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Started off at Agricultural College. Graduated and moved on to work for family before getting into education side and finally did TEFL course, worked abroad, came back, worked as TA various age groups, applied to be a teacher, kept getting turnd down, now run a B&B in Dorset.
Any suggestion of what I would like to do I made to careers adviser jsut came back with stock reply, the best way into this is to become a secretary, used to try and come up with some really bizarre career paths to see if I could get her to deviate but couldn't.
Comprehensive school University and a science degree Post graduate research in 3 different universities Changed job because dh moved and I got a job in the pharmaceutical industry Moved when dh moved again, and got a similar job with a different company Had a work break when I had the kids Trained as a teacher Now work as a science teacher and love it.
Careers guidance was crap. I was told to be a secretary, in spite of being unable to spell, write clearly, or type. My mother suggested that I did sciences as 'You'll never want for a job' and she was spot on.
Rubbish Comprehensive school University to do a science HND Then started a degree in Psychology and Law Left to have ds Worked in shops and pubs to make ends meet Went back to Uni to do a Law degree Worked briefly in a Law firm, hated the job Started a Paediatric Nursing Course, have 1 year left to do, took a break and .... Am now doing a science MSc.
Would have loved to be a doctor, nothing else is the same, it's the first thing I think about before I sleep and when I wake up. I can't focus on anything else, it's my vocation (or an obsession). I'm applying in June. I hope I'm making the right decision, I fear that I'm only doing it because I can't take no for an answer and I'll get bored of it after a while.
Careers guidance told me I should be a nurse instead (I didn't like it) or work in a shop.
Comprehensive (abroad.) PhD in Classical languages. Spent some time working as archaeologist. Currently teaching Latin part time at uni, doing (unpaid) research and caring for disabled dd.
I love my job and would basically like a fulltime academic job, but am finding it difficult to produce enough researach due to family circumstances.
Careers advisor at school didn't know how to deal with somebody like me; most of the kids I knew in secondary went on to do farming or shelf-stacking jobs or to be carers at the mental hospital. The advisor knew very little about the university system and nothing about the humanities. (though funnily enough, the teaching was mostly good- they must have had some very educated shelf-stackers around those parts).
My parents told me about university courses but let me make my own mind up. I am very happy with my choice, just feel I am not able to do myself justice in my current situation.
Ah, missed your last question (anything instrumental in steering). In my case, very much a case of following a dream. Read Ivanhoe when I was very young, and Robin Hood; ding research on the Middle Ages seemed a natural development once I'd realised they wouldn't let me go off and be an outlaw .
I wavered for a long time between Latin and archaeology, but finally decided that I was more interested in people's thoughts than in their material remains.
The other dream I had was that of being an author (of fiction, I mean)- haven't quite given up on that yet.
Comprehensive Left at 16 to work in a bank, then opened O level results to find I was brighter than I thought! Back to comp for A levels Took a year off pre university and worked in Brussels as a nanny Went home and did a temporary admin job in the civil service by day and worked in a bar at night Joined the Army aged 20 to escape the north east. Joined as a servicewoman but was quickly put forward for officer selection and left Sandhurst as a 2nd Lieutenant at 21. Spent 7 years in the Army and loved it. Left to take up a place at Durham University to study Law (My gap year had lasted 11 years!) Left mid-course to marry my DH and follow him around the world. Have worked as a Head's PA and a Registrar and now I'm a marketing consultant for independent schools, which fits around my girls.
I enjoy my job and it fits my life perfectly, which is the most important thing when you have children. In my dream world I'd be a solicitor - that's what my dad did so maybe that's the attraction. Can't afford not to earn for the time it would take to retrain just now. Don't remember any careers guidance. Does it show?
scottish high school 6th year college school of nursing
tbh, i wanted to leave home asap and get a career that would be pretty much guaranteed a job for life. i had no money and my parents wouldnt help me out at all so i moved into the nurses home attached to the hospital and i stayed there for the 3 years of my training. i was bored living in the country with my parents and i desperately wanted to live in a city and doing my nurse training ticked all those boxes
it meant (in those days) i wouldnt have to take out a student loan or anything and i got paid a wage even as a student
i like my job becuase it fits around family life and the money isnt too bad but its not what i would have chosen with hindsight. i wouldnt encourage my children to go into nursing
posh all-girls' private school-exam factory top university mediocre class degree-languages worked abroad for 6 years - PR/admin jobs Gap to have DS and DD came back to UK lots of charity work now - counselling
only careers' advice ever was a tick-box form at school which recommended I should keep bees. Best advice ever - my Mum - do a typing certificate you never know when you may need it
Comprehensive A levels Art Textiles, Psychology. College -Art & Design course Hull uni -Creative Design (Hated it) Transferred to different college to do design crafts.
Back to night school college after that to do BII and NLC wanted to go in to licensing trade. worked in various pubs alongside studying. Eventually became a Licensee/Landlady at 21. Loved it. Then Became a Veterinary Nurse. Now sahm. Constantly reminded by DH I have all these qualifications and dont do anything with them. I loved being in the pub business but DH job to good to give up to join me in this.
