OD Greg O'Connell (S, 2004) returned to Durham School today to speak to pupils about his career journey and the importance of staying open to opportunity, even when the future is unclear.

Greg began his career as a junior estimator before moving into site engineering. Alongside his work, he completed an HNC and later a degree in Civil Engineering, eventually becoming a Chartered Engineer. He has since moved into business ownership and is now growing his second business with his brother Ben (S,2001).

Drawing on his own experiences, Greg spoke about the key decisions that shaped his career, the opportunities he chose to pursue and the setbacks he encountered along the way. He encouraged pupils not to worry if they do not yet know exactly where their future will lead, explaining that careers rarely follow a straight line.

One of the strongest messages from the talk was that changing direction should not be seen as failure. Instead, Greg explained how adapting, learning and making new choices at different stages of life can often open the door to new opportunities.

Greg also shared insights into entrepreneurship, discussing what it takes to run and grow a business and the importance of taking calculated risks when opportunities arise.

The talk offered valuable advice for pupils considering university, apprenticeships or employment, and prompted plenty of thoughtful questions about engineering, business and career development.

We are grateful to Greg for taking the time to return to Durham School and share his experiences with pupils.

If you have a specialism you would like to share, or could support pupils through careers advice or work experience, please get in touch at od@dcsf.org.uk.