Jane Tarrant has been Business Development Manager at aZtec Commercial Cleaning since October 2017.

“I heard about Worktree at a networking event. I realised that a Career WorkOut session was an opportunity not only to network with other local business people, but provided an invaluable channel of information for kids who arenÔÇÖt used to asking adults questions, let alone about careers. I remembered being confident with adults myself, when I was a child, but I would never have felt like I could ask any question I liked about their career.

“A couple of my first sessions were at St PaulÔÇÖs Catholic School for 13-14 year olds and Brooklands Farm Primary School for 10-11 year olds. It was interesting because the sessions were set up completely differently. With the senior school we sat facing 4 or 5 students. It was incredibly fast paced and they all asked questions for a short period of time. Every few minutes, a new group of students would be sat with you until the whole class had met the various work professionals. At the primary school, it was a different ball game. The entire class would be with you and theyÔÇÖd ask yes or no questions to guess your job before asking further questions. Both formats were very enjoyable and the majority of them seemed to get something from it.

“I realised that young people can be so varied in their approach to something, and often are nervous to speak to adults they donÔÇÖt know really well. You can see potential in children at an early age, and I felt that even 10-15 year olds show what type of person theyÔÇÖll likely be in the workplace. Confidence is something shown by only a handful but it is rewarding to bring a few out of their shell in an exercise which seems to greatly benefit them. Being able to talk about what I do and how I got there made me realise how much I get from my current role, and the importance of the journey of work. I didnÔÇÖt know what I wanted to do as a job, I just knew from a young age I wanted to run my own company. I am still very much on the journey. The students seemed surprised that it was completely normal to have more than one career in a lifetime.

“Giving your time to Worktree is very rewarding and helps with your own confidence in the choices you have made since being their age.”

Go on, give it a go.  www.worktree.org/events