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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask you to plan my life out for me?

50 replies

Darkonea · 21/04/2019 13:10

I'm finishing university soon and I'm really struggling on what to do with my life, career-wise. I know mumsnet is full of thousands of people with all kinds of career experience so I'd love some advice!

My degree is in a social sciences/history field, don't want to give too much detail as could be outing. I attend a 'top' university and I'm on track to graduating with a first. I am fairly young and don't yet have any dependents.

I want to spend a few years travelling the world and living in lots of different places. To do this I need to have a job which I can do either remotely or is one which is in high demand all over the world and will allow me to get a work visa from places like Australia, New Zealand, possibly the US etc. From my research, it seems like web development or graphic design could work as can be done remotely and are in high demand everywhere?

After travelling, I would like to do something involving the outdoors and nature. I love forests and woodlands and have looked into doing a forestry degree, anyone know anything about this? I also love the idea of being a forest school teacher. My ultimate goal is to be able to buy a few acres of land either in the UK, New Zealand or elsewhere and grow my own vegetables and have some rescue animals, ideally working from home. I'm unsure whether I will want children.

I also know that long-term I want to have a career which helps people in some way.

I have a job offer for a corporate role which will allow me to earn and save up money to then do a masters or a training course to allow me to move into a more suitable career.

Any ideas?

OP posts:

BuzzPeakWankBobbly · 21/04/2019 17:56

It doesn't get you a visa though.

A rule of thumb is that working visas are given to people bringing a skill that is in short supply in the destination country.

By your own words you say that these things can be done remotely so it doesn't matter where you are (although I dispute that is entirely the case, as working with suppliers I prefer to be able to speak to them on my timezone, and I also like them to have a reputable "base", not be some travelling wilbury - if only so you can invoice me properly!)

Why would (e.g.) NZ let you move there so you can supply work to companies in other countries? What's the benefit to you being in NZ for them?

BuzzPeakWankBobbly · 21/04/2019 17:58

Also, there are myriad options between corporate salaryman and wandering hippy as a lifestyle.

It's not all or nothing.

Original poster

Darkonea · 21/04/2019 18:01

New Zealand let you get a year's work and travel visa so I could travel there for a year if I wanted to. I don't want to travel forever, just a few years.

And I would love to be a wandering hippy, I just need to find some source of money to pay for my travel costs and food whilst I'm doing it. Hence why I'm on Mumsnet asking for ideas of remote jobs

OP posts:

Flaverings · 21/04/2019 18:13

My first thought is, "absolutely go for it!".

My warning, from experience, is that the corporate job can very quickly become a gilded cage. You get used to a certain degree of financial security and freedom and leaving that becomes harder and harder.

I suspect you may already have read it, but I wonder if the book, Free Range Human would be up your street?

MightyAtlantic · 21/04/2019 18:21

But the work visas you get for Australia and NZ are geared towards you actually working in a temporary job in that country - office work, bar work, farm work etc to pay your way as you travel. That's not to say you couldn't work remotely but you might have to compromise on the idea of having just one job you can do remotely as you travel and balance it with other work you pick up as you go. It's good to have as many income streams as possible. Do you speak any other languages?

Original poster

Darkonea · 21/04/2019 18:23

@Mighty that would be absolutely fine. I'd be happy to supplement my income with fruit picking or something like that!

I speak French, Hebrew and I'm learning Spanish

OP posts:

RebeccaWrongDaily · 21/04/2019 18:29

I used to work for a national broadsheet, as part of my role we'd attend graduate fairs etc. You sound like the clueless grads who'd approach, having never written anything, or like, even like blogged, who y'know, basically like, umm, wanted to like, travel (said with an Aussie inflection) and like, write a column and get like, paid for it...

Original poster

Darkonea · 21/04/2019 18:30

@Flaverings, thanks for the book recommendation, looks right up my street! And I know about the risk of becoming too comfortable in my corporate job, I can't imagine that happening really because I'm not at all materialistic but I will be cautious nonetheless!

OP posts:

Original poster

Darkonea · 21/04/2019 18:30

Helpful @Rebecca

OP posts:

MintyCedric · 21/04/2019 18:40

If you're just about to finish uni and didn't take a year out I'm assuming you're 21/22?

Go travelling...do whatever work you have to do to make it happen and make the most of the adventure. If you come back in 3 years time with nothing but a battered suitcase, some cracking memories and a selection of elephant patterned harem trousers, so what? You'll only be 25!

On a practical note I know a couple of found women who've done this.

One took off at 23/4 after a traumatic breakup. Travelled round NZ, Far East and India for a year with a couple of friends. Returned for 6-8 months due to some.family stuff going on and worked in a shop, saving as much as she could as living back with parents. Took off to Australia on her own after that, has been there about 3 years now and is about to apply for residency with the support of her employer who is desperate for her to stay.

The other is probably something more similar to your ideal. Marine biology degree...couldn't get anythjng she fancies in that field and wanted to go down a more environmental route. Worked for a couple of environmental science/research companies first a 6 months stint in NZ, then a short period at home before working on a remote Swedish island for 6 months of so. Home again for a bit then off to a private island in the Maldives tracking the mating and migration of turtles and teaching rich visitors to scuba dive. Home for another 6 months when she trained in TEFL and has now been in Japan for the best part of a year. She's finally decided that she wants to work in scientific publishing and is hoping to get an internship in Japan for now as she has met a partner out there, and then they both plan to move to somewhere in Europe in a few years time. She is 25.

You have bags of time to decide a career path. Go. Travel. Learn. Enjoy!

MintyCedric · 21/04/2019 18:41

young women in

Fundraiser2019 · 21/04/2019 18:49

Corporate Fundraising Manager - Jobs in Australia/UK.

