The Cambridge Careers Service sent an email, asking for volunteers to form a focus group. They wanted feedback on how they should refurbish the careers centre.

In return for an hour of my time, they gave me a £10 Sainsbury’s voucher. Score! I would have given my opinion for free, especially because they fed me double chocolate chip cookies.

Interestingly, our focus group of ten was eager to give the careers people thoughts. There was no pause in the whole hour. I have worked in groups a lot and invariably there are quiet people, and loud people, and people in between. This time, though, everyone was uniformly vocal and confident. It felt like a slightly weird situation. There was no one to protect.

I guess that’s what happens when people self-select for such groups. You get the opinionated people, who could do with more money for groceries.