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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Do you ever wish you could have chosen a different career?

44 replies

Upupupup · 23/04/2018 22:35

If I could go back to college and university I would. I feel there wasn’t much guidance given when it came to how studying and getting a degree could lead you into a certain job.

Like many people, I have a degree in something I enjoyed studying, as university felt like the natural progression. I then left university having no idea what to do, and spent another £5k on a course. I got a job, but after four years I don’t see how I can progress in this industry and earn a decent living.

I know wish I could go back and chose differently. At 18 I just wanted a job I would enjoy, now I want money and stability.

OP posts:

PatrickMerricksGoshawk · 25/04/2018 05:24

Daily.

swingofthings · 25/04/2018 05:59

At 18 I just wanted a job I would enjoy, now I want money and stability
And I did the opposite and very much regret it. I opted for security and money. I've got a job that brings in enough to be comfortable and never worry about money but I don't enjoy my job and in my late 40s, the prospect of another 20 years spending more time at work bored and unmotivated than out of work is depressing.

If I could go back, I would go for the career that I did study for, but didn't continue at Master's level. It really is too late now because I do rely on the money that I earn and breaking in that career path is hard at 20, impossible at 50.

Still the rest of my life makes me happy and I've accepted that few people are happy in every aspect of their life.

crisscrosscranky · 25/04/2018 06:04

Yes, although if I had I wouldn't have the things I have now.

Am a senior manager in public sector working as head of a support function. Good salary, excellent pension, fairly flexible working hours with a good (could be better) work life balance.

I often wish I'd gone into nursing. It was an option for me about ten years ago but I chose to do a business related degree instead.

PrimalLass · 25/04/2018 06:04

Yes I would have thought very carefully about salaries.

Oliversmumsarmy · 25/04/2018 06:34

When I left school it was very regimented. If you went to the secondary modern your choice was secretary or hair dresser if you went to the grammar it was working in a bank or nursing.
That was the choice. I lasted 6 weeks in banking and didn't want to kill anyone so gave nursing a wide berth .

DD is doing what I was not allowed to do and is not only having the time of her life she has a really good income.

GameChanger01 · 25/04/2018 06:45

Did medicine but work in a nice niche area. Love it.
But made that choice at 16! I’ve had a great career so far but would have like more info on other types of careers. I like the idea of interior design/architecture/old building restoration.

HelenaJustina · 25/04/2018 06:47

Yes, should have done a vocational degree to make it easier to return to work after DC

ScaredPAD · 25/04/2018 06:48

Yep. Similar story to Rebecca! I became a teacher asi liked studying amd was good at it - and then didn't like it. I would have loved to have been an OT but if never heard of it at 18 whereas friends that went on to become OTs have been really happy.

We were at an academic grammar school and told just to pursue our interests and careers can come later (!) The transition stage of losing bursary and jsut before fees :(

I'm 40 now and it's too late as retraining for OT or similar is so expensive now (there used to be bursaries or at least the mgs degrees you didn't pay fees!!!)

I tried to transition to psychologist but the training wouldnt have work out with family commitments. I regualrybwish id chosen different at 18 but how on earth is someone without family influence/help/knowledge supposed to know?!

TERFousBreakdown · 25/04/2018 06:50

I love my career and loved studying for the two degrees I took to get into what I currently do.

But I think I definitely also would have loved being a barrister. In my ideal world, I could clone myself and have my other self do that instead.

ScaredPAD · 25/04/2018 06:50

Primal - and yes I didn't think salaries were important :( Or ability to carry on after babies.

KERALA1 · 25/04/2018 06:51

Lawyer. Kind of wish I had switched to legal marketing in my city firm after I qualified. Much easier, shorter hours and lower stakes. That said it's a good feeling that I achieved my potential, have a proper profession and met my lovely dh at work so not a massive regret.

TipseyTorvey · 25/04/2018 06:52

Yes absolutely. Like pp I chose something arty I thought might be quite interesting with no real plans for a career because in those days (late 90s) we'd been told "if you get a degree, any degree, you'll be fine, just have fun". Turns out we were just too late for that period. So I have a good job, pays well but its very corporate wage slave and depressing. If I could do it again knowing what I know now I'd have done engineering as I find that fascinating.

Teapiggy · 25/04/2018 06:58

I wish I hadn't listened to my school who said I wasn't bright enough to go to 6th form or uni. I also wish I hadn't been so stupid as to listen to my parents and do a course that would get me a girls job (admin course). I wanted to be a builder or a welder but not having the confidence to say what I wanted was my downfall. I now just bounce around low paid jobs not really knowing what I want from life and being sick of worrying about money 24/7.

ScaredPAD · 25/04/2018 07:09

Tipsy late 90s here too - just told to enjoy knowledge for knowledge sake and worry about career later!

gabsdot · 25/04/2018 07:15

In school I always wanted to be an accountant. I did a business degree but didn't continue on the accountancy route. I'm sorry I didn't. I think accountancy would have been a more useful qualification than what I ended up with.

PrimalLass · 25/04/2018 11:00

Primal - and yes I didn't think salaries were important :( Or ability to carry on after babies.

We love in an affluent village where some people have so much. I keep telling my kids that a great part of this is about making the right choices.

PrimalLass · 25/04/2018 11:01

Live, obviously

Oliversmumsarmy · 25/04/2018 11:19

I wish I hadn't listened to my school who said I wasn't bright enough to go to 6th form or uni

One teacher at dds school said she knew who would make it in the particular chosen career and who would not. DD was not one of them. I told dd the woman was unhinged (she was sectioned a few months later and never returned to teaching) and to completely ignore doubters.

As I said upthread dd is doing well and having the time of her life. I wish I had a parent like me who when I wanted to do something was always told No you cant do that.

Sweetpea55 · 25/04/2018 11:23

Nah. Not me. I always wanted to be a nurse... So I was.

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