Careers advice was dont work with animals no money in it have pets instead. Dh careers advice was work in a warehouse Has no degree but has worked his way up now works with computers for a bank. For last 20 yrs. Earns more than I ever could
Comprehensive on one of the worse estates in the country! Got 3 good Alevels but worked for 2years before uni so I could afford to go. Did English & History at a good uni followed by a PGCE (primary)
I started off doing law but hated it. Just not for me. Changed and never looked back. I love teaching! It was easy to slot back into after babies and there's lots of part-time work. Not that I would advocate those points as career advice.
Career advice useless. There was always amazement shown at us as if it was incredulous that kids from our estate could succeed! Some teachers were just bloody brilliant though!
Third rate private school - 6 O levels Grammar school for 1 year and then dropped out Nursery nurse training - dropped out- see a trend happening here? Bummed around for a bit, temping here there and everywhere, started A levels(again), dropped out (again) After another gap year managed to stick a three month secretarial course Did secretarial work for numerous years then have been sahm for last 8 years
I wish I was doing a bit of both, kids and a job I loved
No I didn't make the right decisions, still trying to work out what those would have been
Careers advice was non-existent, did not understand the relevance/importance of exams/education, hence fact I am pretty much of a failure when it comes to career
Hey ho, at least I married someone who can support me , and am finally enjoying 'the good life' with my children, chooks and vegetables
Did Norwegian Examen Artium (3 years preparation to further study, slightly similar to A Levels, but with a large multitiude of courses within directions such as Natural sciences, General, Languages and Social sciences.)
University in Norway: General Literary Science (30 credit undergraduate course, comparable to a year of a BA), Culture of Antiquity (15 credit undergraduate course)
Moved to London, as the I had decided to study the Ancient World. Did BA Ancient World Degree. MA Classics (focusing on philosophy). Got an offer from my old university to teach philosophy and do a phd at the same time. Declined as I had met and planned to marry dh. I was discussing starting on an MPhil, in preparation for a phd, with my professor, but decided to take a gap year, and learn German because I wanted to be able to read the works of some german scholars. Also, I thought I needed a break from academia and needed money.
Started temping work. As I was a computer nerd, and had an interest in graphics design, I was temping in the Advertising industry, helping preparing presentations and pitches, and doing graphics work.
Did a sub editing and proofreading course, as i decided I wanted to work in publishing.
I had also started my own software company with my dh, and did this work in the evenings, beta testing software, making advertising banners, writing help files and product descriptions.
Was offered a job with a large multinational Internet portal. Stayed with them a few years, working on multinational advertising deals from a technical perspective. Got burnt out, and left to work full time in our own company where I have taken over the financial aspects, after recruited and headed up the sales departement and opened other offices overseas. Still do, 6 years on, but on a part time basis as we have 2 kids.
Am I happy? did I do the right choices? Did I get good career advice? Its been bloody hard work. Life is not much more than work and commitment and I am sometimes very sad not to have stayed and done the phd. I saw the university career service twice. I dont think they came up with anything useful at all. I learnt more from reading The Guardian.
Went to inner city primary school but shined (according to my mum!) so took private school entrance exams, passed one and so went off the private school. Took two years to find my feet and left with 10 GCSES, 4 A-levels to go to uni studying history (just because I enjoyed history and thought if I was going to spend three more years studying I might as well enjoy it!). Switched to a dual hons with English Lit after a year (so I didnt have to do a dissertation ) Decided to follow a career in Retail Management as I had worked in retail since I was 15 and enjoyed the atmosphere and felt it was something I was good at. Got a grad job offer with Sainsburys but was told only had store available in Staines (I wanted to remain in north west, loved up and all that!) but I could have first choice the next year. Went to do work experience for 6 months with an importers on a buying path as this is what I wanted to do (but food buying).... ... and 8 years later I am still here! I do enjoy my job but since having ds last year feel as if i have dropped off the career ladder so to speak and so intend to move on within the industry after finishing having kids! Good career advice for me was from my history teacher who encouraged me to do something I enjoyed at uni.
GRammar school GOod O Levels Took A Levels Discovered boys Failed A Levels Retook A Levels Took temp job before college and fell into my specialism and met DH First degree Specialist diploma WOrked in decent jobs Tooks Masters Had babies Worked part time Now SAHM
Suspect need new specialism! Best decisions (and outcomes such as meeting DH) were purely by chance. No useful career guidance at all.
A levels polytechnic 7 years in Bookselling wilderness.
After years of wanting to be a vet, a Gypsy and an Artist I finally decided I wanted to be a researcher then a producer for the BBC. I got very little careers advice but was told it was very competitive and I would have a hard time getting into it.
I wrote to various people for advice and was told doing a librarianship degree would be good. I liked order and books and history so did the degree. When I graduated the BBC was going through another one of their every five year changes and I figured I would have a hard time getting in (Though really I was just pretty lazy) so I was a bookseller for 7 years which I loved. I liked the security of it too, but not the pay.
Eventually I applied for a job in the Archive which was a 6 month contract. My boss told me he knew I was the person for the job almost immediately. I have been there 8 years in one role or another but have still not applied for any researcher jobs. It's getting to the point where I would have to change a lot about the way I work to move into production so even though a few people have suggested I apply for jobs on different productions I have never done so.
