#NoWrongPath

As always, on Scottish Results Day - the day that exam results land in Scotland - my social media feeds are full with parents updates: celebrations, realistic congratulations and even some who are nail biting or heading out for the day to avoid waiting for the post to bring results in envelopes.

And those are interspersed with my network of colleagues and friends supporting the DYW #NoWrongPath campaign. Launched in 2017, #NoWrongPath is a?social media movement led?by?DYW, which provides inspiration and reassurance??to young people receiving their results.?

We recognise that some young people may feel disheartened by their results. We are aiming to demonstrate that many people in interesting job roles across Scotland may not have taken a straight, obvious or traditional path to get there - and that there is?#NoWrongPath .

#NoWrongPath aims to show young people the options that are available to them and that?results are not necessarily the key to unlocking future success.

I'd love to see your comments and the journey you took to getting to your current position - that message is just as important for those who follow our updates, work alongside us or are needing inspiration as they work out what their next move might be.

I very FIRMLY believe that there are a range of options out there for everyone to progress to the future that they want...there are lots of ways to get skills & experience, to create the right building blocks to show you are worth that promotion, new job role, investment in a qualification from your employer, or are suitable to join a board in a Non-Executive role.

The traditional route from school to university full-time doesn't suit everyone, employers need to be open to welcoming candidates from all sorts of backgrounds and we all need to learn how to translate the skills & experience we have to the future role that we know is worth fighting for.

I didn't go to university from school - I went into a role with the Royal Bank of Scotland that encouraged me to learn while I earned (and built my work & social skills) and I gained a Chartered Banking qualification.

I had a short-lived (best for EVERYONE ??) role at Dundee United FC before I moved on to Dundee City Council and then to Alliance Trust Savings & PLC. I did more exams along the way, picking up a Diploma in Securities & Investments, a Chartered Marketer Diploma and a Project Management qualification.

I'm a strategic thinker who likes to focus on an exciting future, I believe strongly in giving people opportunities to flourish and I'm at my best around people who share my values, support & encourage others and want to go for the big goals!

Running my own events & marketing agency (and a sideline in Whisky Tasting Corporate events!) before I moved into the role of CEO at Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce helped me gain the business leadership skills that I needed for this role - but I know that I am never finished learning about business from the many interesting people I get to meet along the way.

I love to learn about the opportunities & challenges that businesses face, and get a real buzz when I can connect people together that I know will find synergies in being able to work together, learn from each other by sharing experiences or who will maybe just benefit from a coffee and a chat!

And the young people who have joined our business: sometimes on a short work experience programme, sometimes on a temporary basis as we support them to get work skills and move onto a new role, and others who are with us longer term to learn core work skills as they are building their theory in more formal education settings...they bring a different dimension to our team.

We have to learn to adapt to their ambitions, and different perspective on their future. We have to adapt our mentoring and training to help them manage & work with the tools that we use to make our business an efficient workplace.

All we ask in return is that they bring energy & commitment to us, share our goals & business vision and be the best that they can be.

So...there is absolutely NO wrong path...just the one that you are currently on.

• Pack your rucksack with all the things you are really good at!
• Check in with those skills along the way to remind yourself of your strengths and use those to help you navigate going forward.
• Take people along with you who can help you on the way.
• Add new skills as you identify gaps, or as you learn them from a training course.
• Take some breaks to admire the scenery and the progress you've made.
• Make sure your antenna are 'on' to identify a new path that might be around the corner.
• Remember to look up & around you to see how others are doing on their own journey - and look back on your own path to see how far you've come.

If I can ever be a sounding board because you need to explore options or would like an introduction to someone in my network you think can give you a hand along the way - please just ask.

I'm hugely proud to have supported young people in our business from 2014 to now...and to the team who make that work on a day to day basis: thank you!