Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Ward

This month as part of our Alumni Spotlight series, we spoke to Andrew Ward, alumnus of the British School Jakarta. Andrew now works as a Talent Business Partner for trading platform, Trayport and we asked him a few questions about his education and the path he took after leaving a COBIS school.

What is your name? 

Andrew Ward 

Which COBIS school did you graduate from? 

British School Jakarta

What is your current occupation? 

Talent Business Partner for a Trading Platform

How did you get to where you are now, from leaving school?  

After leaving school, I attended the University of Exeter, where I studied Sports Science and Education. In 2010, I moved to London and started working for a few recruitment agencies with a special focus on Technology. After a few years, I moved to an Executive Search firm in the city, I thoroughly loved this role, and progressing through all forms of recruitment, I decided that I would like to make the move into an internal recruitment position, where I could affect greater change.

I then moved to StepStone UK (the parent company of TotalJobs Group and other affiliated job boards). Here I worked with the leading hospitality job board (CatererGlobal) in the Middle East within Global Key Accounts.

After a few years travelling to and from the Middle East, I was promoted back into a recruitment role within StepStone UK as Talent Acquisition Business Partner overseeing Technology (250+) in the UK across a number of brands. I had finally achieved my goal. It took longer than I expected, it was a different route than I had imagined, however I had a fantastic time, and learnt a lot from a lot of different people.

I stayed within the HR/Talent function for only another 6 months, soaking up everything I could, however it started to become apparent to me that I needed a new challenge. That is when I moved to my current place, Trayport.

What are some of your favourite memories from your time at school? 

BSJ was a particularly inclusive school, there were students from every walk of life and every corner of the globe. It was the inclusive and open nature of those currently at the school on my first day, which allowed me to form the bonds of friendship which I still hold close today.

The variety of the International Baccalaureate excited me, learning multiple subjects of my choosing via a system which was not yet implemented fully in the UK. As a kid with a very short attention span, this kept me engaged. The sports facilities were second to none, we fully threw ourselves into whatever was at hand and practiced all year round for tournaments such as FOBISIA and SEASAC which were sports tournaments where other international schools from across South East Asia would compete.

One of my fondest memories, which I can honestly say helped shape my life and my career path were the teachers at the school. The Biology teacher Mr Tom Metters, who convinced me to attend the University of Exeter, was an inspiration. He put his all into his role not just as a teacher, but as a role model. And our former Headmaster, Mr Peter Derby-Crook, who practiced what he preached; be kind to others, work hard and achieve your full potential and have fun in the process. This man was a true leader. Approachable, resourceful and passionate about everything he did. And he did it was a smile.

Were you involved in any extracurricular activities at school? If so, what were they? 

I was involved in the sports programmes; Rugby, Football, Swimming, etc. I even took part in the odd detention (very extracurricular!). During the latter years, whilst studying the IB, we had a CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) module which I recall attending many volunteer programmes; such as cleaning up waste in the local area or the far more rewarding experience of volunteering at a local children’s cancer hospital.

What advice would you give to a sixth-former at your school about leaving school and starting work? 

Do not try and be someone else, be exactly who you are. If you do not know something, hold your hands up and say you don’t, let your passion, drive and ambition shine through. Work hard to achieve your full potential. The best thing about this is that even if you never achieve your full potential, you can always learn and always do better than the day before. Be confident in your approach and if you believe you are prepared for an interview, a deadline or a presentation, then practice one more time.

Be prepared to fail, be prepared to hear no, but do not let this detract you from your goals.

What do you hope to achieve in the next year? 

I have set a number of work related goals which I would like to achieve. We have a recruitment drive which has a deadline for the end of the year, which I would like to complete.

The long term goal is to be a Head of Talent or Director level within the next 5 years.

Where would you like to live/travel to (at any point in your life)?

I would like to return to the Middle East and South East Asia at some point. I just thoroughly love travelling and experiencing new cultures, ways of working and I feel that I will make this jump again within the next few years.