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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DC looking for a career

49 replies

Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:30

Sorry, in AIBU for traffic.

DC 17 needs to do uni applications soon and has no idea what she wants to do. She seen 3 career advisors but that's just made it worse if anything.

She is bright. Bilingual French English.

Please can you tell me what you do, how you got there and what you earn. And I guess what kind of person it suits. And a brief description.

I'll start in case it helps anyone else.

Instructional designer.
I design, write and produce online courses.
40k€ - 100k€.
WFH or office possible.
Was in HE moved across due to
Covid and discovered I loved it.
Ideally some kind of degree or experience in teaching.
Degree &/or Masters in Instructional Design.

Great job for the curious and people who love learning.

OP posts:
Blinkityblonk · 30/09/2023 12:34

Most jobs don't need a specific degree, what employers are looking for is a good grade, consistent results, extra-curricular work, internships or things like that that are either relevant or show initiative. I work in employability/careers some of the time as part of my job.

In this instance, I would suggest your dd do a subject she thinks she will really enjoy, with French as well. It doesn't matter so much what the degree is (unless she wanted to do medicine, or a biological or chemical related job, engineering, which do require specific pathways), but any humanities or social science would be fine. It's more important she will enjoy it and do well in it than the specific topic at this stage (e.g. she could do anthropology, or liberal arts, or Eng Lit and French).

DustyLee123 · 30/09/2023 12:34

She doesn’t need to know what she wants to do !
If they want that on Uni applications, just think of something that goes with what she’s doing, and make a vague reference to that. It’s ridiculous for Uni’s to make kids do this.

Blinkityblonk · 30/09/2023 12:36

Also, at uni they will have a dedicated careers service so she will get lots of tailored support (most students don't use it, it absolutely is there!)

She could do a subject with a year abroad, one of my students has just been to the Paris-Sorbonne for a year, fab!

Booksbooksbooksandmorebooks · 30/09/2023 12:36

What a levels is she doing..does she enjoy them? Does she enjoy anything outside school?

Original poster
Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:37

So the issue is she has no idea what to do at uni so she's looking at jobs and working backwards now.

We live in France so quite a lot of HE options could have an apprenticeship element to them.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:38

She's doing her Bac. The subject she prefers is philosophy but doesn't like many of the career options that might lead to.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:40

There's also very little possibility of her not needing to do a masters. Pieces of paper are essential here unfortunately.

OP posts:
WrongSwanson · 30/09/2023 12:40

You're looking at this the wrong way. What does she enjoy? What motivates her? How does she like working.

I finally found the career that was right for me when I realised I needed a mix of intellectual challenge and dealing with people, and that I was more motivated by making a difference and new challenges than salary (although having enough salary to have an enjoyable life matters to me too)

Blinkityblonk · 30/09/2023 12:41

My own experience is not to take an apprenticeship type degree unless you know you really love that type of job, perhaps having worked in something similar or had some work experience. I know two people who have done one, one hated his job that he's ended up doing, he did the apprenticeship route to save money but ultimately it backed him into a job corner very early in life, by early twenties and has tried to get out. The other, a female student, absolutely loves her apprenticeship as she knew she always wanted to be an engineer and did engineering internships in the holidays prior to uni and things like that.

I think it's a mistake at 17 to limit any options, I don't know the French system, but do they have wider degrees like Liberal Arts type approaches? I'd look at the institution rather than the degree as well, by the time she leaves and ten years after her degree, her job might not even exist (AI, changes in media etc). Most journalists have found the move to online pretty hard- your job sounds very interesting!

MinnieMouse0 · 30/09/2023 12:43

Just do something she enjoys at school. There are few jobs that require specific degrees.

Also if she changes her mind about the career after finishing the degree then she’s just in the same position as now.

Blinkityblonk · 30/09/2023 12:43

In the UK Philosophy degree students are very employable, it tends to be something picked up by well-off students (no poorer families tend to send their students to do Philosophy) and it works well for students who are good at Maths and logical subjects as well, so a lot of our Phil students go on to finance, accounting, consulting, City jobs, Reuters, all kinds of things like that, as well as the more obvious government/civil service, unrelated jobs.

Snowdropcow · 30/09/2023 12:44

Digital Clinical Systems Nurse
Band 6 35-40k
Bsc in Adult Nursing
Worked on the wards for 3 years, loved using electronic patient records and had a vision for how they could be even better
Involves giving nursing input for the development of electronic patient records, liaising with staff on the shop floor for their thoughts and teaching about new digital initiatives

Work is very flexible with WFH, only need to attend the office when doing teaching really

YayGoMe · 30/09/2023 12:46

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

BoohooWoohoo · 30/09/2023 12:49

Ime its mainly students who do science subjects who know what degree and job they'd like to do. For example someone studying physics, chemistry, maths might know they want to do Engineering but only work out a specialisation during their degree.

