Another Successful Bonkers Career Fair!

On Thursday, the Wilberforce Hall and Concourse areas were buzzing with excitement for the annual Bonkers Careers Fair. Our 1st and 2nd Year pupils were treated to talks from thirteen ‘Bonkers’ careers professionals. And what a spectacle it was! 

From robots to chocolate, TV script writing and hotel management to being a travel influencer or a holistic therapist, the fair was bursting with energy, and some seriously unexpected job ideas. This wasn’t your average careers fair – this was careers with a twist. 

Pupils also were able to sample how hot stones work on the body and look at the weather maps a pilot uses to plan his route. They got to pick up a small camera that is used to film in the wild and how important your mindset is when playing sport. The Commercial Poultry nutritionist explained how different grains in a chicken’s food can alter the orange colour of the yolk – she even had a colour chart like a paint chart to show the farmers how the yolk would look with different types of food.  
There were also surprise guests, including a physiotherapist with a PhD who is now a train driver, a teacher who also makes the most delicious chocolates, and a wildlife cameraman who has worked with Sir David Attenborough. We also learnt some fun facts! Sometimes a pilot must take a longer route to avoid volcano eruptions, Mr Stamper has worked with rock legend Meatloaf and been the butler at a dinner attended by the late Queen and the number of different jobs involved in designing and producing a board game. 

Feedback from students included: 
“It was fun to play with all the games.”  
“The tests a train driver does are quite difficult!” 
“I liked the robots. It was great to control them.”  
“It must be fun to get paid to travel and write about your experiences.”  
“Chocolate is much more complicated than I realised!” 

Thank you to all the Old Caterhamians,  visiting professionals and enthusiastic parents and staff who gave up their time to join us. 
The Bonkers Careers Fair reminded us all that the world of work is big, brilliant, and full of possibilities – even the bizarre ones!

Roll on next year!