I pretty much decided this was what I wanted to do when I was 16. It took me another 13 years to get there but I love my job. Problem is there is nowhere to go from here unless I change my career, contract, working hours etc.I was always set on it being the BBC because I respected it so much.
did full-time temping for 9 months when DS was 5 mths (needed the money!)
since then work 2 days /wk in art gallery and trying (not v hard) to be a freelance translator.
keeping languages up by courses in alliance francaise.
Feel very out of step career-wise being back in Dublin were loads opportunities for english speaker types in paris but can't seem to find my niche now.
career teacher in school was typical nervous man who had had multiple nervous breakdowns and was trying to get to retirement without another. bit rubbish. i went for a degree in my favourite subject, which is always a good idea methinks.
I went straight from school to university. I originally started a computing degree which I hated. I wanted to teach but was told by my sixth form tutor, now know wrongly, that my A levels were in the wrong subjects.
After 2 years I quit that course (I did the research myself by phoning round universities, but also called in at the local college advice centre who helped a bit) and transferred to another univeristy and a new course - a teaching degree in Business/IT education. I finished this in 1996, age 23y.
I then taught for 9.5 years. For the first part I loved my job, but after movng schools it went down hill. Was a tought school in special measures with poor discipline and even worse management, In the end I left teaching completely. I was doing one day a week teaching at a loccal prison, so took the leap. I quit with no job to go to, just the temping teaching work. I got advice from some MN teachers! Nothing from elsewhere. TBH it was depseration that made me keave.
Fortunately a new post came up at the prison for a permanent post as an Information, Adice and Guidance worker within education. I went for it and got the job. I am still doing this job, 2 years on and I do enjoy it. I only work part time due to family committments and that is how I like it. I wouldn't want to do it full time. I am having to do a level 4 NVQ in IAG, not through choice but it is ok. I now advice the prisoners of their pathways through learning and skills, and onto careers and opportunities on the out.
What an interesting thread!! Comprehensive school O levels A levels University - Hons degree in English Masters degree Law conversion course Worked in law Enjoyed it mostly but too many knobs PGCE Teacher, middle management
Passed 11+ - grammar school, O-levels (I'm old!) and A-levels.
Languages/linguistics degree at Cambridge.
Graduated with vague thoughts of working in publishing but found it impossible to get into. Bar work for a year while panicking/thinking about it. At university I had done a computer-generated test that said I could be a technical writer(writing manuals/online Help for computer software). Researched this and decided I liked the idea but had no experience.
Applied to Civil Service in the meantime and got an admin job in London. By a lucky chance the main work happened to be technical writing. Stayed for 4 years. During this time I was offered a very high-powered CS job but was warned at interview that I would have to be "married to the job". I decided against it and see this as the turning point of my career. Previously I had been on a conveyor belt where people expected unspecified "great things" of me, and expected me to always aim for the top in everything I did. At this point (aged about 24) I decided I wanted a more balanced life.
On the strength of the CS work I moved on to "real" technical writing jobs - 3 in total - with increasing seniority. Found that I preferred technical work to staff management so steered mostly towards that.
When dd1 was born, work became a nightmare, and any enjoyment I had previously had was eaten up with panicking about commuting, nurseries, illnesses, deadlines...
When dd2 arrived I opted out and resigned, moved to a cheaper area planning to be a SAHM whilst doing occasional writing contracts at home. But very little work materialised. I did a postgrad course to keep my brain working, intending to go back to work when dd2 started school. But when she did, we found that me going back to work would involve moving house, which we neither wanted nor could afford to do. I am now drifting in a SAHM/gardening/PTA kind of life.
Careers advice - all my school advisors told me to use my strengths, work with words and languages. This was definitely the right thing as I enjoyed all my work. However, I was always labelled a "high-flyer" with no real advice as to what this really meant or what it might involve. I needed more specific advice than just being told that I would "go far". It has also left me needlessly unsatisfied and embarrassed over the way my life has gone, even though I turned away from the high-flying stuff on the basis of a definite decision that I am still glad I made.
GCSEs and A levels at local comp. Excellent medical school for 5 years. Started work as a doctor, almost random selection of chosen specialty. Postgrad exams and teaching qualification. currently a Specialist Registrar with 2.5years to becoming a consultant.
Love my job, the patients and the vast majority of my colleagues, hate the shifts.
Somettimes feel that I have compromised myself in my choice of sub-specialty but hoping that it will pay off with a less stressful life in the end.
Went to university with the intention of becoming a solicitor, studying law and economics.
During that time did a lot of summer work in the accounts department of a large company and thought that I might like to become an accountant instead so didn't take the required courses in my law degree to be eligible for the professional stage of legal training. Big mistake - I have wished I could go back and start again but I would have to do the equivilent of another law degree before I could do the training and I can't face it. I would have been better at it than accountancy thats for sure, assuming I stayed well away from commercial work!
Got a job as a trainee accountant but really didn't like it. However, for the first two years I passed the exams and couldn't afford to give it up. Finally got made redundant and then failed a set of exams and that was that as far as chartered accountancy went.
