Does your Year 10 know what they want as a career?

[inthesticks]

DS1 is 15 and seems to feel under huge pressure to make his mind up what career he wants.Not sure where the pressure comes from but he is obviously not immune to the depressing rise in the cost of studying at university
He loves Maths, Physics and Chemistry and plans to do these at A level. His current preference would be to do a Physics degree, but doesn't know what career options there are. Careers advice at school seems poor.

DH went to uni in the 1960s when any degree was a passport to a good job and he doesn't seem to understand that things are so much more competitive now.
I'm hoping to get him on some taster courses in the next year or two (Salters and Smallpiece were recommended on MN).

Maths, Physics and Chemistry is a good A'level choice that opens lots of doors. Pure sciences however is not necessarily the route to go unless he wants to stay "acedemic". If physics appeals I would suggest looking at engineering courses.

I think at this age it isn't important to decide what you want to be, but it is a good idea to start exploring the options - after all there are loads of careers out there he has probably never even heard of.

Gnome - only just seen your post, been away a couple of days.

I wish your DS well at cadets - if it's like DS1's squadron he will absolutely love it. There is never a dull moment - in fact I would actually recommend cadets (either air or army) for any DC who are active and outdoorsy - they gain so many skills and learn loads of things that can only benefit them later on, things that will look good on their CV's and may actually benefit them when thinking about careers - eg first aid, DofE, leadership skills, discipline and teamwork (obviously!) all sorts of sports - cross country, netball, football, community involvement - DS has done bag packing to raise funds, poppy selling with veterans - had an absolutely brilliant time on that one, interacting with much older people who were extremely entertaining and inspiring. He also started (but won't have time to finish) a qualification in public services - equivalent to a few extra GCSE's. He does something approx 3 weekends out of 4, he has also achieved his gliding wings - is qualified to fly a powered glider by himself - they get to do that at 16! He has also been to a lot of other towns and met loads of other kids and adults which has improved his confidence and outlook as a person no end.

They don't all want to be in the forces - I can't recommend it highly enough. The only regret for him is that he didn't join sooner!

I have a year 10 who worries that she doesn't know. It's such a shame - this should be a time for trying things out, and learning stuff becaue that's waht interests you, rather than focussing in on career options. Apart from the minority who have known since babyhood what they wanted to "be", obviously.

I didn't have any inkling of what I wanted to be until I was at university studying languages. I found a summer job at a holiday centre for disabled people in France and realised that I wanted to work with people. I ended up training as a social worker at age 26, but this was only after a disastrous PGCE in special educational needs, when it became obvious that teaching wasn't for me...

I consider myself extremely lucky as I managed to get a grant for both the PGCE and social work courses, which obviously wouldn't happen today, but more than 20 years on I'm still in social work and love it (most of the time!).

My dd is 15 and also worries that she doesn't know what she wants to do as many of her friends seem to, and she's doing her work experience in a local delicatessan as she loves their home-baked goods, particularly the chocolate cake!

I think that work experience is useful to give young people a view of the world of work. I took my DD1 on a business trip with me. This was a complete eye-opener for her. Before that trip she said she could never consider working in an office. Now she has been with me she can see that an office is just a place to work, it isnt significant in itself.

What I am trying to tell my DCs is that while they only get one life, they can have more than one career. The message I felt I had from my parents was that once you set your foot on a particular path then that was it and you had to stick with it forever. I dont want my DCs to feel like that.