We asked student Callum and coach Jamie Lowe from Atkins for their perspectives on the Future Frontiers coaching programme. Here’s what they had to say.
Firstly, can you introduce each other?
C: My coach was named Jamie Lowe - he was incredibly helpful, informative and constructive with the content.
J: My mentee was Callum, he was a fantastic guy, a little bit shy to start with but soon grew into it.
What kind of careers did you talk about?
J: He had a real passion for hypnotherapy and psychology, which I was really pleased to be able to explore with him.
C: I’m taking three exams, psychology, sociology and media studies, all of which feed into each other quite nicely and hopefully those will help me get a career that me and Jamie discussed.
What was it like meeting for the first time?
C: At first I did feel a little bit pressured but Jamie quickly put me at ease and we ended up having quite a few laughs along the way.
J: I think at the start I felt quite self-conscious and, ‘am I doing it right, am I saying the right things?’. I felt a bit of pressure myself, because I recognised that it was a really important opportunity for Callum, so I wanted to support him in the best way I could, but after a while I think we relaxed and had a good relationship.
"I did feel a little bit pressured but Jamie quickly put me at ease and we ended up having quite a few laughs along the way."
How did it work?
C: So, to begin, there was a work book that me and Jamie started listing ideas, noting down activities, and we continued throughout this work book for four weeks, each one either developing a new skill or learning a new sector about the careers. And eventually this culminated with him getting a sector role model which meant that someone from that career then came in and we could chat for roundabout an hour about their experience and how to get the job that they have.
J: And I was really fortunate that my auntie is a hypnotherapist and so she was able to meet with him on the expert session and it was amazing for everyone I think. It was incredible for them to be able to meet and he had so many questions, and it was really impressive to see the knowledge he had on the topic.
What did you each get out of Future Frontiers career coaching?
C: You learn so much, you have a great time along the way, and the Future Frontiers coaching programme really helped me understand what I want to do later in life. Jamie really helped me understand and even plan for my future of which I didn’t have much of an idea of what to do and after seeing and studying the different courses and different universities and colleges, I think now that I have a better understanding, and I can apply.
J: I think it was really important for him to work out what university courses were available to him, where he might be able to go, what grades he would require, and what he might be studying when he got there, and we went through all that information and it really sparked even more excitement for him to push forward for that future. He’s going to study psychology, most likely at the University of East Anglia, so that’s his plan, he’s going to do the three years there and choose modules which are related to hypnotherapy and that side of psychology, and then, there’s a one year course which he’s considering doing on completion of his degree.
"You learn so much, you have a great time along the way, and the Future Frontiers coaching programme really helped me understand what I want to do later in life."
What’s your overall impression of the coaching?
C: I really do just think that the coaches were so friendly and approachable that it made the whole experience so much more pleasurable, I mean, I was quite timid and shy at first, by Jamie eventually helped me open up and we eventually started having a few laughs and now that I’ve got a better understanding of the career, I think he really saw me develop as a person.
J: Callum was always very grateful, very thankful, so it felt very rewarding because I felt like I was making a real difference, and the clarity with which his future was unfolding was changed, and that felt really good.
Final word Callum?
C: Absolutely take the opportunity, it’s there, there’s no reason not to, it’ll help develop your skills later on in life, you’ll have more of an idea of what career you want to go into and overall it’s a lot of fun, you learn a lot and I couldn’t recommend it any more.
The Future Frontiers coaching programme can make a life-changing difference to young people, and our business partners and coaches provide essential input and support. Get in touch to find out more.