TV Series that can inspire career choices?

[forensicstudies]

Over the years I've heard various people say that certain TV drama series inspired their career choices. I'm thinking things like law, forensic science.

CSI springs to mind for forensics, but I've just looked at the IMDB parents guide for it and don't think it would be suitable for my Y8 DS!

Do any of you have suggestions of drama series that might be suitable for younger teens?

Broadchurch

She thoroughly enjoyed it. She has some quite funny stories about where criminals have MASSIVELY underestimated her. She's 4'11", in her late 60's now, not glamorous, wears specs etc

The most common mistake they've made is assuming due to her age that she's not as familiar with computerised records as their accountants

In fact not only has she decades of experience, she has been consulted in the development of some accounts software in the early days and has used computerised accounts in some cases 'before their accountants were born!'

Several thought they'd cleverly hidden profits of crime/that should have been taxed in the various tax havens worldwide. That because the money is being held in accounts in eg Switzerland, Cayman Islands etc that she won't 'find' it. Not only has she found it, they've usually forgotten it has to have LEFT a uk account at some point (criminals aren't as clever as they like to think they are) even if that account doesn't belong to the criminal it can still be linked.

I've had VERY interesting discussions with her on the banking crisis (predicted within many financial organisations apparently), tax evasion/avoidance and the lack of investigation into these, how much money she reckons uk could REALLY save/make if it were properly clamped down on, capitalism (there are several other economic models that could possibly work better and remove our reliance on oil barons too, she's recommended several books that I've TRIED to read on this).

There was one very amusing anecdote where the accused basically went 'ah! She's wrong I haven't used that account in 5 years!' oops - he'd previously denied any knowledge of the account which was in stepsons name (without the stepsons knowledge)

I grew up with All creatures and wanted to be a vet. Then Ally McBeal and This Life made me want to be a lawyer. I am neither. Cracker made lots of my generation study psychology.

Senua many kids won't have contacts,friends or family in top career jobs.

Who said it had to be "top" career jobs?

DS wants to be a fireman. He's called Sam and watched Fireman Sam a lot when he was a toddler.

I'm sure Call the Midwife has inspired a few people.

As a kid/teen I watched all things medical: Casualty, Holby City, ER, Scrubs...I also loved Ally McBeal and This Life. I considered Law but didn't think I would enjoy the research it takes before you get to court! I am now a nurse (ironically I don't watch any medical TV dramas any more because the inaccuracies irritate me!).

Op said law and forensic science,not many doing that in our neck of the woods.

This seems like a pretty terrible way to try to find out about careers Most young teenagers don't have much clue about how many different jobs people do. (e.g. There's teacher, doctor, nurse, vet, police officer, fire fighter, work in a shop, work in an office, train driver, zoo keeper, barrister, hairdresser, and that's about it. I guess CSI et al have added forensic scientist to that list!) And tv shows don't show much else in the way of variety, and aren't particularly informative about the jobs they do show - if you're a tv lawyer, you're a barrister arguing in court, never a boring solicitor; tv nurses all work in acute hospitals rather than any other of the many roles; etc etc.

You'd do better to start making a list of specific jobs that people you know actually do (or ask on here about jobs) and then investigate those if your dc doesn't know way they involve. I'd bet that most people do jobs that aren't portrayed in a tv drama series

^ way s/b what

I still maintain that it's a strange way to do career counselling. I looked at each child and suggested things based on their characteristics - introvert/extrovert, conscientious or a butterfly, office / outdoors, team player / solo, preferred subjects - that sort of thing.

FaithAgain said "I don't watch any medical TV dramas any more because the inaccuracies irritate me!" which is spot on. You know from drama based on your own profession that scriptwriters generally haven't got an idea what goes on. And if they have, they will bend it if it suits dramatic purposes.
Much better to have a generalised chat about any/all drama and ask "would you like to do that job" and, more importantly, follow it up with "what's your reasoning for your answer?"

There are a real lack of dramas about accountants... and mechanical engineers, research scientists, actuaries structural engineers, financial advisors, admin clerks, HR business partners, software development managers etc etc.

Even the programmes we do see are nothing like the actual job. I'm particularly thinking of Silent Witness, The Coroner and Doctors.

The reality is that most jobs make for very, very boring TV.

All jobs have boring/less pleasant elements. (Ex nurse - recruiters conveniently avoid mentioning the likelihood of getting covered in piss/shit/vomit/blood/snot/food, the lack of breaks for drinks/loo let alone an actual meal )

I've also worked in shops and offices, some of it boring and some of it more exciting/fun than you'd think.

I don't think op is ONLY using tv drama just using that as ONE tool to open discussion.

I don't often watch medical shows but when I do 'spot the mistake' can be fun X-Ray's wrong way round (surprisingly high number of actors with hearts on their right side you know), poor needle practice, poor obs practice...

It's not quite the same field but I'm a children's book illustrator. When I was about 12 I saw Quentin Blake drawing on Blue Peter. It was then I realised that it was a 'job'.

Lots of work, tenacity and bloodymindedness later and here I am.

Sometimes all it takes is one tiny thing.

You tube for my ds! He wants to be musician, teacher, scientist, palaeontologist at the moment.

Just noticed that the Rhod Gilbert jobs show is on its 7th series - might actually be informative to work through them all, lol.

I am wondering what I must have watched as a child to make me think that accountancy was the profession for me

My brother and I were both put off accountancy by Monty Python!

I remember being inspired to study geology by a glamorous geologist in Dallas (or was it Dynasty?) - maybe because she was the only female with a brain and gave one of the male leads short shrift when he tried to chat her up!

Then at uni I realised most geologists were beardy-wierdies who took photos of field-dumps and passed them round in lectures. It put me off, and I switched to a different path.

Now if I'd gone to the same uni as Ian Stewart things might have been different!