Life at Farnham College
John Bowman studied Business at Farnham College in 1995-1997. He now works as Head of Blog and Education at PokerStars.
John said: “It was an absolutely remarkable experience. The tutors were excellent and genuinely cared about you and your future, and the social times were equally impressive.”
“Whilst you’re learning your chosen subject you also learn micro skills such as working in a team and learning to work with different people you usually wouldn’t, which is invaluable for life after education.
“At college I was also lucky enough to get my work experience at IBM, one of the biggest Tech Companies of its time.”
Life after college
John has been in his current company for 18 years. He moved through various roles, gaining experience in Marketing and Events, setting up departments, and is now Head of Blog and Education.
“I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world through this company and meet some of the most talented people in the industry from Business, Marketing, TV, Events, SEO, Social Media, Ambassadors, Celebrities and more,” John said.
What inspired you to pursue your current career
“What drew me to this career path was the idea of mixing business with strategy. I joined PokerStars when the industry was brand new, so have seen it grow from a start-up to a billion-pound industry,” John said.
“It’s amazing to see a successful start-up grow, and very rewarding to have been a part of its growth. Start-ups can be risky to work in, but you also develop your skills much faster as you get to experience so much more.”
Proudest achievement
John shared some of his proudest achievements and memorable moments since attending Farnham College.
John said: “The confidence I gained from college took me on many adventures. I created a small ecommerce and affiliate business when I left which allowed me to pursue some other passions.
“I was a Radio DJ for Glastonbury, I played Poker on TV in Las Vegas, beating a Harvard Graduate heads up for 1st place, Farnham College 1 – Harvard 0.”
“I then moved from my small hometown to city life in London and grew my career further. I am immensely proud of how far I’ve come.”
Advice for college leavers
“Even if you’ve not fully chosen your career path, don’t be afraid to explore new things, try to network and choose friends with similar goals and interests,” John said.
“Knowing people with the same career goals really helps, as you can bounce ideas off each other and may even end up in the same company or sector.
“Learn from each position in your career, understand what works well, what could be improved and what doesn’t work, because one day you may be in charge of those decisions.
“Throughout my career I’ve found that people love problem solvers and there’s not one thing that cannot improved. If you’re the go to person to solve those issues, you’ll be the first person they will think of when a new higher role becomes available.”