Monday 28 April 2014

Chaucer's Lost Works: A Graduate's Tale



In Ye Olde Times lived a young man looking to alter his world. He had overcome many challenges in life, most importantly the obstacle of higher education. 4 years had passed since he started that quest, yet in terms of tackling the present beast that lay before him, he needed to muster all his experience and know how in order to conquer this monster.  He needed to find a way to use his past experiences and encounters to tackle the challenge ahead. He began with a head-on approach. He utilized the main focus of his past 4 years, with the intent of using that to tackle and tame the beast that faced him.

After the cycle of many moons, the battle was against the young man. This approach was not suitable to at that time, to conquer the creature. The beast needed to be approached with a different method. The young man needed to rethink his strategy. 

He toiled for many days and many nights, attempting to conjure a solution. He looked to the town’s Master of Coin for a temporary method of funding his attempts. Everything had to come at a cost, until one day, he heard the ramblings of the village leper. “The path is never direct, the solution never easy. Look beyond your possible’s and you’ll find the answer, believe in me”. Insults hurled towards the leper, yet the message circled around the young mans head. Something was beginning to present itself. He toiled with the issue on the trudge back to his hut.  Scuffing the dirt beneath him, he tried to find an answer. He returned home and upon walking into his quarters, the results of his previous endeavours met his eye. A possible answer followed.

“Aha!!” he bellowed, much to the dismay of his fellow dwellers. “This diploma scroll holds the key. Not its content, but the entity of what it represents. If I can channel its meaning into the heart of the beast, then the creature can be overcome”. He knew of its potential, but to extract the truth and the weapon inside he needed the assistance of town haruspex.

He grabbed the scroll and rushed down the lane. He wanted to act fast. The soothsayer’s dwelling appeared, and he slammed the scroll on the pillar in front of the old man. “Ive got it” he cried with a hint of exhaustion and relief flowing through his voice. “But I need your assistance”. He looked at the frail Pareto who then accessed the town chronicles. He loomed over the book, arms spread wide and gazing to the heavens. His lips moved, yet sound was absent. Then suddenly, a purple light streamed from the tea-soaked pages. It was so striking, and gradually became dimmer and dimmer until all that remained was a large rope. He glared at the object and immediately realized its meaning. It represented all that had led upto to him obtaining the scroll. He sang praises of Pareto and rushed to tackle the beast head on.

There it stood, with wide jaws, shining razor-sharp claws and eyes as black as the night. Cries were heard when he charged towards the creature. The town was in awe. He seemed out of his depth, but when the beast charged in response, he shot into the air and landed on the creatures neck. He threw the rope around its throat to tame the creature. The battle insued for hours. He wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. Fear set in, but suddenly, the beast stumbled. He realized he was overcoming the power that faced him. And then finally, the beast dropped down and surrendered to the young man's talents.

It was done.

And where is this young man now?  He resides in the district of Callard, tackling the everyday issues he always had the ability to overcome. It took one moment of deep realization to unlock this adventurers potential.

The moral of this story: 

Whatever your University degree, and whatever your background, graduate employment is not to be feared. Yes, you may seek to use your degree, but sometimes the academic knowledge may not always correspond to commercial requirements and understanding. Graduate Schemes really unlock a graduates potential, not with the degree course itself, but with the experiences and life skills one accumulates throughout their higher education. 

I felt I had to approach an Archaeological career, but after experience in the sector, I didn’t want to lose my passion for it. I now use this passion as a hobby, and from a professional perspective, I now realize that a graduate scheme gives you great support, great training and in my case, an unbelievably trusting and amicable working environment. It is the best professional decision I have ever made, and am happy to be at DSCallards. 

Written by:  Tom Etheridge, Business Development Executive, DSCallards 


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