Got a job in a bank in their accounts department and took 2 exams to qualify for AAT, just to have something to show for my years of training. Worked there for 8 years before leaving to have children in 2000.
In 1997 I started the post grad conversion in psychology with the OU. Finished that when DS1 was a year old but then moved house, renovated that and had DS2, before moving again so studying got put on the back burner for a few years.
Started an MSc in psychology with the OU in 2006 and still have a couple of years to go on that. I am not doing it with any purpose in mind as it is not a vocational course but I do want to keep studying so that when DS2 starts school in September I can think about what I am going to do with the rest of my life. I don't have the time, money or experience to do any vocational training until then.
Most careers advice I have had has been pretty useless. University careers advice was OK for interview technique and preparing CV's but guidance in which job to get was non-existent apart from a computer aptitude test.
The last careers advice was with the OU but they didn't really tell me anything about training to be a psychologist other than what I had already found out by my own research. I don't need to know what the minimum entry requirements are, I want to know what you actually need on your CV to get an interview and I want to know how you get the relevant work experience. Better still would have been if they could have arranged some work experience which other university psychology courses can do.
Did another aptitude test which was useless. I was very honest as I don't see the point in faking the results to get the answers you think you want but the top 3 were aromatherapist (couldn't stand the stink), herbalist (not convinced herbal medicines even work) and political researcher (not that interested in politics). So not much help all in all.
This is amazing stuff. I didn't get any careers advice either. As a matter of fact, I think our Guidance counsellor's sole purpose was to pull the honor roll students out to talk to them about university applications. (I wasn't one of them )
I have a degree in history Went travelling for a few years came back and started working in a Health food store (in Canada) where I got tons of training, loved it, began a Holistic Diploma thingy.
Met dh and 7 months later got married and moved over to UK
Had dc's
Did a hypnotherapy diploma. Practiced for a bit,LOVED IT but felt driven to train in something more....practical.
Saw a help wanted ad for a Careers Advisor, and decided that was what I wanted to do.
I finish in a month, and I am not sure I made the right choice. Not sure if my course has much relevance to "the real world".
Anyways, I love hearing your stories. Don't you think real people's stories are WAY more interesting than famous peoples'?
Did a degree. Went to careers service to ask for advice about applying for postgraduate courses (applied for PhD but also MA in Translation Studies, as back-up) and they told me I should be a bilingual secretary (this was in the late 80s, btw, not the 1950s...).
Did PhD anyway (encouraged by lecturers) and have worked as a lecturer since 1992.
I love my job.
I have never advised any of my students to go to the careers service, which is probably a shame, as they are almost certainly not sexist arses any more.
Home-educated. GCSEs and A-Levels. Went to college and trained as a nursery nurse, as a back-up career. Also started Open Uni degree in Childcare and Development in spare time. Went back to college and trained as an actor. Didn't really have any career advice except from tutor at college - I have found the most effective career advice has come from fellow actors. I love my job, and my career decisions now are based on my family. I don't take long tours, and I take ds to work wherever possible. I do want to progress and succeed, but I have accepted that since having a child, that progress will have to be at a slightly slower pace.
Comprehensive school Sent on girls "experience engineering" day age 13 Looked into engineering books in careers library and fancied civil or aeronautical engineering. Went on "insight" engineering residential week age 16 at Salford uni Science A levels Gap year worked for engineering company Civil Engineering degree Cambridge Job in engineering and became Chartered Engineer Did MSc in specialist field aged about 32
Now on maternity leave hoping to grasp career back at some point.
I do love what I do and it suits me. I don't remember having any useful careers guidance directly from school but the two "women into engineering" experiences were bang on target. I think they initially targeted all the girls who were in top stream for physics.
It was a big decision to do MSc which effectively limited me to a specialist field, but there is shortage of skills so hopefully I will be employable still.
Crap comp until GCSEs. Couldn't bear to stay there for sixth form so left and did the International Baccalaureate at the first state school in Wales to offer the IB.
Went to university to study Politics. This would have been law had my school work experience not put me off for life. I spent 2 weeks photocopying files and twiddling my thumbs.
Dropped out of university after the 2nd year and transferred to another university for my final year. Studied for my finals whilst running a pub with my ex. Missed a first by a narrow margin.
Carried on running the pub while I wondered what to do with my life. Up until now, the only careers guidance consisted of something called a JIGCAL which was some sort of questionnaire that told me to be a librarian.
Wanted to teach primary but was told I had the wrong subjects. Dabbled with a post 16 PGCE but realised I wouldn't get a job.
Read an ad in Cosmo one day highlighting HR as a career. As I'd been a ski instructor and liked the training side of things I decided to be a trainer, so started a postgrad cert in Human Resource Management.
Somewhere along the line I completed an MA in Employment Law.
I did various HR roles but am now a specialist and work as a Consultant in Organisational Development. I like it, find it challenging but often wonder what could have been had I enjoyed the work experience. Would I be a solicitor? I don't know.
I think OD suits me though. I think it plays to my strengths. In the future I can see myself running my own business and undertaking a counselling course. AM also looking at NLP.
Comprehensive school GSCE,1 O'LEVEL (year early) Bsc PCGE Bog standard nurse Did some lecturing pre dcs Thats it. Feel totally inadequate most times. Life out of control DP very poorly and dc sn all happened in last year. Drowning.... Thats it.
