Big Smoke, Big Love, Big Challenges.

WARNING: Quite a random and rambley blogpost.

Here is a little blog post about my recent trip to visit bae in London. That is as soppy as it will get, I promise. It is also about my first real as in intense interview for an actual job. (Spoiler… I was successful!)

So my boyfriend has managed to wangle himself a summer job (soon to be full time job) at Chestertons London. He is basically an estate agent rolling in some hefty commission so snaps for bae. I am actually so proud of him as he works so hard. Sorry tad more soppy than intended.

Back on track…I LOVE LONDON. I always have. There is so much diversity, things to do and places to see. We spent our weekend catching up with old friends over cocktails in Covent Garden, getting shapey in Clapham, acting demure in Mayfair before heading to vibrant Camden and fully relaxing in Regents Park. The ice cream in Regents Park and the burgers in Mayfair at Berkley Square are literally to die for. Not even exaggerating. So good. #canyoutellilikefood?

There is just something about London that fills me with excitement and national pride, so I was so excited to be given the opportunity to go to North Greenwich (where the Millennium Dome is based) for an interview with Teach First.

Teach First are a charity working towards an end to educational inequality. I heard about them when watching a BBC Three series ‘Young Teachers’ (or something like that) a few years ago. After visiting Fiji I was put off teaching but one of their graduate recruiters messaged me after seeing my Linkdin to ask if I wanted to apply to be a Brand Manager.

Brand Managers work at the University they attend. They promote Teach First and spread what is on offer for students and graduates with the charity. It seemed like a perfect part time job. After researching what the role entailed and the work Teach First does I rediscovered why I wanted to teach in the first place.

What is educational inequality?

Within the UK there are many areas were many school students come from low-income backgrounds and statistically do not achieve the same (or any) qualifications. For example 62% of students on free school meal programmes do not achieve and A*-C in Science GCSE and 58% do not achieve and A*-C Maths. As the UK economy is increasingly leaning in the direction of industries in technology, this educational inequality is more than damaging to individuals. Although fundamentally every student deserves a good education, especially in a country that boasts a good welfare system and good state education.

Why do I care?

I went to a state school in Dorset and I worked really hard but I massively benefited from having excellent teachers, who were passionate and creative. I especially had great A Level teachers with my History teachers especially giving so much time to their students and making their teaching methods as useful as possible to us ahead of our important exams. I wouldn’t have made it to Uni without them. It annoys me when people complain about my old school. Don’t get me wrong it had its flaws and it had its dodgy teachers and dodgy policies but overall it was a very good school. It makes me sad that young people can be born into a under privileged area and have their whole education and future affected by this. If there is something I can do to help them have equal opportunities then I want to do it. So I tried really hard to prepare for my interview.

The Interview.

I had to wear business wear. This was the second time in my 20 years I have had to do so. The building in North Greenwich was so lovely and modern and all the other candidates were equally as lovely. We got on really well as we at around a table before the assessment day started. Firstly we had a one on one interview about the usual. I.e how well we could adapt to working with different people, our knowledge of Teach First and how we could make it work in our University, plus general competencies we have demonstrated in other projects or jobs. I actually found I was prepared enough for the interview so thankfully it went really quickly and although my interviewer gave nothing away it went really well. Then we had a group task. We were given a box with things to utuilise for a stall to promote Teach First. They were looking for teamwork – listening to one another’s ideas and then we had to do a feedback session. Finally we had an individual role-play. One of their employees pretended to be a maths student interested in Teach First. This didn’t go so well for me as I massively ran out of time to meet the brief. I made sure my feedback reflected the fact I knew I screwed up and what I would do to rectify this. That was it for my first real assessment day and I have to say I actually quite enjoyed it. Now two weeks on I am delighted to have been offered the job!!

Teach First for Graduates.

The Leadership Development Programme is a graduate (or non graduate) programme to put students passionate about their subject in ‘difficult’ schools. Although it is daunting it is extremely rewarding and can open so many doors as it is a two-year scheme and Teach First are linked to so many great companies and organizations. For example their ‘Platinum Partners’ include PWC and Goldman Sachs.

If you are interested in the slightest just take a look at their website!