Peter Seldon, 41, is tho | managing director ofa company producing | software systems for large corporate computer networks, with a staff of about seventy. ‘Thad a privileged ‘education which taught me very litte. | left school at 16. Somehow, | just didn't seem to grasp things. It was a very dull period of my life: | just wasn't turned ‘on by education. The paradox was that whilst | was not motivated to work, {didn't want to be a failure, My parents, both highly depressed, When | went on to further education college todo three A-levels, | failed the lot. | was 19 and it really seemed to be the end of the road. | felt guilty because my parents had spent so much money on my education and made sacrifices. Fortunately, ae something in my brain said: 'Go into something where you can use ‘communication skills." So | scoured the papers and noticed that Olivetti were taking on young people to train them for sales positions. Evidently my determination came across. For the first time in my life | felt really charged up and did very well, moving on to two other companies in sales management positions, Then | started getting frustrated because | wasn't in a position to influence product strategy and had no budgetary responsibilty. So | took the plunge and started up my own business with a partner and a large bank loan. | suppose | have a flair for selling. To some extent | think the ability to sell is innate; its all about psychology and being persuasive, My skill is conceptualising, assessing the market and being able to recognise opportunities. | can honestly say my education is irelevant to what | am doing now, ANNE NICHOLLS meets four people who show that pleasing teachers isn't everything Martina Cole, 33, received a £150,000 ey Said enh: inteligent and academic, | now class woman who gets mixed up in crime in the | East End of London. ‘Iloved primary and junior school, but as soon as | went to secondary school, |just rebelled and went downhill. | simply hated it and played truant all the time. | just found schoo! really boring. The only thing | loved was reading. | read the whole of The Goaifather at the age of 12 in one go. But the schoo! | dant aporove. They kept on catching me with “unsuitable” books. One of my school reports said | had outstanding ability in English, but | still got low marks for essays. "You won't amount to anything, Martina Cole,” said the teachers. “You'll spend all your life just getting by = on a laugh.” Which is exactly what | have done. ‘So | left school at 15, which was illegal, with no qualifications, got pregnant at 18, and went from job to job, working in supermarkets, offices and as a nursing auxiliary. | would often daydream about being a successful writer and was forever scribbling stories down in exercise books. But my friends said: “Working-class people like us don't do things like that. We don't write books.” Then, one day | jacked in my job, bought an electric typewriter with my tax rebate, said to my husband “Till give it a year,” and set to work on my first novel. finally sent off the manuscript to an agent and waited. And then when he told me that he'd put it up for auction with several publishers and managed to sell it for £150,000, | just couldn't believe it ‘I sometimes think that writing talent is innate, although there is a knack to it as well. | have to admit that | don't have to work at writing: thewords seem to flow out of me. | am sometimes aware of my lack of knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. When I told my agent | was thinking of doing a creative writing course, he said: "Don't you dare. We can sort out the grammar. Don't ruin what you've got.” Barney Edwards, 45, is one of Britain’ leading directors of TV commercials. His company employs ten permanent staff and he has a reputation for highly creative work ‘Valways wanted to be a journalist, but wasn't very good at English language ~ or anything else at ‘school for that matter. The maths teacher used to call me "MD" meaning “Mentally Deficient", The school asked me to leave because they thought | was useless. My father in desperation managed to get me a job as a trainee in the hotel business, but | couldn't stand the subservience and left Then | started a graphics course at art college - against the wishes of my father. Unfortunately | discovered that | couldn't draw and my tutor said | had no sense of composition. The only person who gave me any encouragement was the sculpture teacher, who suggested | took photographs and told me to read anything | could lay my hands on — ‘on reflection the best advice anyone ever gave me. But the college still kicked me out. Then | thought: ‘What am | going to do now?", packed my bags and came to London to try and find a job. “That was the immense leap. After that everything was easy, | started working for a photographic agency, | worked ferociously hard. There were times | just wanted to curl up and die because | was mixing with posh photographers and | was embarrassed by my Northern accent and lack of social graces. But | also had a feeling that one day | would be noticed and had an unshakeable belict that | would be some kind of star. Despite my lack of academic success, | learnt three very important things: to take responsibility for my actions, to communicate well and to think both analytically and creatively. Now, when | employ someone, | don't care whether they have been to university or if they have any qualifications. | want to know what films they see, what books they read, whether they have courage, charisma, stamina and can really communicate.” Mila Tanya Griebel, 29, is a silversmith who designs and creates Jewish ceremonial metalwork. She is buitaiing a considerable reputation. "At junior school, | was aware | had learning dificuties and from the age of nine | was constantly told | was stupid. This was in the days before people really understood dyslexia. At secondary school | was having to run to catch up with everyone else. In the end through sheer hard work | got onto an art foundation course and then to Middlesex Polytechnic to study for a degree in 3D design. The atmosphere at the poly was so laid back that, for the first time in my life, | was able to build up some self-confidence. At the end Of my third year, my tutor suggested that | apply for an MA in silversmithing at the Royal College of Art. Those two years were the most miserable of my life and ones | look back on with foathing. You had to fit into a mould. | saw so many students ‘emerging from tutorials in tears. | just knuckled down and worked. At the end of the year, | thought, “I'm going to fail” and was amazed when they passed me. It has taken me all of three years to build up my confidence again, But I've leant to survive and found a niche market. Above all, | fee! really passionate about what | do."Who appreciated the efforts made by his / her parents? had to modify an early ambition? was influenced in deciding what was a suitable job by his / her social origin? did not feel fulfilled until the start of his / her first job? was forced to leave college? benefited from not working under pressure? made money directly through someone else's help? lost an early enthusiasm for school? feels his / her education was of no value to his / her current work? had unsuccessful educational experiences after leaving school? wanted a job that included control of finance? put effort into school work? now assesses job applicants on criteria other than qualifications? completed a post-graduate qualification? considers their expertise comes from natural talent? went against the opinion of a parent? left school before the official school-leaving age? received support at college that led indirectly to a profession? 30 31 32 33 36 37 38. 39 a 43 44 45 47 48 49 40 46 A Peter Seldon B Martina Cole | € Barney Edwards D Milla Tanya Griebel