Why don't you just do a masters in Forestry then travel? It seems like an awful lot to fit in.

Original poster

Darkonea · 21/04/2019 18:55

@Fundraiser because forestry isnt a remote job which I can do anywhere in the world. I need to support myself with an income whilst travelling and so my immediate focus during the corp job must be to acquire remote skills

OP posts:

Sindragosan · 21/04/2019 18:57

Join the army or navy? Plenty of travel and with a degree and languages you should be able to get into officer training? Would need to be physically fit to pass initial training.

MightyAtlantic · 21/04/2019 19:28

A couple more ideas then:
Depending on how good your languages are, you might be able to pick up some freelance translation work which could be done remotely. Maybe not feasible if you're not a professional translator, but worth looking into.
Start a blog if you like writing and photography at all (and haven't done so already). It's a good way to document your travels but could also act as your online portfolio if you are trying to get design/web work. Again, it takes a lot of hard work to do it well and most people don't make any money from blogging.

BigBooBoo · 21/04/2019 19:47

When we arrived we bought an old campervan for 3k to search for a job, once we found the job the farm owner agreed that we could stay on his land while we worked and also hooked our camper up to his electricity so all our living costs were free. It was a vegetable farm, no skills required, the farm owners taught me how to drive a tractor as well while I was there so I can now drive a manual and automatic tractor. We saved up enough in 4 months to travel for another year. Back home now, going to do the corporate role for a year then set off again.

Cleanmywindows · 21/04/2019 20:01

Do a cambridge celta or trinity tesol course. 1 month and approx 1k in fees. Can be done in the UK or in many other cities worldwide. This 'qualifies' you to teach English as a foreign language to adults. It's not going to make your fortune, but if you want a job that will enable you to pay your bills whilst travelling and live almost anywhere, this is it. You would most likely find work in a private language academy type institution rather than a university or government run state school. You could also teach online - there are lots of platforms that facilitate this these days.

CazY777 · 21/04/2019 21:17

If I were you I would work for a while and save as much as you can and then get working holiday visas and travel that way. You can do voluntary work on organic farms for bed and board, or volunteer on environment projects but these usually charge.

As for getting an outdoors/nature type job you really need to do lots of voluntary work. There are so many people trying to get into this type of work, and less jobs than there were due to local government cuts, so even if you had a relevant degree you would find it very difficult to get work. I'm not trying to put you off, if it's what you really want to do then go for it, but you need to be realistic. There are so many graduates and people looking for career changes who want to get into this work, but you really need to have relevant practical experience and lots of it! Also, the pay is not great, I was in quite a senior role but only earned £28,000 pa and it took me 20 years to work my way up to that point!

31nabedt0night · 21/04/2019 22:11

To add, I know a couple of people who spend 6 months working in the UK in well paid jobs on contracts. They spend the other 6 months abroad doing their dream job/hobbies, that don't pay so well. They have a great network of contacts in both places. It works for them.

Divgirl2 · 21/04/2019 22:35

I have travelled extensively and I don't think your travelling/remote working idea is going to work. You can't work remotely as a backpacker. You need a space to work, you need a certain amount of equipment, you need stable and secure internet.

Graphic design is not as easy to get in to as you seem to think, you need a natural flair for it, you will need a portfolio, since you haven't studied anything to do with it you will need to take on work for free initially. It is also not particularly well paid and requires more equipment than you'd think - a MacBook in your handbag won't cut it.

Web development is also quite difficult to get in to. You need all the above for that too.

People who remotely do these jobs are already established in their fields.

Your post is a bit all over the place. I think you need to work out your priorities - what is most important to you right now, what is most important to you in the future. Why do you want to go travelling? You can't have a corporate job, do a masters in forestry, work remotely as a graphic designer, buy acres of woodland, run a forest school and work from home rescuing animals.

Divgirl2 · 21/04/2019 22:39

To add - as much as I think you'd benefit from a year out to get your priorities in order (Camp America then a ski season was fun), please don't underestimate how difficult it is to get on a good graduate programme and it is entirely possible that you will go travelling, return to the UK after 4 or 5 years, and regret not taking that job.

The possibility for regret works both ways on this one.

WhatsthebestEast3rEgg19 · 22/04/2019 03:20

I expect there are 1000s of eager graduates waiting to hear about that corporate graduate job offer that you seem so keen to turn down
Opportunities do not appear often in life
If you turn down this job offer, how are you going to pay for your accommodation, bills, living expenses, courses, traveling ?

WhatsthebestEast3rEgg19 · 22/04/2019 03:23

One of my bosses taught me
It is better to employ someone who is 1000 percent enthusiastic. Than someone who has loads of qualifications, but no enthusiasm
From some of the people that I have met, I would say this is true

GemmeFatale · 22/04/2019 04:08

Another one saying take the corporate job.

Ok you won’t be travelling this year with it, but that doesn’t seem to be the plan anyway.

You’re trying to plan too far out. Most of the time the plan won’t survive first contact. So plan for two years.

I know lots of people who have travelled far and wide with boring corporate type work. And plenty who have backpacked. I say take the corporate job.

Having said that have you considered the civil service with the diplomatic service (British embassy) or foreign office? You would more than likely start off in the UK offices but plenty of opportunities for travel to various locations, to try different job types, etc.

Sunonthepatio · 22/04/2019 14:23

The corporate job. With the greatest of respect, I think that once you have experience of a real organisation with job responsibility you may see things differently, and see other paths and options.

Some of the things you wants to do longer term are fine in corporate environments (many less corporate can't afford them), and csr work at corporates can involve others of the things from your lists/options.

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