Students gathered for lunch and an interesting presentation yesterday at the first “Career Lunch” to be held for Sixth Form students at St George’s.

The Career Lunches programme is coordinated by a Year 12 student representative along with Ms Moody, Director of Sixth Form, and Mr Edwards, teacher of Economics. The purpose of the gatherings is to inspire students as they make important choices about their courses of study at university level and eventually choose a career.

The first “kick-off” lunch was held on Thursday, 20^th November and featured an inspiring presentation by Mr Marco Amorim, who works in the Finance and Private Banking sector. Obviously passionate about his work, Mr Amorim encouraged students to “speak to as many professionals as possible and ask questions about their day – what kinds of tools they use, what kinds of discussions they have. Then ask yourself: Can I see myself doing this in 20 years?”

Aside from presenting the “nuts and bolts” of finance and private banking – such as helping clients make tax-efficient decisions, purchasing shares vs. bonds and protecting their assets, Mr Amorim also shared that it is important to get to know clients and anticipate their needs, although they sometimes are not able to articulate what they want to achieve. He tells his clients that the “‘best strategy for investing is one where you can sleep at night.’ Each individual has a different tolerance level for risk; everyone has a different background and a different way of relating to money.”

When asked about the presentation, he wrote: “In addition to private banking, I also tried to focus my presentation more on general finance in order to demystify it, after all we all have to deal with it in some way.”

Students were able to ask questions about the universities where Mr Amorim studied and obtained his degrees, which include a BA in Economics, a post-graduate degree in Business Administration and an MBA. Other questions dealt with work-life balance and advice regarding the decision to study Economics vs. International Business. When asked about his workload and his number of clients, Mr Amorim shared that the job required one to be flexible, work well under pressure and occasionally work long hours.

“The Career Lunches serve as an excellent opportunity for students to ask real questions about the things they actually want to know about university and career choices. Speaking to someone with work experience in a particular field is far more valuable than reading about it in a book or a brochure,” said Ms Moody, Director of Sixth Form.

“Sixth Form” refers to the final two years of Secondary schooling for students following the UK education system. Corresponding to Years 12 and 13 (Key Stage 5), the Sixth Form is a time of intense study for A-level examinations as well as application and preparation for university. With the high marks achieved by St George’s students and the fact that A-level exams are accepted at universities worldwide, students face a wide range of choices regarding their university career.

A number of speakers are scheduled to partake in upcoming Careers Lunches, which will be held every two weeks.

A big "thank you" goes to Mr Amorim for his terrific presentation!