On Wednesday 19th April, Beatrice Petitbon (a former Francis Holland student), kindly came in to speak to Year 12 and 13 about her fascinating career as an analyst for the Financial Times. Her engaging talk about her personal experience through university and the many careers that she has embarked on provided invaluable advice. Beatrice emphasised the importance of not being afraid to switch between professions and her experience of returning to studying after setting up her own business is truly admirable. As a student facing a daunting time, where important decisions about careers and the future are constantly being made, the difference between the subject she chose at university and her current career is extremely settling and highlights that no matter what you decide to go into, there is always an opportunity to broaden your knowledge and search for other possible subjects that interest you. Beatrice explained that although you may not always be equipped with all the knowledge for a subject, there are always ways to explore your options and, in her experience, experimenting with different types of work experience was an extremely useful way to indicate what profession intrigued her most. This is one of the key things that I took away from this talk and found especially useful. Beatrice’s guidance and reassurance about the unsettling journey we are currently experiencing was incredibly helpful and seeing someone who has achieved so much and is currently working in such a phenomenal job was commendable.

Arizona G, Lower Sixth

This Wednesday, the Sixth Form attended a fascinating talk from Beatrice Petitbon, a Financial Times Analyst. The speaker discussed her academic journey through university up until now. She explained the twists and turns in her career and gave many of the Sixth Form brilliant tips for career paths and deciding about the future.

Beatrice told us about her study of International Relations and Business which led her to become a Financial Times Analyst. She discussed her day to day life in the workplace and the ability to balance this with her home life. Although Covid slowed things down, it did not prevent her from flourishing in the world of work, such as going back to school to complete her Masters degree which all helped to inspire us in our grit and determination. She delivered an exceptional talk and covered the subject matter in great depth with great answers for our many questions.

Violet Y, Lower Sixth