What do you wish you had known about work when you were 16-18 years old?

[InThePresenceOfWeevil]

I'm supporting a volunteering session through my workplace for disadvantaged young people, to help them in their future working careers.

As part of one of the sessions, I will be interviewed by the host...and this will be one of the questions.

So it got me thinking what would your reflections be.

I think mine is that you don't need to have a defined career plan...it's ok to not know what your next move is even when you're in your 40s and 50s...I've often changed roles/been promoted based on one element of the job that I've particularly interested in and/or good at.

What do YOU wish you'd known about work at that age?

I was a disadvantaged young person and really I just hadn’t a clue about what jobs there were and how you got them. Like I knew there was teacher and doctor etc but I didn’t know anything about how you got there or anything else. So I guess I wish i knew and understood the options - but also in a realistic sense - so for example you may only be able to become certain things if you have family support/independent income/savings - so it’s not as simple as just ‘get a masters in counselling’. A lot of career advice doesn’t focus on the practical aspects of how you get from one place to another.

Also while I agree with you that you don’t have to know right now what you want or have a definite career plan - I’ve stumbled through my career and while I’m doing okay sometimes I wish I had done something with a more defined path - even just something like accountancy qualifications?

Sorry for rambling post!

Also maybe a better understanding of salaries - when I was 18 I hadn’t a clue what ‘£20k a year’ or ‘£50k a year’ meant or what the difference in salaries mean for buying houses etc

It took me a long time to realise that work is essentially a game that needs to be played (in a good and strategic way that involves treating people well). But essentially, it's a game.

That you will meet every tedious type from secondary school (and primary school) again and again.

That it's fine to have no career plan.

It's fine to move sideways into things. Not every move has to be upward.

You will spend your life worn out and wishing for more holidays especially if you commute.

I agree with you about not having a defined career plan and that going back into training or education is a possibility at any age so there will be opportunities to explore new careers if what you’re doing doesn’t suit you forever.

Also learning to navigate office politics without letting it suck you in and lead you off course, stay in your lane and keep moving forward!

That you should make as many connections as you can, be brave about attending training and networking if it is available.

That you can go back to training/education when you're a bit older if you don't feel ready for it straight after school/college.

Also some practical stuff about taxes/pensions etc. I wasted about 5 years of NHS pensionable pay because I didn't understand enough about it and just thought it would be money deducted from my wages. Not necessarily advising that you should always pay into a pension but finding out what is available and getting help to understand it all.

That getting good grades, getting a degree has such an impact on your life. I didn’t try very hard at school, didn’t get a degree and it has limited my career opportunities so much. Even when you work with people who do have a degree, doing the same job, they will always be considered for promotions, opportunities etc over you.

I wish I'd not been put off studying maths and going into finance.

That it's ok to move to a lower paid job to find a job you love. There will be ways to get promoted again. Sometimes short term pain ( financially) will lead to longer term gain. I also think you shouldn't stay somewhere too long.

Sometimes people are promoted into positions that they do not have the skills for. I agree with the poster who said it’s a long game.

There are going to be people you work with who are wildly incompetent and you just have to crack on.

Mostly that you don't have to choose a career at 16-18, and secondly, careers for life are getting fewer!

At 16-18, don't get guilted/pressured into working linger hours, coming in at last minute. Lack of planning on your employers part dies not constitute and emergency on your part!

Know your employment rights, but don't be a twat about it.

Mum and Dad have no authority here, your employer will not like your mum ringing in for you!

Have fun at work, if it's a PT, zero hours job, that you're essentially doing for pocket money.... If you're unhappy, leave.

Oh yes definitely advice on pensions etc.

Also, young women...don't put up with sexism, weird fucking creepy old dudes being pervy.

The importance of work experience, not necessarily organised by the school - volunteering or shadowing family members is also useful.

That if you choose a career with a salary scope to support yourself and you end up with a partner who has one that can support a whole family, you will be the default parent even if you are able to work (which you may not be).

Be aware of office politics and the power of networks. But be positive and kind to people, without falling into the role of dumping ground for tasks other people don't want to do. Defend yourself, be assertive.

Realise that 'mission statements' etc. are often lip-service and don't reflect what goes on in reality.

Just more about the careers that are out there, I didn't have much of a clue at 16 and I wasn't disadvantaged.

That if you allow yourself to coast, others will pass you by, the more you put in the more you are likely to get out. this means in college etc as well as the workplace. I don't mean working masses of extra hours, but aiming for the best grades you can get, always looking for opportunities to add value to your CV, if you don't there will be others who are. Also if for whatever reason you don't get the grades there are other opportunities later, access courses etc.

The power of networking - talk about your work or plans with friends and family, college staff whoever, you learn and you may find people who can help you in unexpected ways. Also take an interest in other people's work. This can be online as well as in real life, use social media to your advantage.

I also agree that you don't need to have a full career plan and that it's fine to change paths or train later, be a mature student.

That one job leads to the next so if you dont have the job of your dreams straight off, everything you do now can still be working towards it, so its better to do something than nothing.

Oh and that its fine to try something then change your mind. I tried care work at 19, lasted 3 weeks and my family never let me forget it! You can't know unless you try.

A lot of good advice here!

Mine would be: build relationships with EVERYONE. Not just the team you’re with now, everyone. Be kind to the receptionist, say hello to the cleaner, ask people how their weekends were, volunteer for extra things, be helpful. Essentially get your face and your name known, not JUST for your role but everything. You never know when you might need some extra support.

One thing I've always done in my career is volunteer for training in new techniques / technologies. Try not to be someone who moans about everything new, instead be one of the first to learn it. It's stood me in good stead.

I was encouraged to dream about doing whatever I wanted, but nobody ever mentioned that there's a salary difference between being a horticulturist vs a lawyer, for example, and what that knock on effect would be on my quality of life and my aspirations for living in the countryside in a nice little cottage when I was older, etc.

My parents would say that I would always do well as long as I worked hard... well, that's not quite true. Working hard as an early years practitioner or an administrator isn't going to bring in the same salary or lifestyle as a lawyer or IT programmer who works hard!

I've ended up starting a degree in my thirties in order to retrain in a fulfilling job that will also provide me with a decent salary, due to never being clued up about how important that was in my teens.

Stand up for yourself (especially young women to male bosses). Not everyone is trying to help you. Learn your legal rights and know that your contract can never override the law. Give employers an inch and they’ll take a mile - don’t get roped into being the one who does unpaid labour and comes in when others call off.

Agree with the thing about the process/steps to different jobs. I also had no clue, had no one in my family who was high earning or did anything "professional". There was an idea that if you studied hard you would et a good job, but what those jobs might be I had no clue!
My main advice would be, if you find something you love, be it a hobby, or an interest, work the hardest at that. The happiest and often most successful people I know are those who ended up doing something connected to their passion.

Interview skills and confidence building!