What do/did you want to do when you start(ed) work....

[davieG]

....and did you full fill your wish and if so did it turn out ok?

 

I always wanted to be a bespoke carpenter but was talked out of it by the Careers Adviser as I was told it was a dying/dead trade and ended up as an Engineering apprentice which is pretty much what everyone at GCSE (O Level) was pushed into. There was very little chance of doing GCEs (A Level) and going to University was for the 'upper classes' and very bright kids.

 

 I've always regretted not following that dream although I have managed to knock up a few things at home although nowhere near a professional standard and it certainly didn't prove to be a dying trade but I did manage to have a relatively successful career in New Product Development and then Senior Design Management +Training Manager.

 

Seems like today's school leavers have a much wider choice subject to the impact of Covid.

 

Quote

 

School leavers 'dream of becoming influencers, app developers and drone pilots'

 

Research by Samsung's Alternative Careers Guide suggests teens are no longer interested in traditional jobs like being an accountant, teacher or lawyer

 

Today's school leavers dream of becoming social media influencers and video games developers, new research suggests.

A report from Samsung's Alternative Careers Guide found 16-to-18-year-olds were no longer interested in traditional careers such as accountancy, teaching or law.

In a survey of 3,000 school leavers, digital roles such as smart home designer, drone operator and social media manager were named among the 10 most popular dream careers. Vaccine developer also featured, perhaps prompted by the current coronavirus pandemic and the race to find a vaccine.

3D prop designer, software developer, vaccine developer and forensic computer analyst completed the top 10 alongside the most popular roles which were social media influencer, app developer and video games developer.

More than half of those asked (55%) said they believed traditional careers such as law and teaching are outdated, and they would rather pursue a more tech-focused career path.

The report also highlighted concerns among young people over the impact the coronavirus pandemic could have on their future, with 72% saying they were worried they could become a lost generation because of the virus outbreak, and 81% saying they were concerned about mass unemployment and a lack of job opportunities.

The majority of those asked (65%) said the traditional nine-to-five working pattern would become a thing of the past in the next five years as a result of the pandemic and lockdown

Just over half (55%) said they would not consider working for a company which had strict nine-to-five working hours, while 78% said they would choose a job with a good work-life balance over one with a high salary.

The research has been published as students across the UK receive exam results.

The Alternative Careers Guide has been created by Samsung to help those young people preparing to leave school to learn more about potential job paths into the tech sector. It includes a digital prospectus, with interviews fronted by radio and TV presenter Roman Kemp where he speaks to some people who have pursued tech careers such as drone operators and app developers.

"Like many people I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I left school, I didn't know what kind of career I wanted when I was 18 - my first job was actually cleaning the toilets at my local gym! I ended up falling into radio presenting by accident," Mr Kemp said.

"I was working in a studio when one day the presenter was off sick and they asked me to fill in for them, and it snowballed from there. Any young people who are feeling unsure about their next step should check out Samsung's Alternative Careers Guide, it's a great resource for learning more about tech-leading careers you may not have thought about."

Tess Smillie, vice president of the people team at Samsung Europe HQ, UK and Ireland said: "Today's job market has changed beyond all recognition from the one which existed 25 years ago and there is a wealth of new technology-based roles that many people don't even know exist.

"Samsung is at the forefront of technological change and we believe it is our responsibility to guide young people through the new opportunities that are out there."

 

 

 

[Webbo]

I didn't know then, I still don't now. 

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

I’m In the same job I started back in 1985 on a YTS placement.

Ive lacked ambition and stayed put. 
Although I’m no longer a YTS! 

[Leicester_Loyal]

When I was 21. I went to university for 3 years, came out and was doing crappy jobs, my mates were earning triple what I was earning and they barely had any GCSEs between them! I got an apprenticeship, started at 22, qualified at 25 and I love it, it's the best thing I've ever done and I can see myself being with the same company until I retire.

