PICK A CARD - any card and you may find a job for life. Forward thinking teacher Eiman Munrow has come up with a unique scheme showing students career opportunities - with a pack of cards. Eiman s invention has proved so good, she now has her own busines

PICK A CARD - any card and you may find a job for life.

Forward thinking teacher Eiman Munrow has come up with a unique scheme showing students career opportunities - with a pack of cards.

Eiman's invention has proved so good, she now has her own business and has entered the Barking and Dagenham Business Awards with her company 'Top Careers'.

The trump-style card games, aimed at 14 to 19-year-old, give students the chance to learn about a host of different careers in the fields of maths, science and engineering,

She began designing the cards during her maternity leave four years ago, and since then the business, now based in Pickering Road, Barking, has gone from strength to strength.

The 31-year-old has managed to attract big sponsors, including Boots and British Airways, and will soon see her cards being sold at the prestigious British Museum shop.

She said: "When I was doing my teacher training in 2004 I noticed how excited the children were by a simple maths game. So when I finished the training and was on maternity leave I started designing my own cards.

"I decided on the career cards because there are so many jobs out there that young people don't know about. I thought the games could be a fun way of learning about them."

With a little help from a card designer and an illustrator the business was soon up and running.

The mother of two added: "After testing them out at schools, I started selling the games through mail order, usually to teachers, but I'm now branching into retail."

The Barking and Dagenham Business Awards, which have gained an impressive reputation in the business world, are still taking entries for this years contest.

The categories are "Business of the Year; Innovation; Community Involvement; Marketing Excellence; Retailer of the Year; Training and Development; Best New Business; Growth Business of the Year; and Sole/Trader/Micro-business including E-Business.

Entries will also be eligible to enter the London-wide Thames Gateway Business Awards sponsored by Archant London, publishers of the POST.

The closing date is May 1. Application forms are available by calling (020) 8227 3319 or online on our website www.bdpost.co.uk.