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Original poster

Big dilemma for DD - what would you do?

686 replies

Blackenedsoul · 21/04/2021 20:49

DD has accepted an offer for her Uni of choice to study Media in September. She’s been looking forward to going, had planned to live at home and travel the 20 minutes in every day.

She had a part time job for a few months in a local office attached to a very small but very busy manufacturing company. She’s very well thought of and works in the office on a Saturday, doing admin, answering enquiries, emails, booking appointments etc.

Today they’ve offered her a full time, permanent post in the office and have offered to start training her up in the use of their accounts systems etc, give her more responsibility. The salary is 18k to start rising to around a max of 25k once fully trained.

This has come as a bolt from the blue, DD really enjoys the job and thinks she’d be happy doing it full time but at the same time was also happy to go off and have the Uni experience, make new friends and study and have fun.

She’s aware that lots of students leave Uni and end up falling into admin roles vey much like this and is now wondering whether bothering with Uni is worth it.

We’ve told her the decision is entirely hers but she’s really finding it hard to decide.

So, the great of mumsnet - what would you do?

OP posts:
BountyIsUnderrated · 22/04/2021 07:39

Imo I think media is a bit of a rubbish degree unless you have something in mind at the end of it.
I would take the job any day, you can always go back to uni later.

PerveenMistry · 22/04/2021 07:44

@JayAlfredPrufrock

In normal circumstances I’d say go to University, but because of the pandemic I’d defer for a year and see how things stand this time next year.

And there is nothing wrong with going to University for the social life as well as the study.

Expensive way to generate a social life, though.

I0NA · 22/04/2021 07:49

Defer for a year.

Take the job if they will support her in gaining an AAT accounting qualification.

Use that year to get a qualification , save money and make herself so indispensable to the company that they keep her on part time during her studies.

She may decide to change her university course to something more useful for employment. Or it may reinforce that working in the media is what really interests her.

Either way, it’s useful. And she will have 4 years of work experience on her CV and money in the bank.

TheClaws · 22/04/2021 07:57

I'd encourage her to continue working there and go to uni. If she wants to do things like web content writing, and it's a small company she's working for, perhaps she can do some web work for them in addition to her usual duties? I wouldn't defer; absolutely not. Particularly not in the current environment. She is very lucky to have both options.

Capricornandproud · 22/04/2021 08:01

I would either defer for a year or start the job alongside an accountancy course. They do them online in the evenings rights now and can’t recommend ACCA high enough. If she doesn’t want a whole career in Finance she could do AAT (6 hours a week) and it will set her in great stead regardless of where she goes!

TheClaws · 22/04/2021 08:02

I'm wondering why people are saying "put her through bookkeeping or accounting" when it's fairly obvious that isn't what interests her? She'll only end up hating it - why suggest it?

chittychittybang · 22/04/2021 08:02

Two things...

To be honest, how much of the "uni lifestyle" is she going to get living at home and commuting in? For my dc, the biggest part of the experience aside from getting the degree has been living with strangers and negotiating those new friendships, cooking and looking after themselves fully, dealing with property and landlords, generally learning to be an adult.

Degree in media. Some previous posters have mentioned that it's not like media studies from the eighties and it's a much better degree now...are they getting it confused with digital media/marketing type degrees? Three of my dd's housemates did media at uni, learned all about tv production etc, graduated six years ago and all two of them work in pubs, the other one has opened a cafe.

In her position with student debt being what it is, I'd take the job. If nothing else, it'll give her a much needed cv, and she can move on into other office jobs with more progression in a couple of years if she's not happy, or apply to uni if she wants to.

bigbluebus · 22/04/2021 08:03

I would advise her to take the job.
Media studies is not a highly thought of degree and not many get into jobs in that field afterwards. Me niece did a media studies degree and spent 4 years working in a low paid unskilled job afterwards before getting a role with the NHS.
You say that your DD planned to live at home and commute to Uni. I don't think she'll get the full on Uni experience she anticipates. A friend's DS did that and found it really difficult to make friends as he wasn't living on campus like most others.
She can go to Uni at any time - and lots of people do. If she does that job for a year or 2 and decides she still wants to go to Uni she will still be able to. She'll hopefully have money behind her and when she graduates she'll have a valuable workplace skill on her CV which will make her stand out from other graduates.

