Chazz Junior is in his last year at school and looking at all the careers stuff. He's been asking me advice and I'm a bit stumped what career to go into these days. I doubt any career is safe these days. Kids seem to be advised to stay on at school and do A Levels but which ones to do and what degree to go onto and what job at the end of it? My next door neighbours lad was real bright did a degree in BioMedical Sciences(whatever that is) he's been working in a cafe for the last 2 years. My careers advice consisted of 1 ten minute session with the advice there's hardly any jobs so unless your fixed up by your dad then your on the dole- I was for 9 months. The lads struggling to know what to do! Surely nobody knows at that age do they? 2 questions then. 1. Whats a good career to go into these days? 2. Did you know what you wanted to do at 16 are you still doing it now or are you finally doing what you always wanted? PS You're not allowed to mention Siemens!! As thats all the teachers are banging on about to the kids!!
My carear advisor laughed when I told him I was gonna be a professional footballer. He's not laughing anymore, it was 32 years ago.
My lad's just looking at applying for an engineering course at Uni for next year. More ****ing expense. Younger one is a bit of a brainy box & wants to go into computing.
My suggestion would be to encourage him to study the topics that interest him as he's more likely to get better grades and the probability is he'll head off in that direction for a career. I drifted into jobs in some quite varied areas. I got happier when I decided to stop chasing money and suggest the same to anyone that asks. Careers Office used to have a computer test that asked about your likes and interests, and then gave a list of jobs with a grading for how close they were to your preferences. It didn't mean there was a job, or that you could do it, but it did offer up some options I hadn't considered. Don't know if that helps?
He's grunted computing at me but been a thick **** I just dont know what it means. What sort of stuff do they do, sounds boring as **** to me. I told him to get a trade but he dont wanna get his hands dirty, pity cos i need loads doing round the house.
This'll scare the **** out of him, but I'd go for an engineering apprenticeship in the Royal Navy or RAF if I had my time again - not the army though. The last thing he will want to do right now is study some more, but trust me, the forces are full of bright kids who weren't very good at school. Due to his age, he would need to do some sort of college / foundation course, but having a trade such as electro technician, telecoms or even something like ventilation are going to be in massive demand for years and are interchangeable with other industries.
The eldest wants Uni cos at 21 he's "tired of getting his hands dirty". He trained as a mechanic & now wants to move on. Tuther one wants to get into computer programming. I don't understand it but he learnt a new language over the summer. What he speaks about all sounds foreign as **** to me so maybe that's the language he learnt. He passed his Maths GCSE at 12 & a Design & Technology one last year at 14. Brain box, **** at football though. Stay clear of Science, it's ****e, unappreciated & undervalued.
I'd also say look into engineering/skilled technical (depending on his academic aptitude) and can confirm I've never had a day out of work and have in fact been a top rate tax payer for many years. I started down the technical apprenticeship route as i didn't do much at Syd Smith accept mess about. However, I fairly quickly switched to doing a degree full time after doing that doing a BTEC OND in a subject I actually like and without my mates about meant I did quite well. So I'd also recommend he did something he actually likes doing or he'll not stick with it. It wouldn't recommend IT to my daughter as the market is over saturated. We can hire experienced IT guys for a LOT less money than it costs us to get experienced Engineers.
I'm currently at college, and I'll be going to uni next year. As much as I love what I'm doing, I wouldn't advise anyone to do the same when there are better options. Selling higher education to young people is getting increasingly harder. Is £45,000 debt worth a degree when you could be making money working? I'm not sure. I would like to do a Masters in the future as well. What about the Armed Forces, Chazz? I know most parents wouldn't want their sons or daughters doing that sort of thing, but it wouldn't be a terrible thing to do when you compare it with unemployment and students with massive debts.
Careers advisor for me was useless. Told me when I went for my options not to do some subjects as they would be no good for what I wanted to do. I didn't really want to do what I said I did but living in a farming area, the options were slim to zero for anything outside the box. Kids have a lot more options today, but all want the easy life. kind of fell into my current job that has taken me round the world, although not the best job, it's also not the worst. One thing I wish I'd stuck with at school is languages. Dropped French & Spanish was never an option, but both would have been very helpful over the years. A lot of people tell me that Engineering is the best job & people always wanting them, after that Computers & languages are a popular field.
Also, what is he good at, and what are his interests? If he does want to go to college and eventually uni, make sure he knows which courses are for him. It sounds obvious, but he'd get far better grades if he did subjects he enjoyed and took an interest in rather than ones he didn't enjoy but felt obligated to do. A lot of people I know hate Maths, but they were pushed into doing it at A Level because they got a decent GCSE grade and it would potentially help them with their career prospects. A fair amount of them dropped the subject or got poor grades because they didn't like it.
Future earning potential would indicate it's worth it in the long run. Many jobs that were open to none graduates when I graduated in the 90s are now only open to those with a tertiary education. Or you could do a hybrid of this I spent 15 odd years in the TA (with 3 mobilised services) both as a student and after and the money came in very handy. As some one else said earlier they'll also sponsor your degree now and you can go in as an officer - again with a much high earning potential than a soldier. You'd need the academic and personal skills to do this though of course.
I think this would be a great idea for any lad or girl that's about to leave school and not really sure what to do, the courses you do now are far better than they used to be in the forces If he is interested in communications then wirless is the way to go now Most types of Engineering would also be a good way to go, or anything that will get him a trade so go can leave the **** hole England has become!
Yep, and Sandhurst is always an option for people in the Armed Forces as well. I thought about joining the Armed Forces after college, and its' still a possibility if I get my degree. I want to do History at uni, but I'm not exactly sure what I want to do after. A lot of my family members have served, and the majority of them said it was a great experience.
My daughter (17) has been thinking about joining the police! I think the new school leaving age will help them make better desicions in what they want to do? A lot of people rush into a job and before they know it they're stuck in a rut with house & kids! A father whos interested and worried helps though! It's not something I ever discussed with my old man! :-(
I've got him down and farted on his head as he wont talk to me, and he's thinking of doing A Levels in 3 of these Computing, Accounting, Law, Spanish. Not sure which 3 or what he wants to study if he goes to Uni. Feel for him really.
