To ask what you (or grown up children) do for a job if you have no formal qualifications

[Susiebluesy]

My son will probably leave school next year with no qualifications. Despite a lot of support from his dad and I, plus the school, he has behavioural problems as well as being a school refuser.

I was talking to his dad earlier about what his options are (I know they are limited obviously), he can work for his Dad, but ideally we’d like him to make his own way in life (possibly working for himself / have a trade).

I’m interested if anyone here has managed to carve a career from not doing well at school, did you maybe go to night school and resit? - or if anyone has grown up children where school wasn’t for them and they’ve managed to get a job?

Anyone got any positive stories?

My ds2 is 22, has autism and learning disabilities and went to a special school. No qualifications and the writing of a 6 year old.

However he has now been employed for over 3 years ! Full time at Asda, where he earns slightly more than I do most months ! (Yes I havea degree but work part time for family reasons) OK he's not in a high flying job (cashier) but he is happy, very much a loved team member and does a really good job!

Cousin is a college “lecturer” for Painting & Decorating - the kids (they start at 16) rarely have any qualifications & he spends a surprising amount of his time helping them learn extremely basic maths (if one roll of wallpaper is x long & the drop length is y how many drops from one roll) & I know he has had several students who were illiterate. The course feeds them directly into (not minimum wage) jobs.

There seems to be a lot of scope for kids with talent/interest in the skills to go further too.

Failed o'level maths twice & left school with 8 o'levels after eventually passing maths. Worked my way up from admin/secretarial jobs to be finance manager on very good salary - by learning on job & taking evening class in accounting (but no exams).
If your son goes to college to study a trade then he will have to do maths & english GCSEs at the same time - colleges timetable for this if students don't have those GCSEs.

Something else I thought of, my cousin left school (a secondary modern), at 15 without an exam to her name though she was far from stupid and might have done better at a different school. However, when she left she had some money that she'd inherited and didn't work for quite a while, she helped her widowed mother and there was quite a lot of administration that he took care of, selling of a business etc.

Then she went travelling for a while - always liked travel.

Eventually she managed to secure a job with a travel agent; at first hated it and talked about going to her 'prison' every day. However that changed and she became good at her job.

Fast forward a few years and she was a hotel inspector for the agency who specialised in business trips abroad. She went all over the world and was highly regarded. Long since retired but she still jets off whenever she can.

There's hope for us all.

My little DB left school at 15 with no qualifications.
He joined the Navy, served for a number of years, then left and went straight into the police force.
He's now retired and is now senior management for a major company, in their security department.

Lots of people who run their own businesses did badly at school. Not everyone's brain works that way, and I do wish our education system catered more for people who want alternatives to academic careers.

Drabarni - I’d love it if DS was like you - just not sure he has entrepreneurial skills!

Still Medusa - how wonderful, you must be incredibly proud

Gibbons - that’s really interesting- especially how it leads to reasonably paid jobs

Oh this is so positive- thanks everyone!

A friend of mine left school with absolutely no qualifications - poor home life, no drive to attend etc. He used to spend a lot of time gaming / online. He was also interested in old cars. He built his own online business buying and selling car parts. He now imports rare parts from abroad, runs a large warehouse / storage complex and sells the parts with enough profit to work from anywhere in the world as a remote CEO. He is one of the most successful people I know...

FIL left school and went straight into the RAF. He trained as an electrician and did very well for himself, he worked doing industrial electrics as a site manager and earned a small fortune doing it.

My DH left after A Levels and is now a senior bank manager for a private bank. He’s done industry qualifications and is now doing a degree paid for by his employer. He’s been very lucky.

I was kicked out of school at 15 with no qualified due to what they would have described as “behavioural issues” (I don’t like being told what to do and I don’t like unfairness, you can see how that would go down in a high school!). I wasn’t motivated to learn things I didn’t care about, so they would have viewed me as lazy too.

Worked full time while getting school and college qualifications at night, went to uni, trained and practicing as a solicitor by 28. I’m exceptionally motivated but more importantly I’m exceptionally happy. Being happy is priority, which we often lose sight of.

School didn’t fit my personality, I left and found something that did (the relationship between tutor-student was much more equal and I fell in love with learning again).

DH left with no qualifications, worked his way up is now a large charity director.

School’s not the be all and end all, you probably feel like his life is over (I certainly did at that age looking at nothing)! But there are so many alternative routes these days outwith direct higher education or falling into a trade straight away you may dislike. He’s taking a more unusual route but it’s still his route and he’s so far to go.

