The Journey of the Fourth Annual Career Fair

Conversations with Dreams:

The Enlightenment from Industry Leaders

The event brought together over 30 experts from 20 companies across industries like renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering, banking, investment, academia, law and fashion design. Through keynote speeches, concurrent workshops, and speed networking sessions, pupils gained a multidimensional view of the professional world. 

As Professor Taylor took the stage, his first slide read: "From the stars to molecules..." This London-born chemist, who has lived across four continents, illustrated the boundless possibilities of career development. From childhood love of astronomy to designing spacecraft at NASA, quantum computing with boron-carbon-nitrogen molecules, and metal-organic framework research at Tianjin University, his journey proved one thing: seemingly unrelated fields can inspire and complement each other. His speech dispelled pupils’anxieties about specialisation, interdisciplinary paths, and technological disruption, offering a clear roadmap: "Focus on problems, not disciplinary boundaries." 

Stars and dust are all pieces of the future. 

Xiaopeng, a travel writer known for his budget, independent, and immersive journeys, shared his story from globetrotting to publishing books and running China’s top youth hostel chain. The most inspiring career lessons aren’t found in successful manuals but in the footprints of real-life adventures. 

A Year 13 pupil posed a profoundly resonant question that captures the genuine struggles of peers navigating college application season: "We often hear success stories in speeches and books. But behind those highlights, what travel or entrepreneurial experience truly brought you despair, regret, or self-doubt? How did you cope with it?"

Mr Xiaopeng's smile faded as he soberly reflected on his journey. The darkest chapter wasn't an adventurous desert or jungle trek—it was the early days of his "Backpack Decade" hostel in Lijiang, drowning in logistical chaos and relentless self-questioning. During moments of overwhelming anxiety, he'd pause work to listen to backpackers eagerly discussing travel plans. Their spark reignited his purpose: he wasn’t just running a business, but safeguarding starting points for countless journeys. It was through travel that he learned his deepest lesson—to embrace the unplanned and imperfect, cultivating patience for slow, authentic growth.  

Dreams don't bloom on planning boards; 

they start when you take the first step. 

In the "How to Enter an Industry" workshop, pupils learned that China’s pet industry has surpassed RMB300 billion, expanding beyond traditional pet shops and clinics into education, celebrity management, and even luxury goods. 

The only "ceiling" 

is the limit of your imagination. 

At the "AI & Future Careers: Best Friend or Worst Enemy?" Session, experts from finance and engineering revealed how AI is transforming their fields. Engineers emphasised that mastering AI tools is now essential, while a financial expert noted: "Economics aims to maximise value with limited resources, AI is the ultimate tool for that. The future belongs to those who embrace it." 

Technology expands human potential. Align your growth with the times.

In a fashion design workshop, pupils redesigned a sun-protective jacket to be both stylish and functional. The winning entry balanced aesthetics and practicality. The designer’s insight: "Design is now as much about visual storytelling and community status as it is about pure function, and purchasing is an emotionally driven act validated by peer networks rather than just technical specifications." 

Constraints aren’t cages for creativity,

they’re springboards for ideas. 

In "Salary, Stability, or Passion?" Session, two HR experts posed a tough question: "If you could only pick one, which would you choose?" There’s no right answer; it depends on self-awareness. Pupils reflected: Would you stay up late solving problems? Do you prefer solo work or teamwork? 

The steadiest careers let you "upgrade skills through passion."

Adopting pupils' suggestions, we designed an "8-Minute Face-to-Face Exchange" session. From initial nervousness to reluctant farewells, pupils glimpsed the true essence of various fields in these brief yet highly efficient interactions. To prepare them, we organised pre-event communication training, teaching skills like framing core questions and quickly establishing dialogue. Heartwarmingly, the venue buzzed with lively discussions between pupils and industry veterans. Many later reflected that those 8 minutes offered more insight than hours of research. 

This career fair specially invited two Wellington College Tianjin alumni—over a decade into their careers—to return as mentors. Their hard-won wisdom, like a mirror of time, reflected growth's true meaning. Post-event, two Year 13 pupils engaged an alumnus in an hour-long deep dive—from careers to life balance, academics to cultural exchange. May they forever keep this courage to seek guidance, the foresight to shape their futures, and the boldness to ride life's waves. 

As pupils left with their "Aha moments," we knew: the answers about the future lie in these realisations. 

Dreams aren’t distant stars; they’re built step by step through curiosity and discovery.  

Next stop, where will your "Aha moment" be?