A happy and empowering education empowers women who happily empower others. Today we were delighted to welcome five alumnae from our powHER Panel back to school for our Year 8 Careers Panel. The Panel was a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about an array of different career paths and the interesting journeys of successful women, who were also once Year 8 students at Wakefield Girls’. 

The panel consisted of five alumnae, each from a distinct industry. Our speakers were:

Sarah Baker (OG, 1998) Chief Superintendent, West Yorkshire Police. Studied Psychology and Criminology at Keele University before joining the police. Sarah shared her experience in the police force and working up the ranks. 

Becky Baker (OG, 2000) Founder & Owner of K9 Nation. Gained a Master degree in Marketing and Advertising from the University of Leeds, then joined Beaumont Legal as a Product Development Manager. Eventually decided to take a ‘leap of faith’ and launched her own tech business. Becky introduced students to the world of entrepreneurship and the challenges and rewards that come with starting a business. 

Sophie Isaacs (OG, 2008) Deal Origination Investments, LDC. Studied Economics at Durham University, worked in Corporate Finance at Deloitte for 8 years, an investor at BGF for 3 years before moving to LDC. Sophie shared insights into the world of investments, including the long hours and hard work required alongside the perks of networking and working as a team on major projects.

Sophie Wright (OG, 2015) Aircraft Configuration Controller, Jet 2. Studied Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology at University of Salford, then joined Jet2. Sophie discussed the specifics of aircraft design and configuration, encouraging students that there are lots of job opportunities available within aviation, not just being a pilot.

Tahlia Longhurst (OG, 2018) FP&A Analyst, Shark Ninja. Completed an apprenticeship as an IT auditor at KPMG before moving to SharkNinja. Tahlia gave students a better understanding of the financial services sector and all the different careers available in the industry.

The panel discussions were inspiring and informative, and students had the opportunity to ask questions and gain a better understanding of the different fields. A key theme from the careers talk is just how many different jobs are available in the labour market – there is a career path for every individual with a different skill set. 

The speakers shared their experiences since leaving Wakefield Girls’, discussing the hardest parts of their jobs and also their career highlights and what a ‘day in the life’ looks like.

Our alumnae encouraged students to try new things and say yes to the numerous opportunities they have in front of them – advising that work experience is a great way to find out what work environment and role suits them, which will ultimately help them eventually discover a career path that they will enjoy.

We would like to thank our esteemed alumnae who returned to school today to speak to our students and provide excellent advice. 

Mr D Eggleston

Deputy Head, Teaching and Learning