 

University is great for a lot of people, but I obtained a 2:1 Business Management degree and didn't actually find it that useful. I hated going uni itself too, the lectures and classes were just a waste of time, most of it was just copying from the board. I did live at home though and work part time, I imagine the experience is a lot better (and expensive) if you move away from home. A couple of the lads I went with have done really well for themselves and earn decent money (similar to me), but others are just doing bog standard jobs, deeming their degree pretty much useless (at the minute anyway).

 

For me, I wish I'd done my apprenticeship straight after college, I'd have been four years more experienced in my chosen field and would also be a lot better off financially, but hey ho, you live and learn.

[Fatty Arbuckle]

I always wanted to be a police officer when I was growing up. Joined Leicestershire Police when I was 21 but only lasted two years! I absolutely loved large parts of the job, and I still miss it now some 16 years after leaving, but I think I was too young at the time and decided it wasn't for me. After that I had no idea what to do with myself so I've bounced around from job to job in all kinds of positions and industries, all the while wishing I'd taken my dad's advice when I was younger and learned a trade. After spending the last few years in different sales roles, I think I've finally found the one I'm going to stick with and I start and advanced engineering apprenticeship in 3 weeks! I'm 40 next year so I hope this shows it's never too late to start again and find something that excites you.

[Fox92]

When I was in my late years at school I always wanted to go into IT which I have done. Left school, one of the happiest days of my life, and went onto study IT at college.

 

Got to be honest right now I love my job; don't hate going, don't hate Mondays (sound like a reverse of Geldof there but you know what I mean..)

I'd rather do something I love everyday than not, which sounds cliche, but you're at work a long long time for your life.

Edited 20 August 2020 by Fox92

[Wolfox]

When I was really young I wanted to be a fireman

 

I then graduated in French and Social sciences…. Wanted to be a trolly dolly for BA - but, my eyesight wasn’t up to it

 

I then, like many, fell into a job, moved around a bit and then got a career that I enjoyed and am quite good at!

 

My career development has been pure happenstance! 
 

The best way to describe what I do now is a form of inventor/ product developer- I have quite a few patents under my name and have launched products that have sold quite heavily!  And I wouldn’t have got this job unless I had a degree…  i really enjoy it too

 

best advice I give my kids is don’t follow the cash…. Do something you enjoy as you’re far too long at work for it to be shitty…. 

Edited 20 August 2020 by Wolfox

[yorkie1999]

Submarine washer, or a bed tester.

[SemperEadem]

Had no real idea of what I wanted to do at Uni so carried on with Sociology as had an A Level in it. Went onto work with homeless young people and then later migrant workers to the city. Throughly enjoyed this but it came to an end sadly with government cuts.

Then I fell into student accommodation work and now more so on the property management side of things both residential and commercial.

Edited 20 August 2020 by SemperEadem

[The Quick Brown Fox]

Wanted to join the army from when I was about 5. Passed medical and aptitude tests. Went back for medical again due to time lapsed from last to joining date and failed medical, same doctor too. Miffed and upset I went into any job I could take. Then got a temp job at a factory and have worked my up up to Manager. Only taken close to 20 years.

[Tuna]

When I was a kid I wanted to be a chef, did food tech as an option at high school, realized it was bloody hard work and I was rubbish at it.

 

I ended up in sales.

[davieG]

46 minutes ago, Fatty Arbuckle said:

I always wanted to be a police officer when I was growing up. Joined Leicestershire Police when I was 21 but only lasted two years! I absolutely loved large parts of the job, and I still miss it now some 16 years after leaving, but I think I was too young at the time and decided it wasn't for me. After that I had no idea what to do with myself so I've bounced around from job to job in all kinds of positions and industries, all the while wishing I'd taken my dad's advice when I was younger and learned a trade. After spending the last few years in different sales roles, I think I've finally found the one I'm going to stick with and I start and advanced engineering apprenticeship in 3 weeks! I'm 40 next year so I hope this shows it's never too late to start again and find something that excites you.

When I was in my Training Manager role I was responsible for all the apprentices and I really enjoyed it. I'm rather proud to say that I brought in the first female engineering apprentices into 2 different organisations I also persuaded organisations to provide the means for the more gifted ones to go on and get a degree whilst still employed and payed by the two organisations. 

