Award-winning broadcaster John Suchet has encouraged Northampton College students to trust their judgement, work hard and remain adaptable as they prepare to enter the workplace.
The former ITN newsreader spoke to around 100 students at the college’s Booth Lane campus, drawn from journalism, health and social care, music and construction courses. He was joined by his wife, author and dementia campaigner Nula Suchet.
During the session, John reflected on a career spanning more than five decades across Reuters, the BBC, ITN and, more recently, Classic FM, where he presents programmes focused on classical music.
He told students that resilience and timing had played a major role in his career path, including early rejections from graduate schemes before securing work as a Reuters correspondent covering the Paris student riots of 1968.
John said the world of work had changed dramatically during his career, particularly through advances in technology. He highlighted the shift from film to satellite broadcasting and the impact of mobile phones and artificial intelligence on modern journalism.
According to John, while technology has transformed how people work, judgement and human reasoning remain critical skills. He encouraged students to approach AI carefully, using it as a tool rather than a replacement for thinking.
With many students preparing to leave education and move into employment, John shared advice shaped by his own experiences. He said effort and consistency often mattered more than formal career plans, adding that instinct should not be ignored when making decisions.
He told students that following their instincts had guided many of his own career choices, including his early decision to pursue journalism after witnessing the construction of the Berlin Wall as a young man.
The visit was organised by Mark Bradshaw, curriculum manager for construction at Northampton College, who said the session offered students insight into how careers often develop in unpredictable ways.
Mark said it was valuable for students to hear from someone whose career spanned different industries, technologies and working environments, particularly at a time when many young people are facing uncertainty about their next steps.
Nula also spoke to students about her experiences as a carer and her work as a dementia campaigner. Both she and John have written about losing former partners to dementia and now act as ambassadors for several charities.
The event formed part of the college’s wider programme of employer engagement and career preparation, aimed at helping students understand the realities of working life beyond the classroom.
