Careers for young adults

[shona]

My daughter didn’t know what to do so I advised her to temp as she could get to know different companies to see what she liked. It worked as she now works for a lovely company.

[RuthieR]

Most Unis have some form of Careers Team / deptmt who may be able to advise her.

I left Uni/Poly with an HND in Business and Finance in '92 and have worked in Finance and Admin since. I had no idea what I wanted to do, wasn't academic and hated school. I am now working in a Primary school office - love it, so varied and no office politics like working in a normal job.

DS1 has just started a Professional Policing degree, which leads to joining the Police, always his career path from Yr9. DS2 (14) wants to be a secondary school History teacher. Happy that they have both known what they wanted to do from a young age. DH thinks DS2 should be a lawyer or politician as he can argue his way out of everything and convinces you that you are wrong!

Maybe the best way of looking at careers is to write a big long list of every job you can think of and then go through it and cross off anything that is a def. No - put a reason next to it and just see what is left. Once you have a degree you can do almost anything with a little bit more training or convert degree in to some other qualification.

[Sew109]

At 51 I think I have found what I want to do now (it has kept changing) as a fine art photographer, I create fine art not photograph other people’s. I don’t think many of know what we want to do at 20 30 40 even we can always change all the way through our lives.

I quit my legal profession when I was 27 and went into IT for less than a third of the salary. My wonderful Dad told me I was mad and stupid it’s one of the best choices I have ever made.

We are not fixed into doing what we think we want to do at 20 for the rest of our lives for some this may work but for most this would be boring.

Can she do theQTS thing later as this is a massive option to have available and opens up the entire world to her that only education and healthcare can. Surely she is better off having this qualification in case she changes her mind in the future.

[All-smiles]

She definatly did the right thing completing the course. I am a primary teacher and it is a hard job. You have to either be all in or it will break you but by her completing the course she will have many other careers open to her. I have known some teachers go into publishing, secretarial work, librarian work, educational people working for school trips etc at various places.

Sometimes I consider leaving the profession and then I have a day in the classroom with the children and I couldnt see me doing anything else. They keep me going.

[JoJo88]

DS18 didn’t want to go to Uni after leaving school this year. He applied for a couple of apprenticeship jobs in the finance world but didn’t get them. He then applied to work at a local leisure centre, got the job and so far he loves it! He’s now a qualified life guard and this week is training to be a swim teacher. I doubt he’ll work there forever, but until he decides what he does want to do he’s getting valuable work experience, earning decent money for his age and is growing in confidence as he gains his independence.

Hopefully your DD will be able to try a few different things and will maybe stumble upon something she loves

[Bats]

Openreach are crying out for engineers, especially female ones!
Good pay, holidays, sick leave, uniform, training, development, vehicle, laptop, mobile. Working inside/outside all year round so must be able to put up with sunshine and cold (all weather gear provided).

Must have a full driving licence.

Joa

[daytonababe]

Connor didn’t know what he wanted to do, just that he wanted to work, He started off as a apprentice engineer , now he’s got a job refurbing garages ( they do things like removing and fitting new fuel tanks ) and he really enjoys it .

Chloe is a qualified TA , I’m not sure if she’ll go back to that yet or try a different path .

[DisneyDaffodil]

I have 3 adult children, the eldest 2 have excellent degrees and the youngest should get hers next spring. Neither of the eldest 2 are doing the job they thought they’d want when they started their degrees and the youngest is considering her options but may take a masters in a different type of biology than she felt she would be taking at the start of her degree

The eldest two have good jobs though, one works overseas and has a good lifestyle as the cost of living is so low there, his wages aren’t high by UK standards but he lives very comfortably and enjoys his job. The second has a history degree, then attempted a PGCE but soon realised teaching wasn’t for him so didn’t complete that degree. He went into sales and is now a sales manager making an extremely good wage

DD always thought she’d work in conservation, and still may but she’s also considering a degree in neuroscience as she finds it really interesting and feels it would give her a better chance of a financially successful career than one in conservation which sadly doesn’t pay well.

There are many options for your DD with her teaching degree op. A friend of mine has a daughter who works for a museum and her job is giving talks and setting up interactive displays to encourage children to be interested in the museum for example. I’m sure a teaching degree would be useful for that type of job

[darbs]

I think it is so hard for young people and I also think that covid and not being in college/uni has reduced the amount of careers advice and guidance given.
My DS finished college this summer and has no idea what to do. He has a job at waitrose which is developing his confidence and communication skills but still no idea what to do in the long term. Any ideas we come up with get a no!

[Alices Aunt]

What does she enjoy? I know it sounds a strange question. But I like solving problems, I talk a lot and ask lots of questions so I became a business analyst and now a product manager. I did a chemistry degree so completely unrelated.

It’s worth understanding what she likes to do and then seeing what jobs fit those interest/ skills.

Have a look at this. nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers There could be something.