Would you recommend your career to someone starting out?

[GettingBetter2024]

My daughter is thinking about A levels and degrees and we're talking about careers a fair bit.

I'm quite limited in my circles (mainly teachers and low level learners).

I know very few teachers who would recommend teaching
Doctors often don't recommend doctoring..

My kids are bright (likely to get good grades/ uni etc) and would like to earn better than me (not hard tbf)

Those who would recommend your career - what do you do?!

I trained as a chartered accountant on a graduate scheme (its a 3 year training programme). I would recommend it because the qualification is well regarded, finance is a well paid sector, and it can be a springboard to different careers even if you decide not to stay within the traditional finance field. Since I qualified I have done a financial controller role, a couple of forecasting jobs, investor relations, asset management and philanthropic grant making. Other people I trained with went on to various investment and corporate banking roles, start ups, all sorts really.

You don't need to do accountancy at Uni to get onto a grad scheme either. I did history.

I would. I'm in marketing middle management. I wish I'd done a degree in it, so many jobs above mine want a marketing/communications degree.

Teacher here, absolutely not.

No, because it’s only a matter of time before the job I do is replaced by an AI robot, so it will cease to exist. Hopefully, that won’t happen until I can afford to retire, though…

Look at it like this.

The "career" are there many jobs around and what is the future of this role.

What is a normal working week - what is the average pay

I always wanted to drive to work, not use public transport, have a office desk dedicated to me, my own phone line, computer and free parking space along with the ability to go and carry out visits ie get out of the office a few times a wekk, long with flexible hours

Working for two councils over a 30 year period did the trick

I've meet many going to uni, dreaming about x/y and z and end up in a completely different place of no job

So considering the above is a good start IMO

I hoep you are not offended OP as this is not my intention but just being relisitc

Housing. I LOVE it. However, you have to like total chaos, underfunding, government interference, and really challenging people. Oh and some danger.

If I had my time again, I'd think about law. It's very flexible as a subject. Everyone from politicians to community workers could benefit.

I was a SW and unless you like being hated, constantly stressed, and treated like utter shit by everyone from the clients to the government, while desperately trying to save people's lives, and living in constant fear you won't be able to save someone... don't.

Absolutely- I work in Tax (Chartered Tax Adviser). It is interesting and well paid. I don't spend my time doing Tax returns and starting at spreadsheets - those are typically automated / done offshore. It is legal knowledge, business understanding and maybe the occasional numbers review. But don't do it at university- people enter from a range of backgrounds. The big 4 graduate programmes can be great.

Thanks! I'd love to have retrained as a psychologist but we're too far from a uni now for it to be practical.

Great to hear people's ideas.

@DistinguishedSocialCommenator not at all offended (not sure why I would be?) Those are exactly the things I wanted to ehar about people's jobs hence the thread! I now work for local council in a way and looking at another role but most jobs they advertise seem to be 25-30 (or less) currently !

Law - I'd recommend it

She should go into finance, that's what I'd do if I had my time again tbh.

@GettingBetter2024

Many thanks and good luck. I said it because I have noted on the forums certain posters just like to twist what is said, so thanks again.

Last point, a uni degree, if possible, go for one that often results in real job opportunities. But the bottom line is, they must try and choose as best as possible what they would not mind doing ad take into account my earlier post

A job is a lot easier if it relatively easy to get to/travel to and hours are not very anit-social and if possible, no weekend working

Good luck with their potential careers!

I'm an academic, so I do research (some of it within the NHS) and I teach at the university level. My actual degree (undergrad and PhD) is in sociology. Yes, I'd recommend it. But it is quite a long slog until you are making decent money, though I earn quite well now in my 40s. It is the sort of career though where people just don't make it. It's like a funnel and people drop off as they go - I assume that's not any different to anything else that's quite demanding, like teaching, accountancy, law, etc. At her age, I really liked the subject area (sociology) and I liked studying (there's a lot of years of it to get a PhD), and I had an interest in doing research as a job, so that's what took me down this path. I did a term studying at a university overseas in my final year and had a placement which piqued my interest in a particularly area of health research, so I didn't really 'know' what I wanted to do until my final year in uni.

