During my time at College, I built a new group of friends and it was a nice change of pace from school. Having fewer classes in subjects that I was interested in made a real difference and I found I could balance my workload and complete coursework on time, never missing a deadline.

Sadly, my College experience was massively interrupted by the first lockdown during the pandemic, and we never did get to return for the summer term. Fortunately for me, the majority of my courses were BTECs so I knew two of my grades before they arrived, but other students weren’t so fortunate.

I decided to stray away from tradition and not go to university, as I wanted to use my skills and knowledge in a career path straightaway rather than hone them at another institution.

During the lockdowns, I stepped into a full-time role through my Saturday job, because a colleague was immuno-compromised. Together we worked hard to support the local community as best we could, while keeping everyone safe. Prior to that, I’d applied to a variety of apprenticeships. Most rejected my application but one took me seriously and I was offered an apprenticeship with M&S. The course was difficult and stepping into a more executive role with a new employer was even harder, but I completed my apprenticeship course and was quickly signed off as a manager.

From M&S, I moved to Crew Clothing and worked as an internal recruiter but was made redundant after my first year. This was tough but I knew it wasn’t personal and just made the best of a bad situation. Fortunately, I found a client services job with a firm of surveyors and also worked as a weekend Viewings Assistant for an estate agency before being headhunted by a new business support company.

Currently, I’m working as the HR Manager at JAMY Business Support, where I get to combine my passion for people with the ever-evolving world of surveying. This industry is constantly innovating, and there’s always something new to dive into. While I’ve explored different aspects of the business, I was drawn to the HR role because I thrive on problem-solving and creating an environment where people can succeed. Helping others navigate challenges and grow in their careers is what drives me every day.

To me, work/life balance is key and outside of work, I’m very active in my local amateur theatre group, The Chipstead Players. I’ve been performing since I was about 11 or 12 and have become more involved in all aspects of running the theatre over this time. I work with the theatre’s Youth Panel, which encourages young people to join and make the theatre a more inclusive space. And in 2024, I was part of the committee organising the celebrations for the theatre’s 100th anniversary and got to write and direct a new play for the occasion.

I’d say to any College student, make your own choices and make them for you. Whatever you do next, make sure that you are doing it because you want to do it, not just because your peers are. Doing something different from everyone else can be tough and doing it alone can be even tougher, but you’ll look back on your decisions with regret if they weren’t the right ones for you.

My path to where I am today has not been easy, and I’d prefer to not repeat some of the mistakes I’ve made along the way. Nonetheless, I take comfort in knowing that I decided this path for myself.

Bradley Adams

Reigate College: 2018-2020

Higher education: Level 4 apprenticeship in Retail Business Management with Babington while working at M&S

Currently: Human Resources Manager, JAMY Business Support for Surveyors