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How would you sell yourself if you were in an elevator with the boss?
That was the question facing Year 12 students in a workshop this week.
Answers include introducing yourself, outlining your experience and seizing any opportunities on offer.
The 14 students, members of the Wellington College Learning Alliance’s Wheeler Programme, then had a chance to role play their meeting with an imaginary CEO and think fast in the 20-second lift ride.
The session was run by Talk About, an organisation that provides bespoke training with a focus on soft skills.
The workshop included sessions on their passions, communication and networking, including creating their own personal brand.
They also took part in debates that made them take different sides and then communicate with each other.
Venandah Madanhi, founder of Talk About, said: “We focused on exploring the key things such as what drives them.
“They were asking how these skills apply to your day-to-day life so we talked about that.
“They also learned how to offer solutions and alternatives without shouting each other down.
“They were very engaged.”
Afterwards one student said: “I learned how to sell myself to others and the importance of making connections.”
Another said: “I learned how to improve my networking skills and be more useful in building relationships with people.”
Established in 2017, the Wheeler Programme is a fully-funded educational programme for around 100 selected state school pupils.
Twenty-four students are selected in Year 9 and the college helps support them until their graduation from the programme at the end of Year 13.
Partner state schools include St Crispin’s and The Holt Schools in Wokingham, Farnborough Sixth Form and Brakenhale in Bracknell.
The programme includes a mixture of group activities, visits to workplaces, universities, organisations and people; talks, lectures, workshops and discussions; individual coaching, and tailored mentoring.
