Tuesday 25 November 2008

On the job

Yesterday I spent the afternoon in a judging session at the Royal College of Art, for a competition that we're involved in - Toyota are launching a rather fab city car, the iQ, in January and have teamed up with the RCA to challenge students to come up with ideas that embody the concept of 'intelligent urban living'. Some of the ideas are weird, some whacky and some excellent...but I can't reveal anything for fear of getting into trouble. I was surrounded by some of the cleverest design experts in the country, and the atmosphere was quite rarefied. I should point out that I was an observer, rather than a judge. Nonetheless I found it very exciting.

But what occured to me was that, when I was 13 there was no way I could ever have predicted or imagined that one day I would be sitting in an office in the leading institution of its kind looking at newly-borne ideas that could potentially change our world. Regularly I sit in meetings surprised to be where I am, and wondering how I got there. I'm not sure what I thought I would be doing now when I was 13...I suspect my vision didn't extend much beyond the sixth form, perhaps to university...but I'm sure no further.

At the moment the boy has his career ideas firmly fixed on MI5 or MI6...a combination of too much James Bond, and me telling him that he can go in the Army Cadets but woe betide him if he thought he was going to put on a military uniform once he leaves the school cloisters. I'm still hoping that, as predicted by a fortune teller before he was born, he will end up as a marine biologist...and that he'll spend his time in some tropical paradise amongst the fish and coral.

I suspect, though, that we'll both be wrong and he'll do some unimaginable jobs, which probably don't yet exist. I find that quite exciting.

6 comments:

  1. But you'd opt for a late abortion if he became an HR person I trust.

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  2. None of my children have followed their childhood ambitions. And none of them have followed the career paths I thought that they might. I was a disappointment to My parents, because I didn't fulfill their dreams for me.

    Come to think of it, I haven't followed the career path that I expected ME to, either!

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  3. If you'd have told me at 13 I'd be a teacher, I'd have walked out the door and never come back !

    Why didn't you tell me ???

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  4. When I finally decided I'd had enough of school (a year earlier than I was allowed to) I'd have never dreamt I'd end up as a teacher. Nor would anyone else! One of life's little ironies.

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  5. Just came by via the lovely Rosiero, you're a racy piece! Cilla Black albums, murky brown envelopes and murderers, I live a tame life...

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  6. LOL Poet...I was once round for dinner at a friend's parents. His Mum at some stage said that it was not too late for her to have an abortion...my friend was 18...all HR people should be consigned to room 101

    Robert...I hope none of us do what our parents want...

    AG...sorry, I meant to

    Dotterel...a teacher who didn't like school..excellent..the words poacher and gamekeeper come to mind

    blogthatmama...Oh I suspect you have some secrets...

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