Career advice for 16 year old.

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MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
My youngest son left school with bundle of high grade exam results and started college last Autumn, he is studying sport science, he is also doing work at a semi -pro club towards his FA 1 & 2 coaching badges. He wants to coach and is also a very good footballer, he will play semi-pro, but not higher.....

I had prior explained to him that sports science, even after university will probably mean a low paid job in the UK, he'd have to go to the US to earn a decent money, at 16, that is daunting and it's worrying him.

I trained as an electrician and always regret not doing something creative, worst advice I was ever given was to "get a trade", doing something you don't like, regardless of money, is dispiriting.

So, he is a physically strong, very bright and a very active boy, absolutely not needy, what careers could you suggest he considers?
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
One thing I wish I'd thought ahead about when I was that sort of age is potential progression. I only ever thought about 'the next thing', not where (if anywhere) the next thing might lead.

If he's not committed to anything in particular, it might be worth thinking about trying to get A Job (whatever job) with an organisation he thinks he might like to work for. Once he's in, any half-decent company will offer a variety of possible progressions. Just as a for example, starting off at the ground level at Sports Direct probably doesn't sound at all appealing (and is probably poorly paid toboot), but I'd guess people who show potential can reasonably quickly be selected for management training, en route to becoming a store manager, which would then make you an attractive prospect for other retail chains, and so on...

Not a specific 'career' as such, so sorry if it's not what you were after...but with hindsight, I wish I'd thought more about those hackneyed 'where do you see yourself in 10 years time?' questions, rather than simply thinking 'what would I like to do now?'
 
OP
OP
MarkF

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Swee'pea, starting at the bottom at a place (with potential) would be fine, he already opens up the local newsagents at 6.00am (before school/college) and has done so for 12 months, he's also done 2 paper rounds and worked at a mini-market since he was 13, he certainly has a work ethic and understands work=reward.

RR- He wouldn't leave his football career or let his coaching become affected by being away.
 

Turbo Rider

Just can't reMember
My youngest son left school with bundle of high grade exam results and started college last Autumn, he is studying sport science, he is also doing work at a semi -pro club towards his FA 1 & 2 coaching badges. He wants to coach and is also a very good footballer, he will play semi-pro, but not higher.....

I had prior explained to him that sports science, even after university will probably mean a low paid job in the UK, he'd have to go to the US to earn a decent money, at 16, that is daunting and it's worrying him.

I trained as an electrician and always regret not doing something creative, worst advice I was ever given was to "get a trade", doing something you don't like, regardless of money, is dispiriting.

So, he is a physically strong, very bright and a very active boy, absolutely not needy, what careers could you suggest he considers?

Teaching. A friend from school did more or less the same thing from the sounds of it and continued along the sports science side through uni, finishing off with a teaching degree. Works with primary school kids as a PE teacher and loves it. I'd just say do anything which avoids offices though.
 

subaqua

What’s the point
Location
Leytonstone
Teaching. A friend from school did more or less the same thing from the sounds of it and continued along the sports science side through uni, finishing off with a teaching degree. Works with primary school kids as a PE teacher and loves it. I'd just say do anything which avoids offices though.


this. It is where my daughter is aiming for now , having had the discussions about careers over the back end of last year.
 
My bosses son (who is now in his thirties) did a degree is sport science and then started training as a physio, but he didnt like it once he got into it and only stuck at it for a couple of years. Basically it was not the job he thought it would be. He also played semi pro football to (div 4 standard) and had to eventually give that up as he picked up too many inuries. despite saying he would never do it, he joined his Dads company (an engineering, sub contract machine shop) and he loves it. He has no actual experience of working on the shop floor, but has picked up enough over the years to be able to take over from his father (if he ever retires) Sometimes you just fall into a job that you enjoy doing and the job you think you will enjoy does not turn out to be what you expected.
 