The biggest influence on my career choices, positive and negative, has always been my mum. Girls' grammar school; reasonable O-levels; chucked sciences at this point as I hated and despised physics and chemistry; but in fact I was good at biology and wish very much I'd done biology A-level then. However, you had to dissect stuff at that time and I couldn't handle the little rats pinned out on boards. Arts a-levels History at Cambridge because I thought it would all be about jewels, d'Artagnan and Georgette Heyer - found that on my course it was much more about mortality rates and/or philosophy of kingship but loved it anyway First job on edges of magazine industry - loathed it took job in healthcare - wasn't right job but loved health field and have stayed ever since now retraining as speech and language therapist - absolutely amazing and i love it but could never have done it aged 18
my mum is very very very very bright but has downplayed it all her life; she has always said she just drifted into her jobs in life but the fact is that it's a lot easier to 'drift' into things when you have first class science degrees coming out of your ears
school careers advice was OK but told most of us to go into hotel and catering work university careers was OK - lots of resources but very bored adviser could not restrain disgust at my lack of ideas professional careers advisers quite helpful but expensive best professional careers advice was via Connexions
but the only person who ever gets it right for me is my mum
Big post-direct-grant-on-way-to-being-independent (but in the meantime, nicely socially mixed) Scottish school: OK qualif's, enough for Oxbridge. Never quite knew whether I was doing well (by my lights) or not.
Shock fab result in first yr uni exams, sent me off down path of trying to get a First (missed it by microns, by trying Too Hard I think); then grad school in States ... without realising you are meant to want to seriously contribute to the sum of academic endeavour (aka have Fire in Belly) if you are trying to be an academic. Did not finish PhD.
Law school, City law firm, still there after nearly 15 years - without realising you should only do that job if you've got a dynamic individual business plan starring yourself (aka Fire in Belly - again), and not if (like me) you are kind of content being a functionary.
Basically - while looking weirdly good on paper, I have gone down blind alley after blind alley. I wonder if any careers adviser could have headed that off? If only.
Comprehensive, leaving with O levels. One year FE - secretarial course.
Junior secretary - small firm temporary clerical position - polytechnic. part-time clerical position within the CJS, moving about the organisation until I got my current position - admin officer - almost four years ago.
I enjoy what I do, mostly. Have no ambition to do different work.
Don't think I've ever made big career decisions. First job offer came through college, I went for two jobs - was offered one and a second interview at the other, so played it safe and accepted the first one offered. Made redundant 14 months later, managed to get temporary work until I got the part-time post. Took a full-time position when one came up. Have moved within the organisation, but none were major moves. Applied for current position, which was a minor promotion and the post I held was then upgraded in a major job review.
I am happy with the (lack of) choices I've made over the years.
I had a mother who didn't want me to go on to further education - she couldn't see the point when I'd only end up working on the pots (I never did apart from a weekend/summer job and the pottery industry has all but disappeared), and a father who would have loved for me to go to university (but I went to FE college rather than 6th form).
Only careers advice I remember receiving was when I said I wanted to be an air hostess, I was too intelligent 9they didn't say that, but that was the implication) and to work in a travel agents instead.
The ref to "high-flyers" struck a chord: when you get told you can "go far" or "do anything" (brains-wise) there is a whole separate issue of whether you have the right personality. Tricky, though, because who wants to tell a 16 year old that they may never set the world on fire?
PS all I can remember of careers counselling was a session with a visiting adviser who gradually gradually brought the chat round to .. the Army. Everyone in my class had the same chat. We thought it might actually have been a MOD thing?
My parents were teachers and the first in their famiies to do anything academic. So I drifted into teaching as well, after an MA in medieval music - like Bink, didn't have the heart/real desire to do the PhD and did a PGCE. After 6 years I realised what it was I really wanted to do, resigned and by virtue of supply teaching, volunteering and part-time jobs, and finally being in the right place at the right time, got into fully fledged second career. This was all pre-kids by a long way.
No sensible careers advice at any stage from anyone. I wish I'd had more imagination in the first place and not had to wait to realise that there more things you could do with a music degree than teach. (Which I didn't hate, but I didn't love it either.)
On the other hand, people now do several different jobs over the course of their careers so I suppose it's not unusual. It's just that I'd have got further with it before I got married and had children. I work full-time, and have a good work-life balance, but to push really hard for promotion would tip that balance unfavourably I think, in my situation.
Comprehensive secondary school, good GCSES Careers 'guidance' at school consisted of a questionnaire, the answers of which were entered into a computer, my responses generated 'Reporter' or 'Translator' iirc Tertiary College, pissed around during A levels Decided in my infinite 17 year old wisdom I was not going to Uni; to this day I am grateful to my lovely, lovely psych lecturer and personal tutor who persuaded me to make a deffered UCAS application... The way he put it was: apply now, no harm if in a year's time you don't want to go... Thank the lord I did, after a year of farting around with crappy jobs and a controlling boyfriend I was able to escape to a good Uni Had baby halfway through course - clever Deferred for a year, returned to uni when ds1 was 10 months for final year, graduated with 2:1 in French and got both Dean's Commendation and School Commendation [smug] Uni careers service was shite tbh Got job as office administrator and later recruitment officer at care agency (how relevant ) Got job as Associate Lecturer at local college and did teaching cert at the same time as p/t teaching post Got job as operations coordinator for a large print company [random] Took job as Registrar in a language school Had dts just resumed job after mat leave, completed bf peer supporter course during time off which I thoroughly enjoyed- am now 'employed' on a volunteer basis by local NHS PCT as well as my regular job, am pondering a shift in career direction as a result. Watch this space...
