To be sad DD might be limiting herself

[JanseyB]

I have twins, they are 17, in sixth form.
DD is on paper the more intelligent of the two, 8/9a at GCSE and predicted 2 A* and 2 As at a-level (French, German, Art and English). She is at a good local indie but the careers advisor seems to pay little attention to her (more interested in the Law, Medicine and Finance candidates).

DD has applied for Business/Management and German for uni. She's applied to Kings, UCL, Manchester, Bristol and Queen Mary, she has some offers back.

DD has now announced she wants to take a gap year, then maybe change her course of study all together. She has savings and will get some money for her 18th so she has said she wants to work and travel and figure it out.
DD actually wants to work in marketing but wants to do a degree related to foreign language as it's something she is naturally talented at.

DS is so much more put together, studying history then wants to do law and has a clear plan.

DD is saying she wants a gap year, 4 year (year abroad) undergrad then possibly marketing masters. Which just seems a bit chaotic.

She is so smart, I wasn't massively supportive of her A-level choices and I feel like we are going through it again. She got a bloody 9 in maths at GCSE and it feels such a waste to throw it away. She's also very sociable, likeable, sporty and works so hard, it just seems she's a bit lost?!

DH and I are both doctors, our path was quite clear and laid out from leaving school so I'm not sure how to approach this.

AIBU thinking she might be throwing it all away. How can I get her better careers advice when school aren't helping? She used to want to work in finance and I'm a little sad that over the last 2 years that has lost appeal to her!

Anyone here know a path that might suit DD, with her want of modern languages under grad and marking as a career with study abroad and gap years?

@WellManneredFrivolity @JustMeAndTheFish don’t get me started - same here. A levels I hated, law degree,
forced by my mother in the old days. My sister still says she imagines me in a reading books job which is what I did my entire life before being forced to spend 5 years on subjects I didn’t love. No I'm not bitter!

Don’t do it. It’s not your life. Be proud of her and just perhaps read about marketing roles to discuss and support. I don’t want to be rude but just let her work it out, she is clever and not the same as you. Being unable to imagine a different life for someone else is not a good trait.

Sounds like she is opening her horizons and the very opposite of limiting herself.

Seriously move firms if you are qualified and working for £28k! I’m at a regional firm as a care lawyer, only 2 years PQE and on £45k.

You’re made to work for a small shitty form paying you that.

I never work more than my 35 hours a week!

How many teenagers/young people have the opportunity to have a gap year ?

A minority

Remember the saying, find a job that you love

I did not really know what I wanted to do as a job when I was at uni.
I had a career in an industry which was not invented when I was a child.

So who can predict the future ?

How will AI or other new technologies change the world ?

Sometimes the better things happen, when they are unplanned ...

I went to a really interesting presentation by two languages graduates who now work for Santander and HSBC. They said languages graduates are really in demand - the eye for detail, critical thinking, creative problem solving plus resilience and adaptability gained on year abroad make them incredibly attractive. They said their work wasn’t really numerical, but researching different areas and creating a compelling pitch that would persuade risk assessors to fund a specific scheme or area. Their employers are keen on diversity so as to respond to the diversity of their customer base. Languages graduates are strong in intercultural communication. The one who works for Santander works in London and there are native speakers of Spanish, Portuguese and French in her office. She has a degree in English and Spanish and uses her Spanish a lot.

I think you need to support her in her choices!
I'm another who was academic, felt pressured by my parents to do a "professional" degree, and single mindedly pursued vet medicine. Went straight from school to uni at 17, finished my degree and started work a month later. ( my mum was bitterly disappointed I didn't do medicine)
Nearly 30 years down the line I look back and wish I'd taken more time. I still like my job (although there have been lots of stages where I haven't!) but I didn't really look at all the options, and I was so young..
With my kids, I encouraged them to look at ALL the options, not just uni. Dd1 wasn't sure if law was what she wanted, but knew she could change if it didn't suit. She is in her 3rd year now, and loves it, but she knew she had options
Dd2 loves English and is really good at it. She has no idea what career she will pursue, but is doing an English degree and living her best life (I admit to some jealousy on my part, as I also loved English!) I think they need time to figure it all out
Ds is still considering options, including apprenticeship rather than university.
Many of my friends changed career at some point. Its never set in stone. The main thing is she is happy

I did a gap year where I worked and travelled then a 4 year degree with a year abroad. Wouldn't change a single thing, the life experience was the best! Yes I was a year older than fellow students but made no difference and at the end I got a good job, albeit a year later but with having adventures and freedom before starting the career cycle. Adds more interest, resilience and independence to a resume, something extra to talk about.