I was going to be...

[Dave 123]

It's interesting that careers officer/advisor pops up in this thread fairly often.
But it always seems to be '....they said no, I couldn't do that'.
I understand what the point of a careers person should be but in reality telling a 15/16yo to nail their colours to this mast is pretty absurd in the majority of cases, as this thread proves.

Being from Ellesmere Port the answer they wanted to hear was ' I want to work at Vauxhall/Shell/Van Leer'...... saying I wanted to be a dairy farmer must have come as a surprise!

And I bet when asked, 100% of the population never answered 'I'd like to be a careers officer '

 

[DanZac]

When I was really small I wanted to be a bin man, I've no idea why that appealed to me as a small child but it did ( Maybe the fact they knocked off at lunchtime appealed even then).
When sense kicked in and my interest in all things mechanical kicked in I managed to blag my way through 30 years as an aircraft engineer. I do some pretty dull H&S stuff now but it pays OK, I get left alone and have plenty of spare time to do what I want, so I'm not complaining.
I've always really fancied blacksmithing or something similar where you can combine the mechanical side with a bit of creativity, but apart from dabbling on the side that's not likely to ever become a new career.

 

[Sandra6]

When I was really small I wanted to be a bin man, I've no idea why that appealed to me as a small child but it did ( Maybe the fact they knocked off at lunchtime appealed even then).
When sense kicked in and my interest in all things mechanical kicked in I managed to blag my way through 30 years as an aircraft engineer. I do some pretty dull H&S stuff now but it pays OK, I get left alone and have plenty of spare time to do what I want, so I'm not complaining.
I've always really fancied blacksmithing or something similar where you can combine the mechanical side with a bit of creativity, but apart from dabbling on the side that's not likely to ever become a new career.

My eldest always wanted to be a bin man -he actually applied for the job a few years ago and didn't make it to interview!
I always wanted to be a teacher. I just didn't want to stay at school long enough to get my A levels.
I also wanted to be a farmer's wife for a while when I was about 5, but that was more because I wanted a horse.
I always wanted to be a mother though, so that worked out ok.

 

[Brandane]

The thing I find most interesting about this thread is the many changes of direction that people have undertaken.

Just as one example, @DanZac was once an aircraft engineer. To my mind, that would be a "job for life" due to the amount of training (both initial and ongoing), and presumably quite well paid - but then he switches to H&S.

None of anyone else's business I know, but are some of these changes down to redundancy, ill health (as in my case), change of circumstances, or they just find that the job wasn't as expected (or changed beyond what it initially started out as - the reason why a lot of Police officers no longer regard their job as a career for life)?

 

[SteCenturion]

A pro football player or rugby league player & then later a police officer *being a bit naughty put a stop to that* joined the forces instead where being a bit ruffty tuffty was welcomed !

 

[classic33]

A pro football player or rugby league player & then later a police officer *being a bit naughty put a stop to that* joined the forces instead where being a bit ruffty tuffty was welcomed !

Foreign Legion?

 

[SteCenturion]

Foreign Legion?

Nah, British Legion, fought against the infamous Blue Rinse Brigade !

 

[marinyork]

Never had much confidence as a kid and found many things interesting so had no idea what I wanted to do and still don't.

After school wanted to work in a lab or a pharmacy - took 7 years to achieve that. The lab stuff is funny as I have a friend who has two Gs at GCSE and managed to work in one I wanted to for a while.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

The thing I find most interesting about this thread is the many changes of direction that people have undertaken.

Just as one example, @DanZac was once an aircraft engineer. To my mind, that would be a "job for life" due to the amount of training (both initial and ongoing), and presumably quite well paid - but then he switches to H&S.

None of anyone else's business I know, but are some of these changes down to redundancy, ill health (as in my case), change of circumstances, or they just find that the job wasn't as expected (or changed beyond what it initially started out as - the reason why a lot of Police officers no longer regard their job as a career for life)?

My changes were Retail > Leisure > Legal - all fueled by more benefits and the desire for bigger, fresher challenges.

 

[marinyork]

My changes were Retail > Leisure > Legal - all fueled by more benefits and the desire for bigger, fresher challenges.

Retail --> legal makes sense to me. Another average to quite good rep got a very plum job in another union. Had I been more kiss arse and less kick arse I could probably have got a job in a schlerotic trade union. Interesting area.

Not passed a job interview in nearly a decade. Done a lot of things just because I did something and someone said oh you'd be good at that and give it a try so I did.

 

[marinyork]

None of anyone else's business I know, but are some of these changes down to redundancy, ill health (as in my case), change of circumstances, or they just find that the job wasn't as expected (or changed beyond what it initially started out as - the reason why a lot of Police officers no longer regard their job as a career for life)?

I moved sideways into pharmacy as the opportunity ironically presented itself after being turned down four times for the job. It was really stress. The stress divebombed with the end of zombie maniac early bird shifts.

The word career is not really one I use, most work I see most people doing is casual and short hours. I see more and more part time jobs even on 5 years ago.

Unfortunately as an ex-trade union rep seen a large number of consultations/redundancies. Interesting psychology how different people react to difficult circumstances and not always the way you'd expect. My site's facing closure in the future and I was talking to a colleague the other day and I said to her I no longer worry about redundancy in the slightest, it's references I worry about. She said it'd be great as it'd mean early retirement!

 

[Salad Dodger]

I left school with A levels, and no idea what to do next. I had originally thought I might like to be a teacher, but I knew I was not bright enough to get through uni, so instead I joined a bank, and worked in branches for 20 years, and in a department for another 7 years, then took redundancy.
Then I got a local job at the head office of a theme park, and spent 10 years doing admin and goofing around with fork lifts and earth movers.
My last job was as a temp, for an agency. Mainly for the NHS doing clerical and reception work.
The closest I ever got to teaching was being a kayak instructor for a local club......
I don't think it was a great loss to the education system that I chose a different career!

 

[NorthernDave]

Careers advice at St Quentin High*, 1986 style:

What do you want to do when you leave school?
Don't know sir.
What about the building trade?
No not really.
What about the forces?
No not really

Brief pause...

Do you like cars?
Yes sir.
Right, motor trade it is - I'll arrange you a YTS

Fortunately things have improved since then.

* - obviously this wasn't really the name of the school but I wanted to make it sound a bit more glamorous than it was.

 

[Tim Hall]

Careers advice at St Quentin High*, 1986 style:


* - obviously this wasn't really the name of the school but I wanted to make it sound a bit more glamorous than it was.

Mrs. Swinburne was your English teacher? You lucky sod.

 

[classic33]

Careers advice at St Quentin High*, 1986 style:

What do you want to do when you leave school?
Don't know sir.
What about the building trade?
No not really.
What about the forces?
No not really

Brief pause...

Do you like cars?
Yes sir.
Right, motor trade it is - I'll arrange you a YTS

Fortunately things have improved since then.

* - obviously this wasn't really the name of the school but I wanted to make it sound a bit more glamorous than it was.

St. Quentin High. A bit more glamorous!