With essay subjects things are less rigid. For example an A-level English student could end up studying a social science, law, marketing or another language at uni. Essay subject degrees lead to an even bigger range of jobs ime. I worked in tech marketing and the people who did the same job had a wide range of degrees like drama, computer science and economics.

I have 3 kids and none of them knew what job they wanted to do at 17. They picked their favourite subjects for higher study which has not shut any doors to them. People live longer than ever and it's very common to change your job more than once in your life

Original poster
Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:52

@YayGoMe she doesn't have ANY passions.

OP posts:
PikachuChickenRice · 30/09/2023 12:52

Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:40

There's also very little possibility of her not needing to do a masters. Pieces of paper are essential here unfortunately.

In that case I don't think we're going to be of any use. You're better off asking on r/France like Reddit.
I work in IT , coming from a completely unrelated degree into a technical role. But from my colleagues based in France qualifications are essential and I'd never have been able to take the same path there. So there's no point in me sharing my experiences.

There are many generalist, non-coding roles like Project Manager, IT sales, Service Management, etc that people can do with any degree, Happy to give a summary of those.

I had no passions too. Just wanted to make money. I liked languages, daydreaming and generally pottering about but I never wanted to do it for a job because that would make me hate it. I'm quite intellectual though so my job suits me. Could never do something boring day in day out.

YayGoMe · 30/09/2023 12:52

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Snowflake760 · 30/09/2023 12:53

How about a general business degree, with a French module. I did this and worked in France for a year where I was exposed to different careers and skills. Any good business degree will offer an introduction to and then specialism in all sorts of careers - HR, Law, Finance, Technology, Marketing etc. She doesn’t have to know now, but this type of degree will allow her to keep her options open and try different areas.

Original poster
Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:54

@PikachuChickenRice please that would be very helpful.

Anyone that can say what they do it would be really helpful. A job is rarely what people imagine from the outside.

OP posts:
Possimpible · 30/09/2023 12:54

Pharmacist, salary range 35-70ish k, I'm somewhere in the middle at 33yo. Got here because at 17 I was good at science, didn't want to be a doctor, but had no idea what I DID want to do! My parents encouraged me into a steady profession. It's fine, I'm happy with how it's ended up, but I've been on a hamster wheel of placements, studying, pension plan, steady job since 17! And now it's too hard to leave my cushy job to travel. I'd really encourage her to take a year or two out to travel, with language skills she should have options for work too. At that age it feels like you'll be miles behind your peers if you don't go to uni the same year, but it's not the case.

Blinkityblonk · 30/09/2023 12:55

She doesn't have to have a passion, few do for an academic subject aged 17! What she needs is a couple of subjects she enjoys, does well in and suits the way her brain works. Take her out for coffee and chat through her current subjects at school- would any of those work? What about something that might appeal that she hasn't done, my dd is intrigued by anthropology and has just got the chance to do an extra course on college at it and finds it very interesting. What are her strengths?

I don't think any of us in the UK understand the system enough to be able to comment, here in the humanities and social science side there's very few options closed by one rather than the other, the only exception to that is psychology with BPS registration, but you can even do an entirely different degree and then a conversion Masters here, so there's no door truly closed.

Original poster
Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:55

I've suggested a business degree as in general they have quite a lot of work experience. She's not keen. Possibly because it's come from me.

OP posts:
Blinkityblonk · 30/09/2023 12:57

So, that's off the list.

I would make a long long list and then go through it with her, or let her have a first go, and narrow it down to more of a short-list.

Then give her time to think about those, get more info, talk to other students, attend some open days...if the deadline is soon she can be doing this now, or take a year out and think then.

I don't think finding a career and going straight like an arrow towards it is feasible at 17...(unless you have always known you want to be a doctor an d even then there are often twists along the way)

midgemadgemodge · 30/09/2023 12:57

With my dd we had a huge list of potential courses

She sorted them into "no way" and "possibly"

The possibly pile was all the same sort of thing - so that's where she focussed

WrongSwanson · 30/09/2023 12:59

Wallywobbles · 30/09/2023 12:55

I've suggested a business degree as in general they have quite a lot of work experience. She's not keen. Possibly because it's come from me.

Can you get her to speak to family friends /relatives about their careers? This really helped me