Pride doesn't always come before a fall - what is your next profession, and when?

The photo here is of a very proud parent at their daughter's graduation, a sight reproduced around the world a multiple million times a year. Her name is Emily, although most people would know her as Emy, and at the age of 16 years old, she did some work experience in a local "shop" in our nearest town in Essex. She loved it, and with a singlemindedness that belied her years, decided that this was the career for her, identified the university she wanted to go, focussed on the A levels that she would need to get there, and went for it. The photo was the culmination of four years' hard work. But it didn't stop there - to get to where she wanted to go to, she had to work and study for her professional qualification; she had to interview and get a residency so she could work and study for her diploma for three years. She got there. She loves it. She believes in what she does. She knows where she is going. She is 26 years old.

How many of us could recognise ourselves in Emily? Are we doing what we thought we'd be doing at the age of 16 years old. At that age, I wanted to be a "scientist" - today I'm a science communicator, so maybe talking about science is closer than some people whohad the same aspiration. How about you? I would argue that actually making a decision at the age of 16 and sticking to it is unusual; but why not make a career decision today and see where it takes you? Work out what training you need, where the best place might be to learn, drive yourself towards your goal, see what you can achieve?

Emily is now working in a hospital in the East Midlands. The "local shop" she did her work experience in was a pharmacy; she went to university to get her Masters in Pharmacy and she has just started a new role as a frontline senior pharmacist working in critical care, at the scariest moment to be in her profession in modern times. At the age of 26. I couldn't be more proud of her!