All in all, never had any good careers advice and feel I have pretty much drifted along - the next move I make will be the result of a much more focused decision as I have recently been doing a fair bit of navel-gazing wrt my career.
a levels good university year off (voluntary work, crap paid work, bit of travel) MPhil in Middle East Studies jourrnalist on specialist Middle East mag Middle East researcher for a big NGO policy adviser for same NGO Masters in international law manager for same NGO independent consultant
biggest regret re careers advice? not being told, when I was 16 and clueless, to do languages - I was ok at them, but thought only bilingual secretaries and translators needed them. no-one pointed out how bloody useful they could be - whatever I ended up doing. And I now work in an environment where speaking one language only is highly unusual, most people speak at least 2, plenty speak 3, and I can think of a couple who speak 4 and 5.
How interesting. My career (and subsequent lack of it) has mainly been driven by a winning combination of fear and inertia.
Girls' direct grant secondary school, now one of top girls' private schools. Swotty type. Careers advice was limited to which Oxbridge college would be best. Languages degree at Cambridge. Realised, despite Glittering Prizes, that I didn't want to stay in academia as I had no burning desire to spend three years looking at the role of the spider in Dostoyevsky. Did one of those quizzes at the university careers service which said I should be an academic.
Left looking vaguely for job in which to use my Russian. Nearly recruited by MI5 but bottled out. Joined wonderful small company that made up brand names. Had an absolute blast and the funniest times of my life with other very similar people for 6 years or so. Stayed with company despite takeovers and mergers for 12 years in total, working 3 days a week after DS1 and DS2.
DH's job took us abroad when the boys were 4 and 1, so I stopped work, initially for 2 years, and never started again.
Now jointly run own business with DH, but I do books and admin and a little consultancy whereas he does most client work. School governor and part-time writer.
There are hundreds of things I would like to do but I am too inert to do any of them.
I did one of those quizzes. It said I should be a vicar. I wouldn't have been allowed to be a vicar in 1990. on account of having a fanjo and all. not believing in God would possibly have counted against me as well.
Girls grammar school Good O and A levels Medical School Consultant Psychiatrist
Whilst my job is great - basically talk to people all day, I really really wish I had done a degree in French instead. Not sure what I would have done with it though, maybe just gone to live in Paris. At no point did I have any constructive kind of careers advice. Those questionaires that we filled in when we were 16 told me I should have been a forest ranger. Cool!
Scottish primary and secondary. Did best at English and Art Higher level (like A-levels) ok - mediocre at other subjects. Was part of a group which had new careers guidance computerised (ooooh, it was a new thing in those days!) questionaire tested on us. It said I could be a landscape gardener, architect, art teacher, etc etc.
Had always wanted to go to art college but didn't get in so studied Photography full-time for a year at polytechnic.
Did front of house photos (the photos of the shows you see in theatre foyers) and actors mug-shots for a year. (Was going out with actor).
Went to be an au-pair in Peru for a year. Left au-pair job after 3 months and started teaching English at a language school. Met DP. Travelled in Peru and Chile. Returned to Scotland after a year in Peru. DP joined me a year later.
Meanwhile I was doing Highers in Spanish and Media Studies hoping to get into uni. Also did TEFL certficate in London.
Didn't get grades for uni.
Moved to Spain with DP for 'a year or two'. Still here after 18 years.
First of all taught English for a couple of years, then took on a shop with plan to do photos of tourists dressed up in old fashioned local/historical costumes. Ended up continuing shop as it was - souvenirs/crafts. Have been doing that for 14 years.
Started a distance learning course in Interior Design 7 years ago but despite getting excellent marks I couldn't keep it up due to no discipine when it came to putting aside time to do the course work.
Bought a house 5.5 years ago which we are finally finishing renovation of now.
Had DD1 4.6 years ago and DD2 1.6 years ago.
Hoping to move whole family back to Scotland and find the perfect job for me next year.
Are you doing something you love doing? - No, I was bored of it after 6 months.
How did you decide when making big career decisions? I just sort of trusted my instinct and hoped it would work out. It usually did, financially at least. Did you make the right decisions? Nobody knows...
Purple duck - I've just started reading 'What colour is your parachute?' - why arent you asking us about what we love doing outside of work? My real passions are doing floorplans of houses and redesigning the layout and reorganising the spaces. Arts and crafts projects in general and writing. Am practical and creative. Also enjoy solving creative, practical and design problems.
