Career advice for 16 year old.

[Scotchlovingcylist]

I started out as a labourer in a building firm and slowly learnt from my boss, eventually I could do as much as him. After being laid off I started working as a cleaner for the NHS, a little upsetting for me as I was starting at the bottom again. Now I'm working as a mental health nurse and love it.
It never hurts to start at the bottom and work your way up, employers see potential and its often who you know in an organisation. Plus he's yoing enough to start out somewhere and see where it goes.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Sports science is very popular and there is expected to be a glut overtime. It is also not regulated. If he is keen on sports, then take up something close to it such as physio. What is however in high demand are Sports medicine and Sports Scientist with a PHD with research positions that are attractive.

Another interesting vocation and in demand is turf management and science

 

[MrPie]

Pick something that he enjoys doing, coz doing something you enjoy for 10 hours per day makes a enormous difference. He could go be a doctor or a lawyer, or whatever, but if his heart is not in it then it becomes a chore. You can learn to like / love your job, but that can be bit of a big gamble. I really enjoyed chemistry & physics at school, went on to study it and now I get to do it every day with a pay packet that I'm very happy with. I didn' know it at the time, but i made some smart choices when I was younger irrespective of parental guidance.

 

[Captain Scarlet]

I would just echo everyone else. If it's something he loves then consider following it.

As it happens I'm a greenkeeper on the largest course in our area and I love it. My job envolves anything from using hand tools to repair areas of turf, paths etc. Next day I could be tackling the many areas of woodland and trees on the site with a chainsaw. Then I can be using any of the variety of mowers that we have or even spraying, and down to even painting tee markers and course furniture.

In short rarely are 2 days the same and best of all I'm not stuck in an office all day staring at the same screen and 4 walls.

Everyone's different and I suppose it's never too late to change anyway.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

16? A Career? Nah, dinnae worry about that, just do "stuff"

 

[MarkF]

Thanks for the replies, he has ideas, I've offered others, but it's nice to get other opinions, we hadn't thought of turf management/science. Sales is out, he is not that way inclined, he's not money motivated at all, office work is out too, he's an outdoor bloke. As somebody else said, and I agree, sports science will be oversubscribed as well as poorly paid, best he completes his course to his best of his ability whilst pondering the future.

 

[Booyaa]

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?

Physiologist, Nuffield Health are really good with their academy training plan. Usually need a degree in a similar discipline but sounds like he is working towards that already. My wife studied sports science and worked through many fitness related jobs (PT, sports injuries etc) and now wishes she had started the physiologist role straight from Uni.

 

[jonny jeez]

Tell him to seek happiness, nothing else matters.

 

[Truth]

Tell him to seek happiness, nothing else matters.

He will never work then !

 

[screenman]

No advice to give, but if it helps I am 59 and have not got a clue what I might want to do for a living later in life.

I have been lucky and very lucky to always enjoy going to work. I have been self employed for nearly 40 years, before that I had 25+ jobs in 40 months.

 

[uphillstruggler]

at 16, who knows?

how about something like the national trust, forestry commission or English heritage - loads of opportunities in these types of organisations, not just the physical open air thing. lots of scope for travel to different sites etc.

 

[Globalti]

A little story: My brother-in-law started life as a male nurse. He worked his way up the hierarchy, did a correspondence degree and other qualifications and is now the Chief Executive of an NHS hospital. Because he worked his way up from the very bottom and is a very likeable bloke, he is respected by most of the hospital staff from the medical staff including the consultants to the admin and management, with a few exceptions amongst those who will never be happy.He is very well paid indeed and deserves to be because of the huge stress of the job. He is not university-educated or especially academic, just a very steady, conscientious and hard-working bloke with whom you'd be happy to have a pint.

 

[Cyclist33]

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?

Just let him get on with being a yoof and enjoying life while he can. There is plenty of time to faff about careers when you're older.

 

[Saluki]

My neighbour put me right off work while I was waiting for a bus on my first day of work (pre O levels in the Xmas Hols, 1 day a week). He said "today you are starting something that you will be doing for the next 45 years". Put me right off, I can tell you. I stuck that job about 2 weekends and went off and did my own thing.
I do have a degree, actually I have 2 and I don't use them really, but they do show prospective employers a level of education. I've gone where the wind has blown me and I'm perfectly happy. However, if I could magically go back to 16, I'd not have gone to that first job at all, I'd have gone to college a year earlier, done a different degree and been a physiologist or something rather than an archaeologist.

At 16, it's difficult to know what you'll be but if your lad is sciencey, science based A levels will probably take him a long way and give a lot of scope when it comes to deciding on a degree course, if that's the way he wants to go. There is a lot of growing up between starting an A level course and a degree course and it gives a lot of time to think, change and make decisions.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Saw an article on telly recently, might have been on Landward, about the increasing shortage of forestry workers and the pressing need to recruit new starts. A great job if you can put up with the midges.