Ignore the good advice

This piece of advice shaped the course of my life. 

“Go and do a course in company secretaryship,” my headteacher suggested as I approached the end of my A levels. I can see him wringing his hands at my reckless dreams of getting into the creative industries. He thought it was a bad idea. Too competitive. 

Well, cheers for the advice. But I carried on regardless. 

Stints in radio and music TV followed. Within seven years of graduating I’d become managing director of a fast growing radio studio business, working with broadcasters like BBC and MTV. 

And then ten years after I left school I was invited back to host a stand at a careers fair.

My stand?  ‘Careers in The Creative Industries.’ I pinned a simply made sign to the wall.

I stood in the hall alongside the NHS. The British Army. A local firm of solicitors. They all had professional branding and handed out promotional flyers and button badges. Impressive.

And yet. The biggest queue was at my table. I didn’t have a fancy, eye-catching banner. But I had stacks of advice. Dishing out the kind of advice that the 17 year old me could’ve done with! And that queue stayed long all day.

Systems work. A system is designed to process everything in the same way. They’re good. To a point. 

But kids - with their aspirations and dreams - can’t be placed in a cookie cutter mould and expect to be baked the same. The kids at the careers fair were hungry for an alternative vision of their future. 

You won’t get validation from the system. A system can’t account for individual needs and wants and desires. You get validation from the grassroots. From the people you touch, the people you speak to, on their level. When you connect with others’ hopes and dreams and aspirations. Same now as then.

My headteacher misunderstood me that day he suggested a career in company secretaryship. Thanks for the advice! It stood me in good stead. Not in the way though he expected.