在通往理想大学的路上，

需要具备什么样的竞争力？

优秀的学分？超强的韧性？

丰富的项目实践经历？

对某个学科的热爱与不懈追求？

在我们拼尽全力出发之前，

是否要先找准航道的终点和扬帆方向？

在A-Level升学体系中，毕业生需要对申请有足够充分的了解与兴趣。在即将迎来首届毕业申请季的夏天，哈罗之友与校方共同发起了“灯塔计划”，旨在为备战升学的高年级同学聚集更多优质的家长社群与社会资源，全方位提升“升学竞争力”。

六月第一周，学校HR负责人为Y11和Y12学生们举办了简历准备与面试模拟工作坊，他从雇主招聘、职业发展、教育行业人才培养、升学与求职等角度与同学们展开了干货满满的交流。

认准目标，勇敢追梦

毕业于哥伦比亚大学与宾夕法尼亚大学的两位嘉宾Hang Qin与Vicky Liu用一场咖啡晨会的时间，与Y11及Y12同学们分享了他们从备战申请，就读体验，文化融入与毕业求职的心路历程。

其中，Hang Qin特别与大家分享了融入校友网络并的必要性，“当你需要帮助时，请积极发出信号。只要你真心想做成一件事，整个宇宙都会帮助你。”

Vicki Liu也真诚建议年轻的同学们在申请时“要主动选择学校，而不是让学校选择你”。

从热爱出发，不怕试错

来自AI科技、医学与金融投资行业的5位精英大咖相聚，以行业导师的身份向Y12同学分享他们的亲身经历和对职业选择的理解。

2个小时的圆桌讨论会全程金句频出，火花迸发，让所有人都感觉意犹未尽。

5位行业导师的入行经历与职业发展道路不尽相同，但他们的分享都提及了一个共同的关键词：热爱。——因为热爱选择自己想要进入的领域，因为深入了解所选的专业而变得更加热爱。

围绕当前的社会热点话题，同学们提问：

我们应该如何应对内卷？

导师们一致认为内卷的解药是创新，创新的目的是为了满足未被满足的需求。

在职场上不乏执行力很强的人，一味拼速度会令人陷入恶性竞争。但是创新却可以让个人、让企业拥有核心竞争力，从而达到抢占市场甚至垄断核心技术的目的。

打开自己，连接真实世界

即将进行IGCSE与A-Level选科的同学，对所学科目与毕业后的职业方向如何联结仍有许多未知和懵懂，10家来自不同行业的企业受灯塔计划之邀，以模拟招聘会的形式与Y10至Y12的同学进行深度交流。

学生和企业真实面试

借助这次宝贵的机会，许多同学第一次了解到社会上各行各业背后运转的商业逻辑，甚至不少同学还拿到了心动的offer，并即将在新学年开始迈出职业体验的第一步。

特别鸣谢以下企业的热心参与和付出：

旨在建立社区资源库，以企业参访和实习体验、行业导师、校企研究、大学及校友会资源等形式，帮助学生寻找科目兴趣，体验职业规划，最终促进个人发展。

截止23/24学年末，灯塔计划资源库已纳入企业近20家。期待新的学年，在更多家长的助力下，我们一同点亮更多盏航灯，帮助更多同学勇敢启航，千帆竞渡！

What kind of qualities do our children need to reach their dream university? Is it excellent grades? Exceptional resilience? A wealth of practical project experience? A passion for and relentless pursuit of a particular subject? Before we embark on this journey with all our might, shouldn't we first identify the destination and the direction to sail?

In the A-Level system, graduates need to be well-informed and enthusiastic about university applications. As we approach the application season for our first graduating class, The Friends of Harrow and the school have launched the Beacon Project, which aims to bring together more quality social resources for Upper School pupils to enhance their competitiveness in all aspects of their university applications.

Career Planning and University Application Preparation

In the first week of June, the Head of HR at the school held a workshop on resume preparation and interview simulation for Year 11 and Year 12 pupils. He shared valuable insights regarding employer recruitment, career development, talent cultivation in the education industry, university admission, and job hunting.

Setting Goals, Pursuing Dreams

Two guests, Hang Qin and Vicky Liu, who graduated from Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania respectively, shared their experiences with Year 11 and Year 12 pupils over a coffee morning. They discussed their journeys through university application preparation, campus life, cultural integration, and job hunting after graduation.

Hang Qin emphasized the importance of integrating into the alumni network, saying, “When you need help, just actively send out signals. If you genuinely want to achieve something, the whole universe will help you.”

Vicky Liu sincerely advised, “You should actively choose the school, rather than letting the school choose you.”

Follow Your Passion, Embrace Mistakes

Five professionals from the AI technology, medical, and financial investment industries gathered to share their personal experiences and insights on career choices with Year 12 pupils, serving as industry mentors.

Industry Mentors

The two-hour roundtable discussion was filled with memorable quotes and sparks of inspiration.

The five industry mentors have had different experiences and career paths, but they all mentioned a common keyword in their sharing: passion. They chose their fields out of passion and grew even more passionate as they delved deeper into their chosen professions.

Regarding current social issues, our pupils asked: How should we cope with the phenomenon of “involution”?

The mentors agreed that the solution is innovation, which aims to meet unmet needs. In the workplace, while there are often highly efficient people, focusing solely on speed can lead to unhealthy competition. However, innovation can provide individuals and companies with core competitiveness, enabling them to capture market share or even monopolize key technologies.

Opening Yourself to the Real World

As our children who are about to select their IGCSE and A-Level subjects are still not sure about the connection between the subjects they are studying and their career paths after graduation, 10 companies from different industries were invited by the Beacon Project to have an in-depth exchange with Year 10 to Year 12 pupils in the form of a mock job fair. 

Students' real interview

With this valuable opportunity, many pupils learnt for the first time about the business logic behind various industries, and some of them even got exciting offers and are about to take the first step of career work experience in the new school year.

Special thanks to the following companies for their participation and support:

The Beacon Project aims to build up a community resource pool in the form of corporate visits and internship experience, industry mentor exchanges, school-enterprise research, university and alumni resources, to help our children explore their subject interests, experience career planning, and ultimately foster personal development.

By the end of the 23/24 academic year, the Beacon Project resource pool includes nearly 20 companies. We look forward to the new academic year, where with the support of more parents, we will light up even more beacons together, empowering more pupils to embark on their journeys with courage, to reach their ideal destinations.