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
My son did a sports science degree at LJMU and his first job was as community cycling officer at Islington Council - some kind of link there I guess.
Mind you, he got píssed off with increasingly office bound work and is now a butcher. Who knows where any of it leads, especially if it's contentment that is the goal.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
There is a massive world out there for exporters; thousands of British companies would love to find decent, honest, reliable and presentable people to train up as export sales staff but for some reason young folk seem to be ignorant of this when they start thinking about work. I have a BA in modern languages and the only suggestions I ever got from crap careers advisors were: "teacher/interpreter/translator". Nobody mentioned export sales, to the extent that I actually believe there may be some deep-rooted social stigma attached to exporting, dating from the days of the colonies when British civil servants sneered at people in commerce, calling them "box-wallahs".

British companies are woefully bad at succession planning and it takes years to train good sales staff. Sales staff who can operate effectively alone, in stressful overseas environments are not easy to find. I have seen colleagues go into culture shock on trips to Africa and you need a certain amount of fitness and physical and mental stamina as well. On top of that you are trying to sell to people who are accustomed to being cheated and ripped off so an open, honest demeanour is vital.

I would advise him to single out manufacturers with good export records and write asking to meet the personnel manager - you never know what can come from a face-to-face meeting.

There is an even bigger world of company owners in export markets who are desperate to begin retiring and can't find anybody they trust to take over the running of the company. Often their childern, who have enjoyed an education in the UK or the USA at Dad's expense, are less than keen to come home and run a mature business with little new challenge and all the hassle. I got flamed on here for asking how my African friend would go about finding a young European to manage his factory, I was called a racist and all sorts but the simple fact is that my friend does not trust anybody who is not European. In vindication of his mistrust he has just been ripped off spectacularly by three long-standing African senior staff who were from the same tribe as him and even worshipped in the same church. For anybody prepared to go and work in a developing country for a few years there's fun, challenge and great money ready in abundance.
 
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welsh dragon

Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
My grandson is doing sports science at Uni. He started In september. TBH I'm not sure he will finnish it. If he doesn't god knows what he will do as there is nothing for youngsters here. Even if he does finnish the course, sometimes things and events and opportunities just happen and take us in a direction we never imagined we would go.


I wouldn't like to try to advise anyone on a career path. Good luck to you and your son anyway.
 
My cousin's lad has just been accepted on a similiar course her view is let him do the foundation year and see what it leads to... then push him to look elsewhere for a career if it doesn't work out he would still be young enough to move to something else...

With regard to career choice..... I worked in a couple of factories got made redundant a couple of times then got a job in a shop as it was available at the time.... 25 years later I'm still in retail and it frightens me to think of any other job... office job like Mrs V? not blooming likely!!!
 
Theres seems to be a few who have relatives doing sports science just on here. I have a friend whos daughter has just finished the course, she's considering Canada. It may be an anomaly or an indication that there will be some tough opposition in that field for jobs.
In a similar vein, whilst doing the Uni rounds with my son last year I was talking to one of the lecturers about future employment prospects post degree, he pointed out there are a huge amount of students studying forensics at the moment,he quoted around 10,000 (NCIS effect?). There are only around 1000 related jobs in the country. There will be a lot having to look elsewhere.

I know thats not much help but I reckon most people have a job they tolerate as long as the pay keeps arriving. I wish him well in finding something he actually likes doing.
 

madmadmax

Regular
Location
sheffiled
the thing about trades is thers a lot of them so don't put them out of the picture as you may fined that he ends up in one of the meny trades from being a cordwainer to engineer and evrithing inbetwean so look at them all and talk to pepol who are in the trades

i love the the trades i have trained in saddlery, engineering and car mechanics all of them are creative and need intellect

the best pice of career advice i would give is: do evrithing till you fined somthing you like and can get work
 

Joshua Plumtree

Approaching perfection from a distance.
Football scholarship in the US?

My eldest lad played football for a US University team. In return his University tuition fees were payed by the Uni.

Now taking a Masters degree in Alabama. Again, all payed for, in return for Assistant Coaching duties with the University team.

He loves it. In the summer he plays semi pro football for Chattanooga. Long term goal is to get a Head Coach position at a University and stay in the US permanently.
 
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