Lastly, bear in mind that it's your first day; no one is expecting you to event the wheel. Your career path is a long road and there will be endless opportunities to impress. Take everything in and don't berate yourself if you're not working on the juicy stuff straight away- there is plenty of time for that.
Since being four and stepping out of my front porch to my grandparents and parents frantically taking pictures, I've experienced many "first days of school." However, none of these experiences truly took me back to the "first day of school" feeling; that was until I started my Training Contract.
Almost to the day 20 years later, I started my Training Contract. Like most people I suppose, things never come easy to me. In fact, the process of academic training and securing a graduate trainee position was easily one of the hardest things I've done in my life. My heart was in my mouth in the morning, it felt that every single moment of my life had been leading up to this moment that was happening right now... Walking into that office; being charming, well dressed and of course demonstrating sharp wit and intelligence. For me, this was far more nerve-wracking than the interview; we all know the rules for the interview.
You must now be wondering why I'm recounting what sounds like the near onset of a panic attack. I'm simply trying to set the scene and I'm sure many young people will identify with this anxiety. Our generation no longer has the level of job security than previous generations and graduate employment is far from predictable across all industries. In LPC colleges, Training Contracts are spoken about like magical beings, which are almost unobtainable. So much pressure is put on reaching that amazing offer, it's hard to know what to do next.
From my recent reliving of my first day of school in the form of the first day of my TC, there are a couple of observations I want to share with you. Firstly, always keep in the forefront of your mind that you were chosen because you are the right person; be yourself and you'll be fine! Secondly, don't listen to that voice in the back of your head, which is telling you to say something funny; ask a question or say something clever. Ask a question when you have a question, engage with others and don't force it. It's always when you force yourself to say something clever that you come up with the most stupid cringe-worthy comments. And Lastly, bear in mind that it's your first day; no one is expecting you to event the wheel. Your career path is a long road and there will be endless opportunities to impress. Take everything in and don't berate yourself if you're not working on the juicy stuff straight away- there is plenty of time for that.
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