Lots of my cousins weren’t ‘academic’ but smart. Mostly they trained as apprentices -
Mechanics, builders, sparks, joiners. All have done really well for themselves, think owning their businesses in those areas, building their own hses, working on rigs, having small holdings or working abroad in exotic locations.
They went on to be qualified in many things, self taught book keeping or whatever but as for GCSEs etc very few.
There’s a whole life time ahead of him to learn, go back to school, get a trade or whatever. If you can I still some kind of work ethic early
doors tho that would be sensible. Even if he works in a bar - stick to the hours, show up, work earn his money . He’ll be fine.

My DSis totally flunked school, got into design, went back to do foundation stuff then went ended back doing a degree as a ‘mature’ student in late 20s. Has a job she loves now. Great money. So many ways to be ‘successful’ in life.

Several of my family have no qualifications but are either in very well paid jobs or run their own multi million turnover businesses variously in telecoms, internet infrastructure, defence, leisure and believe it or not even in education and finance.

They hugely out earn the others who have lots of qualifications including oxbridge degrees and professorships etc

I recommend starting your own business as that is where the most money can be earned!

Great responses - keep them coming!

Definitely agree about owning your own business- his dad and I are both self employed as we won’t be told what to do, so maybe that bit is hereditary!

I completely trashed my schooldays having fun and didn’t have a qualification to my name until I was in my thirties.

The only one in my immediate family now with no paper qualifications is the highest earner by far. (IT). Highest tax bracket, several homes, cars, etc.

My daughter left school with no qualifications. She was really interested in computers and got working with a web design company and taught herself programming. When the company went bust she started her own company and built a sucessful business. A lot of hard work but she did it. My other daughter only had a couple of GCSE and started working as a cleaner, got a job working for the atomic weapons establishment and did courses and worked her way up to be a health physics surveyor earning really good money. Now she is older she decided that she wanted to start her own business and left the job, got some RHS qualifications and now has a sucessful gardening business. So yes you can be successful if you leave school with no qualifications

Jamie Oliver left school with 2 GCSEs, and I think neither Richard Branson nor Alan Sugar have any! Obviously they are probably in the minority, but still shows what's possible.

I'd encourage your DS to pass his driving test as soon as he is able as this will give him many more options. I have friends who left school with few/no qualifications. One started as a man-with-a-van and now has his own minibus/logistics company employing a couple of other drivers. Another is a self-employed driving instructor. Once your DS has his driving licence he could consider these options or explore getting an HGV or forklift licence as those jobs are pretty much consistently in demand.

Another friend (who hated school at the time!) now works in a school with the kids that are troubled/on the verge of being excluded. Another friend's DP is a care worker who does care in the community outreach carework and has gained qualifications on the job.

Agree with pp that laziness/attitude is a bigger barrier to success than a lack of qualifications and there are lots of jobs that don't need formal qualifications if you are skilled and can get a good reputation and word-of-mouth referrals. What are his other skills/hobbies outside of academia? Is he good with people? Is he a good cook? Artist? Actor? Cleaner? Painter/decorator? Sportsman?

The right path for him is out there somewhere - I hope he finds it. Good luck!

My brother left school without formal qualifications and he is now a very good barber, earning good money.

I left school with my GCSE's and was pregnant six months later. I did nothing until at 19 I volunteered with the CAB, got a job as a support worker as a result, then various local authority jobs before moving into the third sector and working up to a middle manager in a national charity. Last year I had a career change into something completely unrelated but they saw the skills I had developed and wanted them in the sector I am now in (regulatory) and earn 46k pa aged 38. Not as glorious as some of the stories on here but I am just a regular jo, with no imagination, qualification or Alan Sugar type skills. If I have any quality, it is that I am a plodder and just get on with what needs doing - although no more than that. If I stay in the sector, I can apply for more senior roles in the next 5 years, so earning potential jumps up to 65-75k.

The work isn't very sexy and I never left school thinking I would do it, but it pays well, the benefits are good and I did not lie once about my qualifications - despite working with some very highly educated peers and feeling the pressure to.

My DS is autistic, aged 21, unemployed with no qualifications and I am worried for his future but not as worried as a lot of others feel I should be. He will get there, and I will support him. Whatever his 'there' turns out to be.

