Cycle Chat Cafe Careers Fair

[threebikesmcginty]

I was shite at woodwork.

My wood carving of Snoopy glued to a hardboard kennel was much admired!

Can't say it's helped me in my career so far though...

 

[Dayvo]

Not good enough to be a pro cricketer, I wanted to be a journalist instead, but didn't realise that, at 16 and studying for A-levels, I had to put in some hard work.

Successfully failed all my As, but my careers teacher advised me to apply to be a cop, which I did, passed the interview and physical, but had to wait months to find out I'd been accepted, although in the meantime I took a crappy sales job as all my mates were out earning money and I wanted to have more than just 'dole' money, so I never got to pound the beat.

Two years of total boredom later, I started to travel, and I suppose I have more or less been doing that for the last 30 years.

My degree turned me towards Scandinavia, where I have been (mostly) on and off for 20 years.

I'd like to live in Greece and Holland for a year or two, and although I'll probably be based in Norway for the foreseeable future, can't see me being here permanently.

I'm qualified to teach English, translate Norwegian and Swedish to English, have a C&G in bike mechanics, and six years experience of greenkeeping (planning to get qualified next winter).

Still don't know what I want to be when/if I grow up!

 

[surfgurl]

My careers advisor in 1993 told me that I wasn't suitable to A levels and why didn't I go to the local college and do a BTEC in performing arts. I decided to prove her wrong and got the grades in my GCSEs and did A levels, then a degree and then a Masters. I'd love to do a PHD.

 

[Arch]

Career? wots a career? left school at 15, couldn't wait to leave, now 57 still haven't worked out what I want to do.

Me too, at 40.

At 5, I wanted to be a jockey, but reasoned to myself that I couldn't because i didn't know how to ride a horse. The possibility of learning apparently didn't occur to me. So I decided I wanted to be an astronaut instead...

At O levels, I wanted to be a vet. A levels left me floundering (didn't do the work, basically), so that was out. I had no great yen for Uni beyind it being something I ought to do, and my A level results ruled it out. So I got a job in a shop. In 12 years I went nowhere, although I did get a 3rd class OU degree in mixed humanities. Then one day in late spring I woke up and thought "I'd like to study archaeology at University full time", so I went that day to the careers office in town, and by October was arriving at York, leaving home for the first time at the rather late age of 30.

10 years on, with a 1st class BSc, and an MSc and the tatters of an unfinished PhD behind, I'm having my last weekday of freedom before starting full time work next week. For three weeks, I'll be running 3 jobs, then I'll settle down into 2, one working for a cycling magazine, and one collecting recycling. I have no ambition beyond paying off some debt, and saving up, with a vague idea of going off one day to cycle round France/Europe/who knows?

Oh, and along the way, I learned to ride a horse.

 

[Chuffy]

My school careers consisted of filling in a personality profiling form which was then fed into a computer. It told me to go and become a social worker or a teacher.

Went to teacher training college, dropped out twice as, although I was very good in a classroom, I was crap at actually doing course work and turning up for lectures.

Otherwise I've had a proper career, as in, bouncing around at random with no clear idea of where I'm going or what I want to do. I had a bit of a kick up the arse when I met Baggy and decided that I really should make more of an effort, so I started office temping, taught myself some essential computer skills and worked hard to impress in the various temping gigs that I got. That got me to the point where I'm in a reasonably well paid job (c £23k, plenty by my standards) and could be considered to be a skilled white collar worker. It's not what I want to do and I don't enjoy it much. I guess the only thing I really want to do is become a full-time writer (magazine features, not fiction) but that isn't easy to get into. The hardest thing is finding the time to write stuff that I can hawk around. I've had some success (article in C+ and I write reviews for Road.cc) but I need to make time to do more.

 

[Corvette chic]

I have never known what to be when I grow up....

advised to be a nurse by careers person - about the only area i have no interest in whatsoever. having left school just short of my 15th birthday (yes that does date me somewhat) i've never been out of work and i've met some weird and wonderful people all over the country

my only regret is not emigrating when i was younger but i can become a retiree abroad

on that note time to walk the dog

 

[Fnaar]

My careers advisor at school told me to "go into personnel". I had no idea what this meant, and even less idea of how to do it, so i forgot it. My sis-in-law DOES work in personnel, and earns a freakin' fortune!
I started a degree in English Lit, left, taught sign-language to mentally-handicapped deaf folk, got a psychology degree, been a nurse, been a postman, been a hospital cleaner, taught English abroad, now a lecturer.

 

[Perfect Virgo]

Lightweight! I agree on the coming to Canada bit though...

Just to elaborate on what also fills my day - At 52 I am full-time carer for my 2 year old daughter (and another one on the way!) so coming to Canada has re-set the clock and I've started all over again!

 

[Kirstie]

I am doing something I have an aptitude for (senior-ish academic; research led), but it wasn't what I chose to do. I fell into it because I was unemployable with a physical disability, but I had a brain and a flair for a particular subject. I'm also very well networked. As it turns out my career is working out really well, and if I get the promotion I want in the next year (reader), I'm quite happy with that, thankyou very much. Which means I can focus on getting some balance back in my life, having caned myself to get this far and just research what I find exciting. I can also get more involved in stuff I've not done for years, but as a teenager were actually my preferred career choices - Music, Art and Sport.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

And you deserve it, Kirstie.

As for me... I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.

 

[Kirstie]

And you deserve it, Kirstie.

As for me... I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.

Ta chuck
I'd hardly describe you as a bum.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I just drifted into factory work, stores, warehouse, forklift trucks, packing and labouring, I have never had a career as such but seem to have kept in work. Been on the dole once, for about a week, in the last 30 odd years.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Ta chuck
I'd hardly describe you as a bum.

Sorry, I just remembered you don't do films! That was Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront talking about his 'one way ticket to palooka-ville'...

Mind you, I have developed a remarkably tramp-like look since coming to Canada...

 

[Kirstie]

Sorry, I just remembered you don't do films! That was Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront talking about his 'one way ticket to palooka-ville'...

Mind you, I have developed a remarkably tramp-like look since coming to Canada...

Oh right. As long as you don't smell like a tramp I wouldn't worry...

 

[Piemaster]

Never had a careers advisor at the school. A result of going to Trinity House school for the education it could provide from age 13, and then just sort of drifting into the associated career.

Surprising how handy the stuff learnt from my O-level in seamanship can be though....