Dear Class of 2020!

If I told you in January 2020 how this year would have panned out would you have believed me? What would you have said?

I’ve faced my own struggles whilst adjusting to the new normal. Suddenly becoming teacher in a matter of weeks has been difficult. The level of anxiety has some days felt overwhelming and at times difficult to deal with. I have an incredibly supportive network around me, from employer, manager, work colleagues, family, and friends.

I’ve talked it through, probably every day, I’ve ranted, I’ve occasionally cried, and I’ve eaten a lot of chocolate! But it’s because I’ve known I have never been passed any judgement from admitting I was struggling that I have been able to talk it through.

Yesterday I had a call with student, and we talked through her struggles and anxiety of securing a job in 2020 and right then it hit me…

The class of 2020 has just graduated into a global pandemic, entering a world with record-high unemployment and few entry level job opportunities.

So how do we help them?

Let’s share our own stories of struggles, rather than stories of triumph. Let’s talk about the journey we have all been on, what we have learned along the way and obstacles we have faced and overcome. There’s now a realisation that now there’s not just a need for students to be resilient about job rejection, but the fact they might have to change their whole career plan and that is a scary thought.

Let’s tell them they have already achieved more than what they ever thought was possible and it’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That’s what defines your career.

So, class of 2020, the school leavers, the A level students, and the Graduates...

You're not alone!