I read languages at university followed by a postgrad in technical translation as well as a PGCE. However, much as I loved the teaching aspect I was not enamoured of the school life or ethos.
So I saved up a small cushion of cash and applied on spec to a multinational company in Germany. Worked for them doing technical writing for 6 years (and got promoted to European Group Lead) then went freelance in IT.
I worked first in telecoms as a Business Analyst/Project Manager, then in insurance as the same and for the past 14 years have worked at various banks in various countries doing various things from business analysis to PMO to project management.
Currently have a role in data governance at a global bank in the Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) area, which is really interesting.
I would say IT, Cyber Security and AFC are lucrative and interesting areas.

Absolutely no with any poorly paid/emotionally draining face to face jobs including teaching. There are more lows than highs.

Have a look on the government shortage job list and see if there is anything that interests your DC. (engineering/construction)

AI is coming, but not yet, so tech careers are still good but install in your DC a view that there is no longer a job for life and a willingness to be able to adapt to change/be a lifelong learner will benefit them in the long run.

I've been a statistician/analyst (depending on job title) for over 20 years (!), with a brief detour into teaching. I've worked across a range of sectors, currently within a research foundation which I love, and have no intention of leaving in the short to medium term.

I've really enjoyed (most of) my roles. It's interesting, technical work and depending on who you work for (i.e., which sector), can be rewarding. I've been relatively well-paid but having decided to stay within the 3rd sector as much as I can, I'm unlikely to earn big bucks.

I'm a gardener and all the gardeners I know love their work and would thoroughly recommend horticulture as a career.

I studied with the RHS, have worked for the National Trust in the past and am now self employed.

Gardening is very adaptable to different stages in our life - you can be a head gardener earning really good money in a full on job, or do a little bit of gardening part time when you start a family or semi-retire.

My client base now is made up of mainly retired folk whose gardens have become too much for them, but they still want a lovely garden - many will potter around with me whilst I work and we enjoy a tea break together. It's a wonderful way to earn your living - outdoors, healthy and surrounded by people who share the same passions as you.

Law - no. Not unless you have contacts/connection to get you into a guaranteed good job after training.

I work in fintech, tech careers in general are okay. I'd not recommend entirely as there is a lot of insecurity, tech changes a lot, skills go in and out of fashion and there's a lot of dealing with other people's mistakes.

Interesting the accountants recommend, if I had my time again that's the route I'd have taken, would much rather be on the finance side than the tech.

Teacher here, absolutely not.

Same. Unless you go abroad to teach somewhere with a better and properly funded school system.

Yes I was a teacher so definitely not recommending that! I get that on the outside it looks different to what it's really like so thought this threD would be fun for people to see "real lives."

One of the well paid wfh threads recently was eye-opening though as to how little some senior people do so presumably they're good jibs. They didn't post how tk get there though 😂

I'm a dietitian, and I still love it after almost 33 years.
Yes, the NHS is hard work, and the politics is wearing, but it's a great job.
People facing, and you can work anywhere from critical care to the community.
Decent pay and still a good pension

Adult dd says she’d recommend architecture from an enjoyable job pov. However it’s not as well paid as you might think , job security not good and the training is lengthy and brutal. But she loves it.

Also if she has any aptitude for computing maybe look at cyber control/security careers? There’s not enough people currently to meet demand and it pays well.

Cost engineering. I enjoy it but more so when on the job site.

these days they ask for business, construction management or an engineering degree but you could do it without one or with any type really. A previous project controls manager I had ended up a senior VP in the company with an English lit degree.

always needed, seems to be a shortage. In our dept also could do estimating, scheduling or change management.

Law - definitely not.