 

Most of them were 16 -18 but I did take on a couple of guys in their 40s doing a complete career change.  Sadly I got made redundant from both jobs as the Training Budget is always the 1st to be cut when difficult times arise.

[Manini]

Wanted to do loads of things when I was a kid. Went to uni and studied journalism, I enjoyed it, but I learnt it wasn’t something that I wanted to do as a job. In my job now I still write some of the marketing comms which I do enjoy. Left uni and some of my other mates worked in recruitment so I fell in to that - spent about 3 years doing that in the IT markets agency side. Realised that working for agencies wasn’t really for me so I took a job at one of my old clients who are a global (now) software consultancy looking after their internal recruitment and I do genuinely love it. They’ve put me through some project management qualifications with a view to moving in to this longer term so who knows where I’ll end up! 
 

What I will say is the people you work with make a big difference. Even if you don’t like the job itself it’s the people you meet and the friendships you make that make you stick around for me. 

Edited 20 August 2020 by Manini

[Fatty Arbuckle]

3 minutes ago, davieG said:

When I was in my Training Manager role I was responsible for all the apprentices and I really enjoyed it. I'm rather proud to say that I brought in the first female engineering apprentices into 2 different organisations I also persuaded organisations to provide the means for the more gifted ones to go on and get a degree whilst still employed and payed by the two organisations. 

 

Most of them were 16 -18 but I did take on a couple of guys in their 40s doing a complete career change.  Sadly I got made redundant from both jobs as the Training Budget is always the 1st to be cut when difficult times arise.

I know plenty of others had much bigger things to worry about recently, but that was one of my biggest fears throughout lockdown. I had applied for this new role back in September last year, and after going through all the assessments and interviews I was offered the place about a week before lockdown! I was panicking for a long time that they might pull the plug but it's all still going ahead and I can't wait. Although 37 weeks living in a hotel in locked down Blackburn is going to be interesting!

[Xen]

Wanted to be a web designer throughout college. Gradually that shifted towards web developer and the more behind-the-scenes stuff, so I went off to uni for Computer Science. Changed my mind over the summer and decided to study maths instead as it was what I was naturally good at and enjoyed the most, so changed on day 1. Still did all the computing-related modules I could, and gradually moved into a Maths&Stats degree instead as I'd decided that being a data analyst was the best fit for my strengths (mathematics and computing). Did my placement year as an analyst, got my first grad job as an analyst (shortlived as it was a crap company to work for, left after 6 months) and ended up in my current job which I've been in for 3.5 years. Started off doing general analytics stuff and slowly migrated into an MI Analyst role, primarily designing web-based analytics dashboards. So in a way its come full circle to what I'd wanted back when I was a teenager; funny how that works.

 

8 year old me would be disappointed I'm not a space police officer, though. You win some, you lose some...

[Izzy]

I always wanted to be a sports presenter/journalist. Was convinced I'd be the next Steve Ryder.

 

When I was 14/15 years old I wrote to a few contacts - Steve Lambden at ITV and Pat someone who was the head of sport at Radio 2.

 

I got an invite to sit in the commentary box with Steve Parish at the British Moto GP to see how it's done and was convinced this was my future. All I needed was 4 x GCSE C grades to get a place at Loughborough college to do a sports journalism course.

 

But I fvcked about at school and only got 3 x C grades and had to do re-takes. Then I pretty much got told to leave school by my teacher and get a job, so I went home and looked at the local paper and applied for a YTS with Dixons selling TV's and Hi-fi's. Had the interview on the Friday and started the following Monday - and stayed with them for the next 19 years! 