BeepBoopBop · 22/04/2021 08:17

I would say take the job and at least defer uni as it may give her a better focus on her future career and allow time to get the restrictions caused by COVID-19 out of the education system. Don't pay all that money for a 'could be on-line course' in a very poor degree.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 22/04/2021 08:19

the degree course will give her a depth of experience, far more than the admin job could offer

PenguinIce · 22/04/2021 08:25

@AbsolutelyPatsy

a media degree is not worthless, a degree is a degree whatever the subject
I agree with this. I know people say a degree is becoming worthless as so many have them but in my experience this has just meant that a degree has become a ‘minimum requirement’ in most jobs. I work in Local Government and so many people are hired as they have degree even if that degree is in an unrelated field.
Bluntness100 · 22/04/2021 08:30

A media studies degree is not worth much at all, unless you do it at a really prestigious uni and even then it’s debatable. Media studies is perceived as the most Mickey Mouse degree there is.

ElementalIllusions · 22/04/2021 08:35

I'd take the job unless she has a very specific career path in mind that needs a media degree.

100% This.

I was in her position, I had a part time job that offered me training to make it a career I enjoyed it but wanted to go to uni with my friends,
I went to uni, ended up with the debt and a degree I’ve never used.... but back in the job and eventually training for a career in it.

I deeply regret going to uni just because it’s what everyone else did, I love my job and I was so naive to think I ‘needed’ to go to uni.

She can always defer and spend a year in the job and go to uni if she doesn’t love it.

Iwonder08 · 22/04/2021 08:42

Media studies is not a degree worth having. I would encourage her taking the job

minniemomo · 22/04/2021 08:47

I would suggest she stays at work at least for the next couple of years, get covid out of the way! She could also negotiate next year to drop to 4 days a week and study pt - graduating with no debt

OllyBJolly · 22/04/2021 08:49

Max 25k is not a great salary - hardly a great career ahead

I think you'll find a lot of graduates with much more valuable degrees than media working in call centres for a lot less. £25k and a good work history will be worth far more in three years time.

If she did get a media entry level job after a degree, I'd guess the competition is such that the salary would be very low.

If she was ambitious, wanted to see the world, try new things, then I'd encourage her to go to university. Education is not just a piece of paper, the whole experience has value. But it's not for everyone.

Disneypointed · 22/04/2021 08:53

I would take the job as media is quite a vague but popular subject so unless she has a very definite idea of what she wants to do with it I would delay a year. The job will teach her valuable life skills and experience and she will probably get more out of her degree when she does go back to it.

LookItsMeAgain · 22/04/2021 08:53

When does she have to make her decision by?

Could she do her Uni course part time or in the evening and still hold down the job? Could she work part time for the company?

There is no one-size fits all approach here. She definitely shouldn't feel that she has to stay in the job out of loyalty though. She has the whole world waiting for her. Grab it with both hands!!!

MMMarmite · 22/04/2021 09:02

Deferring by a year sounds a good middle option, if available.

Which would she enjoy more?

What are the prospects longer term? In some types of careers it can be hard to progress past a certain point without a degree.

mosgirl · 22/04/2021 09:05

I was in exactly the same position over 20 years ago. I chose the job. I went on to do well in my career, earning a good salary in senior positions. However I was never doing what I loved as I didn't start off my choosing my own path, I went with a path offered to me.

I don't believe in looking back, but I do regret that I missed the university experience. I would advise her to go to university. There will be other jobs. She's clearly very employable.

GoWalkabout · 22/04/2021 09:11

Take the job and look into doing a part time business degree. A recent study reported in the Times today that more people regret taking degrees than taking vocational routes - and she can go in a year or two when she has a better direction planned (or move onto another company with a brilliant track record in her first job). Well done her.

TurquoiseDragon · 22/04/2021 09:15

A job at £25k doesn't seem that much, and what happens after? What progression is possible?

I'd pick uni, going to uni as a mature student can be a faff. I'm doing an Access course right now, so I can go as a nature student next year, but going will involve a lot of change, change that isn't an issue at your DD's age.

NameChangedForThisFeb21 · 22/04/2021 09:21

But surely if she has the AAT or similar and an established work history she can apply for other jobs once qualified with a a few years under her belt? No one is suggesting she works for the manufacturing company for the rest of her life. She could easily work her way up in other companies and end up on a much higher salary.

Bluntness100 · 22/04/2021 09:22

@TurquoiseDragon

A job at £25k doesn't seem that much, and what happens after? What progression is possible?

I'd pick uni, going to uni as a mature student can be a faff. I'm doing an Access course right now, so I can go as a nature student next year, but going will involve a lot of change, change that isn't an issue at your DD's age.

No it’s not, but she doesn’t hAve to stay there forever, she can use the experience and move to other companies.
StylishMummy · 22/04/2021 09:26

Media is a choice of degree where she needs a clear idea of what sort of job she wants out of it. I'd stick with the job for a year and maybe look at a degree in HR/business admin/business management to build on her existing experience

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