To wonder what you advised your failing children to do for careers?

[lennypenny]

If your child was failing in school due to not being very academic or simply just average; what did you advise them to do for their futures (not including trades)?

Any stories of how they still managed to build a successful life for themselves or are they in low paid, unfulfilling work?

@WyfOfBathe set 1 is the top set in his school. I think he is getting 6 at the moment.

He seems to be either lazy or stressed from pressure so distracts himself by Xbox and just works at school.

His school gives them detention if they can't do their homework and makes them stay after school in a homework club.

Armed Forces if not trades to be honest. And they have all enjoyed their armed forces careers from infantry to aircraft mechanics, legal clerks, aircraft control operators.

I see their social media pages and they are travelling the world, and rather enjoying it all by the looks of things.

I can think of 4-5 people that work or did work in finance and accountancy. None have a-level maths and only 1 went to uni at all.

The others started at a basic level, did some FPC qualifications and went from there. One of them is now an IFA. I don't know what he earns but his house and car are very nice.

No he's not failing. He is good at maths but needs a tutor to explain it to him a lot of the time. I'm starting to think he will hate doing Maths A level and his tutor doesn't do A level tutoring.

It's just as someone else said there is so much competition out there - even for good apprenticeships. I am worried that being average or just above average grades he will be completely overlooked for the 4 A* children.

@ChampagneCamping sound advice and thank you for that link. I'm going to have a good read of that.

He doesn't want to go to Uni and I agree with him. I think an apprenticeship would be a lot better for him. What I am a bit worried about is the competition for good apprenticeships. I thought you would need A level Maths and A* to get on an accountancy apprenticeship.

If he's interested in accountancy, the bit of the Army he might be most interested in joining is the Adjutant General's Corps, Staff and Personnel Support

www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/adjutant-generals-corps/staff-and-personnel-support/

Depending on role, you can do the CIMA qualifications whilst serving

My non academic husband trained as a chef. He is passionate about his work and earns double what I do - I was an academic at school and now a part qualified accountant

When a person finds something they have a genuine interest in they will excel

It would really depend on the young person's skills and personality.

Some people suit self employment, many don't. Some are creative, some have good sales personalities, some would suit outdoor work.

There are still a few areas where someone less academic can do well, sales based occupations are an example - being a regional area manager or divisional lead for a corporate sales function

• retail/hospitality/event management
• there are some quite high up HR/people management roles that aren't that academic
• project management/change managememt/transformation type projects often need people who are organised and methodical, capable of keeping on top off a lot of tasks, but not necessarily academic or technical

Just let him do what he wants to do. If he wants to study a level maths, let him. If he doesn't he can do something else. I really wouldnt worry about it OP! I doubt my boys will get As in their GCSEs, but I don't consider that failing! I'll support them to do whatever they want to do.

If your son's passion is accounting, let him follow that dream. I doubt As are essential.

Middle dd dyslexic. She did btec business and got level 3. Went to work for a major company and is doing well.

To be an actual chartered accountant you absolutely do need to be academic. The exams are demanding/rigorous and there are complex aspects.

As far as I can tell its actually a requirement for conservative politicians to be thick as shit - is that an option?

My DD1 is academically very able so the world should be her oyster. She is currently in Y10 at a super-selective grammar school. But she is registered blind (among other disabilities).

According to the RNIB, blind and partially sighted people are significantly less likely to be in paid employment than the general population or other disabled people. Only one in three people of working age registered as severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted) is in paid employment. They are nearly five times more likely than the general population to have had no paid work for five years.

I would be absolutely thrilled for my DD to be the one in three in paid employment and actually doing a job she would love and enjoy and that would allow her to harness her brain power. But I was mentally ticking off all the jobs listed here that she couldn’t do because of here severe sight impairment; so no to Army, Armed Forces, HGV driving, driving, electrician, hairdresser, beautician, building, trades apprenticeship etc etc (Honestly, OP, a little bit of perspective, please).

Sales is awesome! That's going to be my next career. I'm determined to get into it!

I'd advise them to find an apprenticeship, or college course of something their interested in, find a job that might take someone with no qualifications such as some shops to gain some work experience and build confidence, some online courses , or volunteering, which builds confidence, gives some direction, and can be put on a c.v.
Some of these things will give dc a chance to think about what they would like to do in life and help them become more focused.

I should reiterate, accountancy is academic, but you don't need a-level maths. I'm a chartered accountant, earn 6 figures. I've got GCSE A grade maths, no a-level maths but I did get good grades in the 4 a-levels i took (history, english, german, biology).

Lower qualified accountants (book keepers, or accounting technicians) are much more poorly paid.

Why not trades? Average tradesperson earns more than the average graduate nowadays - £45k vs £35k.

Thank you. DH joined at 17 and loved it.

My brother was very average academically, yet phenomenally intelligent. At 35, he runs a multi-million pound business. I have a PhD and work in a prestigious academic institution. I’ll never earn vast sums of money because of my chosen path. So, depends how you define success. My father is quite disappointed in my salary given my academic background, but I never wanted to enter the private sector and money was never my motivating factor. Do you not write of your kids as failures/average.

🤣

Emmathestagerat

I worked for a FTSE 100 corporation and we had a couple of registered blind people in the wider function i was in. They both used assistive technology but were highly valued members of the team (and well paid). The trends away from handwritten note taking etc make a big difference.

Oh and one had a guidedog too.

I spent over ten years in Sales and came to hate it despite being good (highest conversion rate in my team of 10). But for the right personality it comes naturally.

I just hated having to capitulate to the oh so important 'decision maker' (DM), often a self important middle aged bloke. Some decent sales people are consummate professionals but many aren't that academically bright but do well by arse kissing and low key flirting, otherwise called 'relationship building'. What you refer to as 'a certain cunning'.

Trades are fantastic. I've said that. But believe you me he is completely unsuited to trades and has no interest in them anyway.