Went to a 'good' school so did the exam conveyor belt. The school aimed to get you to Uni - once I had achieved this ambition I had no idea what to do next. Decided that (1) I was good with numbers (2) wanted a recession-proof job so the answer was accountancy (more exams). Still doing accountancy, nearly 30 years later, so it must have been the correct choice. Occasionally dream of doing something else (typical mid-life crisis) but don't fancy the drop in salary. I don't dislike my job although it is a bit boring sometimes (can't really complain: have purposely chosen non-demanding work since DC). Never had any good careers advice. I remember there was a small box of index cards at school: the suggestion of egg-packer sticks in my memory for some reason! Currently looking at careers for DD and the advice is a little better these days (or I am a more clued-up parent than mine were). The computer packages can be useful but they do tend to point you towards being a teacher. There was no work-experience in my day.
I think that good work experience placements would be EXCELLENT. I worked in a shop no relavance at all.
With decnet placements available people could actually get a feel for whether that career was for them or not. I think identifying early good ideas and giving a chance to see the practise is a good thing.
Went to a crap comprehensive. flew through GCSEs on good to average marks (A, B and Cs)
Recieved no careers advice.
Left at 16. Failed Army fitness test.
bummed around doing oddjobs until I fell into care aged 19.
Decided that caring for other people is Something I can Do.
And will end up eventually doing social care work - currently a volunteer youth worker.
I wish I had been given some proper advice and had the information to give my dad who merely said "YOu don't want to be a social worker, they're all idiots and it's a horrible job"
I wish I had had some decent work experience.
I wish I had not had the option of leaving school at 16, as I did it mainly to piss my parents off. I was NOT mature enough for the outside world.
Comprehensive education, left at 16 with no real qualifications-was bullied so couldn't wait to leave. Careers advice was shite. Mum said I either got to work or on the dole and I couldn't dream of being on the dole, so...Ended up in retail, went from Saturday job to work full time(small family run type business)...loved it until I was made redundant. Retail again(big chain store), still loved it, but crap pay, so went to work for LRT as a clerk(friend that'd left same retail got me to apply), enjoyed the job, but could not pay the bills on the money when I split with partner. Went on to become a bus driver(Exh gave me the confidence to do it) which I loved until I had to drive different places/garages...passengers changed and then I hated the stress. Became a Prison Officer 12 years ago and loved the job passionately, but the job has changed beyond recognition and now it just pays the bills. Exh got me to apply and tbh, if someone had said to me that I'd be doing this job the year before I applied, I'd never have believed them...didn't think I had it in me. My decisions are made in a strange way really. I believe that if I'm meant to get the job, I'll get it and won't if I'm not! worked for me so far! Long winded answers-sorry!
I have enjoyed reading about everybody's lives and I agree that they are much more interesting than those of famous people!
What I think stands out, apart from the random nature of most career paths, is the effect of meeting partners and having children. I feel sure a male version of this thread would not show the same thing.
As we are all looking for the ideal balance in our lives, perhaps considering which careers enable this best is not such a silly thing to do, although I admit it was not my priority at 16.
singersgirl - just read yours properly. I had an encounter with MI6! on account of my middle eastern studies I assume. It was a very bizarre experience. Whilst flattered, in a sense, I decided it was not the life for me.
Just thought of something else. Was encouraged to apply to Cambridge because brainy, but actually was completely out-classed there and only scraped a 2.2. Loved all the punting and college balls and stuff, but hopeless at study.
My degree was largely irrelevant to engineering, far too theoretical, but having Oxbridge on your CV opens so many doors it probablly makes up for it. May well have been better at Imperial College which is v. well known for science and engineering, but was too frightened of moving to London. When I did my Masters there it was fantastic, the icing on the cake.
Interesting looking at Shitemum's post. My DH loves doing floorplans too, from childhood, (he is a self-made businessman, no uni or anything). He's just designed a fantastic extension to our house.
high school, 9 good gcses (as and bs) college a levels dropped out after a year, got an as level in chemistry, slept around drank alot got kicked out of home at 17 had to get a job obviously at an engineering firm in the office got married got pregnant got pregnant again started doing a foundation degree at uni got pregnant again finished first year work part time in retail
Comprehensive. Lots of careers advice especially of the women-in-engineering, women-into-business, women-in-science variety. Uni (Oxford) to read philosophy and psychology. Subjects the school had never suggested and had no idea about. Lots of travelling and working abroad. TEFL course. PhD in pschology/linguistics. Lots more travelling and TEFLing and working abroad. Research jobs in social sciences in universities for the last 11 years.
none of the careers advice at school covered anything I have done. They tended to suggest things like Science teacher, Language Teacher, Medicine or Law.
I wonder what would have happen if every teenager were to read all these posts. All through schooling we are conditioned to believe that we will be "something" when we grow up. Maybe students should be taught that they will be LOTS of things when/ if they grow up.
So many people (myself included) carry so many negative feelings about themself, as they feel their career hasn't worked out they way it "should".
What they hell is "should"?
Shitemum When I start practicing properly, I WILL be asking people about their passion.
Was thinking about this more last night - on lines of "what career advice would I give my children?"
