Semi-retired consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon and founding president of the British Orthopaedic Training Society, Nigel Rossiter, gave an inspiring and thought-provoking first keynote address to Sixth Form pupils as part of their Online Careers Day on Friday 19 March. 

Whilst describing his varied career and achievements, he demonstrated the value of working hard at school, university and in your career. When considering the type of job and career you might like to do, he reminded everyone of the value of trying a variety of work experience to find out what you are most suited to. He also spoke of the influence of family, colleagues and the environment of work being important factors in any job situation. 

With all job applications being online now, he said, it is harder for individuals in a competitive job market to appear different. Therefore, it is helpful for pupils to identify how they can stand out favourably from the crowd. 

One way, he suggested, was by taking a gap year and doing something you are personally interested in or passionate about. But, fundamentally, aiming to develop good interpersonal skills is what creates a good team player.

With regard to going to university, he said that in his experience it was a means by which young people could have greater certainty about their employment future and also about their income possibilities. But he reminded everyone that money was not the be all and end all. He said he had met many happy people who had very little or no money.

His overall message to the Sixth Form was ‘to work to live, not live to work’. The networks within your work situation are important, but so are those outside.

Leisure pursuits and interests can positively impact the work environment and make your work situation that much more enjoyable and rewarding. Around the operating table, he said, he did not want to talk about aspects of surgery, but rather what people had done at the weekend.