Willjt

Hello all,

I’m 19 and still don’t have little clue what I’m going to do regarding a career.

I am currently undertaking a 3-year course in Business Studies (Strategy and Entrepreneurship) at Nottingham Trent, which I am a year and a half through.
I didn’t expect to be able to move directly into management role with my degree but so far I don’t think I have learned any solid skills. Just a greater but still vague understanding of business.

The course did offer a placement year, which I opted out of, mainly as I thought that it would simply delay the time until I was qualified and thinking that I would then take a masters course in something :S. Perhaps e-commerce?
I have carried out some initial research into a master’s course and have found that they are expense and usually aimed at an older student? Yet numbers of entrants aren’t high, unlike on my current course (500 students +).

I currently work in retail, as a part-time sales assistant, a job that I have had for 2 years 4 months. I know that I am hard working….well, when there is a personal interest in the subject. I would also like to think that I am capable of most things. With interests in anything automotive.

Should I know what I want to do by now?
Has anyone else been in a similar position?
What do you think I should do?

My career was something that I had decided to forget about for the time being, concentrating on getting at least a 2-1 from the uni, then find out what job I drop into but would love to have a clearer idea of what to aim for.


CheeRS for any help!

cigarboy

1. Push Mummy and Daddy down the stairs
This normally brings in a tidy wad by selling the house, car, etc etc. Then move on to later steps. If not, move on.

2. Marry something then push that down the stairs
Rather like above. Once pushed, move on.

3. Become a fop / gentleman thief
Take some of your earnings from steps 1 and 2, get a decent Saville Row suit made up (Gieves and Hawkes is a good bet) then become a gentleman thief. Perfect the art of climbing a drainpipe in a dinner jacket and raiding young ladies bedside boxes for pearl necklaces etc. Then move on.

4. Become a dandy
Using monies taken from above, live life as a dandy of the highest form. Hold court at fashionable casinos until exiled aristocracy takes a fancy to you and lets you gamble away their fortunes on the assurances you'll double it (thus allowing them to buy a small army and take over the Isle of Wight). Skim from the winnings whilst smoking Dunhill internationals and sipping martinis.

5. Suicide
Realise that life is pointless, a shallow mockery of everything you ever thought it would be. Tie yourself to the back of your scooby and have someone drive off into the distance.

Hope this helps.

Alternatively, see a careers advice person - too hard to say seriously what you should do without knowing more of your interests, personal circumstances, ambitions etc!

cigarboy

And don't even think of moving this to a muppet thread, it worked wonders for me (end of step 4 reaching step 5 at the moment, in case you were wondering )

Brendan Hughes

I found the job I liked at age 33. I still don't expect it to be a "career" though. Until then I kept my nose clean, worked hard, took opportunities when I found them. (Did a Masters at age 32, I think I got a lot more from it than those who joined straight after their undergrad degree.)

Provided you have more money coming in than going out, and you're not suicidal with the thought of going to work every morning, you're not doing so badly.

warrenm2

alternatively will, just do a job that involves stuff you enjoy, then you'll be good and enthusiastic at it and be successful

Drunken Bungle Whore

OK - a vaguely sensible reply!

No - at your age I had NO IDEA what I wanted to do! I knew I wanted to complete my degree (in Geology) but no ideas beyond that. Like a lot of people I fell into my first job - admin temping through an agency that went perm. Whilst there I decided that sales looked fun so headed for that. Did sales at a few different companies for a few years before realising I was having more fun training new recruits than selling so made a change to training and have been doing it ever since!

Having been in recruitment for 7 years (selling and training) I can tell you that employers MUCH prefer concrete experience to purely qualifications so you may find yourself at a disadvantage when going up against people who have more experience than you.

One of the things they don't tell you at 19 is that you can change careers at almost any point in your life - what you do now doesn't always affect the rest of your life.

You can also complete further qualifiactions later in life too. If you're not 100% convinced you're doing the right course then don't even think of the masters - get out there and get some solid experience and find an employer who will fund you through any future (and probably far more relevant at that stage) qualifications.

I've had one employer fund me through my CIPD and my current employer is planning to fund my MSc in Human Resource Development - basically because it will benefit them as well if I know more about my subject. (And at 37 I'm seriously old! )

Try to spend as many of your hols working as you can - you may have to be prepared to offer your services as unpaid work experience - but it will really halp when you're looking for a future career.

Good luck!

GCollier

I had no idea what I wanted to do at 19. I studied physics at Uni because it was the subject I most enjoyed at school, with little thought to a future career other than a physics degree was an appealing degree for many employers even in non-scientific jobs.

I think you are doing the right thing by making sure you get at least a 2.1 though. Although it's true that experience becomes increasingly employment and your degree less so as you progress in your career, for the best jobs some employers will still insist on a 2.1 or better degree even years down the line.

In terms of career advice I can't really offer much outside of financial services/IT. But if you are smart, prepared to work hard, and your aim is to earn a lot of money whilst still young with the potential for a very large income later in life, you could do worse than look at City based financial instututions (investment banks, fund managers) or large management consultancies such as Accenture.

Gary.

G-STAR

Is it possible for you to opt back in and take advantage of a placement year?

I'm in just about the same situation as you; doing a BA Business Studies degree at Leeds Met, and have decided to use the placement year to my advantage. I figured that it will give me a break from studying, while I'll be able to gain valuable experience from it.

Buckrogers

Dont give it up! (Your degree!) Stick at it, it may come in handy in later life.
Opt back in to the year placement, valuable work experince, to see if you like it and it WILL aid you to getting a job in the same proffesion.

Finish your degree, take a year out if funds permit and bum round europe / world and see what takes your fancy!