And decided: I would tell them to have a portfolio of skills. Skills to include - this is just what I've thought of so far. Suggestions for more VERY welcome:
* at least one additional language, fluently. My French (which cost me three teenage summers, but what on earth else would I have been doing with them) has been an endless benefit in all kind of ways, inc. ones I wouldn't have anticipated
* ICT type skills: continually updated - short course twice a year on what's actually being used
* doing something in a team, so you know how you, personally operate in a team situation. This shouldn't be too onerous - you should be able to make mistakes & redo it until you have a sense of you vis-a-vis a group project
* doing something (anything) where the buck stops with you - so you know how, again, you personally, deal with pressure and urgency and accountability
* "financial literacy" - really knowing how to manage money, run a budget, how to prioritise when you don't have enough
(This is probably me reinventing the wheel of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme - but I haven't looked at that since I did Pet Care for my bronze award in 1066.)
My careers advice would be to keep your options open (not dropping sciences or languages too soon), and to remember that there are more types of careers and jobs than the few which children and their teachers naturally think of.
Bink, if you think you should have been a teacher, do you consider moving onto that? It seems to be one of the careers you can switch to fairly easily.
Oo, thank you PD. I was just mulling further (by the way, I think that's my "passion" - mulling ...) and realising that my careers advice approach is exactly equivalent to my great-grandmother's advice to my grandmother on finding a husband: which was (imagine this delivered in a tone of majesterial insistence):
"KNOW PLENTY"
Fennel - am backed into that stupid corner of current-salary-dependence, so can't consider retraining altogether. (But am considering things as sidelines.)
(Was that too cryptic? Great-grandmother meant "Know plenty of men, so you can make a wise & realistic choice given the actual options out there. And don't be naive")
Those are all great ideas bink and none of them properly covered in mainstream secondary education, not even the MFL these days Interesting thread State church primary, passed 11 plus Inner-city girls grammar school, 11 O levels, 3 A levels, 1 S level (remember those oldsters? ) Was recommended to try Oxbridge but dug toes in, wanted a specific Russell Group university with a then fairly radical approach to MFL degrees Went there, studying French and Drama, came away with 2.1 and fluent in French. Applied for graduate trainee librarianship programme at local poly on a whim. Liked what I saw, did a good interview, got the job. Found my niche at 22. How lucky was that? Year on masters' course at university, back into academic/voluntary sector/public library work, where I have been all my life. I would advise my children to forget about money and focus on personal happiness and a sense of fulfilment - emphatically. I know hardly anyone who genuinely still loves their work as much as dh and I still do. We don't earn a lot considering how highly qualified and educated we are, I guess, and how hard we work, but it's still a great profession. So I am an old liberal arts dinosaur who would not mind in the slightest if my two wanted to go and study something "uncommercial" like classics or archaeology. Also believe in the advantages of study/living abroad so would encourage them to take full advantage of Socrates/Erasmus schemes if they went into higher education.
Definatelynot I'm sorry, but what is MFL? is it modern foreign languages? Interesting how, even though you are doing what you love, you feel that it has been luck that got you there. Not sure what point i'm making, but i just find that interesting!
modern foreign languages purpleduck At no point was information work recommended to me at university It was all Milk Round, Milk Round, Milk Round (ugh) or teaching, which I am now exploring as a sideline, rather like bink I would have been an atrocious teacher at 22 though
't's all fascinating reading. I agree that the effect of marriage/children is striking for many of us.
I did do a few of those Milk Round interviews but hated all of them. Everyone was looking for 'good all-rounders' and I am emphatically not a good all-rounder - an excellent 90 degree-er, but nowhere near the full circle.
The languages have been useful, again in ways I wouldn't have expected.
All I knew when I left college was that I wanted to do something with words, not numbers. A lot of my friends fell back on accountancy as a reasonably well-paid, safe option. Almost all of them left - two to law college, one to conference management, one to consultancy.
No one of course ever suggests making up brand names for a living, and in terms of my contribution to human development, I score rather poorly - but it was a great time and I met not only my husband but some of my other dearest friends doing it.
Bink - I think your portfolio of skills is spot on - children need to be prepared for a future which none of us yet know and they need a solid base of transferable and upgradable skills as a foundation for whatever the future holds.
As an addition to your list - I am a great believer in a grounding in economics. I read far too many posts on MN where the poster believes a state school teacher or NHS nurse or doctor is giving more to society than a City lawyer or banker. No understanding that without the big money jobs and the taxable income they generate, society would not be able to afford the luxury of teachers, nurses or doctors.
Grammar school, A-Levels (rubbish grades first time as nightclubs were discovered, top grades when I repeated) Good university but chose completely the wrong degree for me - archaeology (well it's nearly the same as history isn't it?) A year in a building society earning cash MA Museum Studies 2 curator jobs, both high status, boring and stressful Temping in mental health admin whilst pregnant SAHM for last 2 years and am pregnant with No 2 so will be for at least another 3/4 years
We had a print out thingy at school that said I should be in law (mainly because I engineered the answers as I thought I wanted to do law at the time). No other careers advice except that I should apply to crap polytechnics as my A-level results would be so bad.
I am rubbish at making big decisions about things like this. I wish there was somewhere I could go to get decent careers advice that suited me, ie not related to working in admin jobs in banks or sales. I definitely won't go back to museums as it is so badly paid and competitive.
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