Dnephew had some home life problems, was a sports player with the potential to be professional but injured himself in a way he had to stop completely. He struggled with school as a result of both so he left at just 16. He applied for college but changed his mind. He's now doing an apprenticeship at a local garage, loving every minute of it with a really decent wage. Hopefully this works out well for him

My brother left school with not too many qualifications, didn’t go to college. He started working on different jobs and then had a family at young age. He found his interest gained experience and now has his own business. He’s late 20s owns his own house, has 3 kids and his partner doesn’t have to work if she doesn’t want to. Sometimes those who thrive through education don’t always get it together.

Try not to worry, just give guidance with no pressure. He will figure it out just make sure he doesn’t get complacent. Let him explore his interests- he maybe a good Learner in the right environment and just needs to be given a chance by somebody.

I am from a family of six. Three of my siblings left school with no qualifications and started at the bottom ( think making tea and photocopying ) for an insurance firm. They are now on 150 thousand a year. One sister decided to be a stay at home Mum. 2 of us went to uni , I’m in nearer 50-60K and my sister who was the most intelligent by far and has a masters is on 30K .

My parents have one O level between them. Dad was a successful service manager for high end garages, mum a ward sister specialising in burns
They changed careers and then went into running pubs/hotels

I left school with just 4 c at gcse, but I had a lot of work experience and have always been good with people/customers. First job was waitressing but that was just a stop gap as I was waiting on a training slot and I then went to work for BT as an operator which I really liked, eventually I became a 999 operator. Yes it was shifts/anti-social hours but the pay was good and there were lots of other benefits and they were good employers.

My work on 999 though made me realise I wanted to be more directly involved in helping people and I left to do my nurse training so admittedly I did go to uni eventually.

Dd funnily enough has ended up doing similar. She left school early due to being massively let down by them (long story related to her disability) she had been a good student though so fortunately was ahead on the exam side of things and so left with a good set of qualifications - but obviously no degree. She also now works in a call centre but not BT, sales side of things which she’s good at. The pay & conditions are good but it can be stressful with targets etc.

She’s now at a point where her friends though are starting to hit uni stage and she’s starting to think about doing that herself after last couple of years telling me she’s not interested in that (kids are fickle!)

I also have a number of friends and family who didn’t go the uni route, and have done well for themselves.

Police is one career where a few have done well inc my brother BUT it’s heading towards becoming a graduate profession and most of the ambitious ones now take a degree while working to advance themselves and even post grad study. Bro recently got his masters.

Some have trades (electrician, gas fitter & safety inspection, joinery, hairdressing, chefs, glaziers) and while it takes time to learn the trade, build up to getting a decent wage etc they’re never out of work and several are now self employed and enjoy the independence and make pretty good money.

Uni isn’t the only route to a good job/career.

Plus, (I know probably not what he wants to hear right now!) but uni will still be there later if he changes his mind.

I’ve done uni twice and both times as a “mature” student, and of course I met plenty of other mature students.

Oh - also half my family are civil servants and half military - 2 other careers where a degree isn’t absolutely necessary but there’s loads of opportunity for progression.

Also 3 accountants in my circle, none of whom even had a-levels when they left school and 1 of these had no qualifications at all when they left school, got a job at a small company as a general admin assistant which included some basic bookkeeping, the boss/owner taught them some basics and then they went to evening classes initially just gcse maths and bookkeeping and progressed from there.

And yes I also know people who did well at school and uni and aren’t doing too well now unfortunately - a degree is no guarantee of career success.

I’m currently unemployed myself due to ill health. Some things you can’t plan for.

I’m hoping to change that this year with help to do so. Very frustrating to have 2 degrees and a work ethic going to waste! (Again long story).

BelgianWhistles yes 2 friends of mine left school with minimal GCSEs but an interest in and aptitude for IT/tech who are now doing very well for themselves in that area. One is self employed/freelance which sounds “meh” but he has a particular skill on the security side and gets flown 1st class all over the world to review and enhance major companies and even whole countries IT security, he’s so well paid he only works 6-8 months of the year. The rest of the time is a mix of volunteer/charity stuff and holidays, hobbies, spending time with his family. 3 GCSEs he left school with!

A friends husband is severely dyslexic and really struggled with school, he has his own business restoring and repairing vintage cars and motorbikes which he is very good at, he’s even been used by film & tv companies to provide vehicles for period productions.

Hope he finds his niche - I’m 47 and think I’ve only just found mine (I have an idea I’m working on to suit my circumstances - definitely a case of an ablist world in many ways means people can struggle to find their best fit)

Dd is disabled too and it's a progressive condition so she needs to find something that fits in with that.