Jumping to Conclusions.

If you look at my school report from 1969, you will see how good I was at jumping, a career opportunity that I have so far failed to capitalise on.

Clearly this represents both a missed opportunity for me and a savage indictment of any career advice I have ever received.

To be honest though, I haven’t received a lot; apart from the occasional look at the week’s horoscope I can only remember one such occasion.

I was fresh out of university, working in a town and country planning office and holding a possibility to return and finish my studies in the same subject.

But I was unsure.

So I thought I should seek advice, went to the bureau of career’s advice and was handed a form to fill in whilst I waited.

After successfully completing sections headed “name” and “address” there was an important question – “What career would you like”.

Now it was obvious, I hoped, to them and me, that if I knew the answer I might not be seeking their advice so I decided the key part of the question was not the “what” but the “like” and so I answered honestly.

International test cricketer.

Perfect.

An intensely competitive friendship with a few selected, like minded individuals in different and beautiful parts of the world. Outdoor job, lots of sun and travel.

Ok, no jumping - well a little - but a fair bit of running at which, as you can also see on my report card, I was fairly good.

I gave the form to the young confident adviser as I sat down for my interview.

He looked at it.

He looked at me.“Do you play cricket?”

“No”

“Have you thought about banking?”

I decided to go back to the horoscopes.