 

Bottom line is I should have been doing what @UpTheLeagueFox is doing but hey, some people get the breaks in life and some don't 

[rachhere]

Since I was about 16/17 I was interested in research, but probably more journalistic type work. That later evolved into social research/policy work which is what I am doing now (with a bit of lecturing thrown in for good measure). I still love what I do, but it can take over your life a bit as there's always more than you could be doing, and as I am working in an area of society where those people are often overlooked and disadvantaged it's easy to feel responsibility to be doing as much as I can to ensure their voices are heard. I would like a bit more life-balance, but at the same time I can't imagine other work giving me the same satisfaction, so it's a bit of a vicious cycle! 

[Parafox]

When I was at school I wanted to be an actor. I was in the drama club and joined a drama group outside school. I did get a small part in the rock opera Tommy at the Phoenix Theatre as it was back then. But my dad told me that all actors were "homosexuals" and that put me off. I was 15 at the time.

I then decided I wanted to be a police officer and joined the cadets at 16. I lasted 18 months as I was paid a pittance and my mates were paid more than me and had much more freedom to piss about so I left.

I arsed around for a few years, club and mobile DJ, (once auditioned for Radio Piccadilly in Manchester), office lackey, shitty engineering jobs and eventually got a job as a hospital porter. It was when I was a porter that I met a guy I was a cadet with. He had joined the ambulance service and suggested I try my luck. That was 35 years ago and I'm still at it.

My dream job now however, would be to be a road traffic collision investigation officer.

Edited 20 August 2020 by Parafox

[Costock_Fox]

I wanted to be either a physio therapist or something to do with criminology. Physio because I love sport but I’m not good enough at any to make a career out of it so I thought this could be how I would do it where as Criminology wise I’m fascinated by criminal investigations and everything that goes with it.

 

Basically, instead of studying I got stoned after realising that to do either of them I would need straight A’s for Loughborough or Leicester uni.

 

I ended up working for a bank but my job does have an element of investigation in it so that keeps my brain occupied but I would still love to go into something to do with financial crime now. The reality of them jobs is that they tend to be duller than they sound and you will rarely see an investigation to the end.

Edited 20 August 2020 by Costock_Fox

[Stinkenzo]

Influencers? I'm not surprised but

[TiffToff88]

I grew up wanting to be an Astronomer. all the way through school I had the same dream. I knew I'd have to get A-Levels in maths and the 3 sciences in order to get into uni to do a degree in Cosmology.

 

After my GCSE's, i did one taster lesson in A-Level Physics, didn't understand a word of it and immediately decided that it wasn't for me 

 

I now work as a CAD Engineer for a construction company and I love it. Everything has turned out ok despite not doing my dream job

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

When I was younger I wanted to work at Little Chef, specifically the Markfield services Little Chef may she rest in P.

Was always good at art at school and fell into graphics in GCSEs, wanted to be an illustrator but wound up going down the graphic design route because I was better at it, did it at uni LEEDSLEEDSLEEDS and now here I am in the most soul crushing, undervalued and underpaid industry around baby!

Edited 20 August 2020 by Miquel The Work Geordie

[Samilktray]

Had no idea what I wanted to be when I was younger and I still don’t now. Been stuck in retail for 10 years, worked my way up in a few places but now I am completely bored of it. Life is 1 big wonderful adventure imo 

[RoboFox]

Originally I wanted to go into product design. Then I started a band at school at the age of 14, it's all I wanted to do from then on. I got offered a place at Brunel to do product design after my A-Levels, but I'd already committed to the band thing so took a gap year to pursue that. 

 

Alas, nothing came of it so we went our separate ways, but I decided to explore the production side of it so changed my course to a Music Technology and production degree with a focus on film / television.

 

Whilst studying I took some extra modules in music industry management and not long after graduating I was sofa surfing, working for free at record labels in London whilst bartending in the evenings. I was convinced it was A&R I wanted to go into... I ended up in marketing. Pffft.

 

Couple of years later I got a marketing job at a commercial TV company then decided I didn't want to be writing the briefs, rather back on the creative side making the content... So I took a pay cut and joined their in-house creative agency. 

 

I've been a producer / director ever since. 

 

Weird how things pan out.

[Izzy]

When I was really young I wanted to be an astronaut like my Dad. 

He wanted to be an astronaut too