Class of 1989 pupil Dr Ian Cookson returned to Priory for the first time to talk to pupils about his two careers – and how it’s never too late to follow a new path.
Priory put an appeal out for former pupils to get in touch to attend career-inspiration sessions with past pupils talking about their career paths, the good and the bad, to help our pupils make informed choices about their next steps.
As he was good at drawing, Dr Cookson went into print and marketing initially before redundancy led him to rethink his career in his late 30s.
He is now a psychology tutor at Manchester Metropolitan University and is also finishing his accreditation as a sport and exercise psychologist.
Dr Cookson said: “It’s my first time back and it’s been enjoyable. There’s a lot that is familiar while there are a lot of new parts so it’s mixed for me.
“I remember playing football on the tarmac, on an all-weather pitch which wasn’t the best!
“It’s been good to talk to pupils about my career. We split the session into two parts about my first job which I fell into and then redundancy led me to a new career path. I emphasised how the door is never shut to retrain.
“The pupils were good, I broke up my talk with activities and they were engaged. I was surprised for an audience of that age, how much they understood, their knowledge and how self-aware they were.
“I hope a few will go into psychology, there were a few who were fascinated especially when I related it to ADHD, sport and research.”
Dr Cookson Careers Session
