i dont know what to do with my life

Working with computers is something I see mentioned often but if you're talking working with computers in the sense of putting them together then this is fairly simple and doesn't pay well, you'll need to specialise in an area but before that you'll need to dabble in a few different areas to figure out whether it's going to be tedious, satisfactory or something you actually enjoy and even then this can and will change down the line.

You can go pretty far starting off in a help-desk role and going through the Cisco or various other qualifications with a good attitude, willingness to solve problems that aren't straightforward and relative to other professions the work isn't that hard on you in the sense of once you get past the phone monkey role you aren't just constantly answering calls and fixing mostly simple issues. When the poo comes through the letterbox and hurtles towards the fan though it can get hectic, stressful and leave you drained with the extra hours required but there aren't many well paying careers that don't include those at some point.

One quality that's overlooked often is responsibility and by that I don't just mean taking on as much as you can but being able to communicate well when you've screwed up or speaking up when you believe you have what it takes. It sounds simple but you'll find once you start working that issues just end up being passed up and down the ladder as few are willing to realise or they'll willingly ignore when the responsibility is their own.
 
Get yourself an apprenticeship with a decent large company. One that will pay for your tuition and get you to work in your holiday time. Lots of companies out there making them selves a name in the UK by offering apprenticeship for school leavers. Earn money, while studying and hopefully have a job opportunity at the end.
We have a lot of school leavers at my work, they mature far quicker than any college student I've ever seen.

Start off buy going to the open apprentice days that are all around the country.

Good luck.
 
Don't worry btw if you can't think of something you are passionate about or want to dedicate a lifelong career on, the majority of people don't know what they wanted at your age and many (myself included) still don't have a clue. You just end up doing something that didn't suck as much as the last job until you become comfortable and settled :o

One TED talk I watched a while ago (can't find it now sorry) was quite interesting on this subject about how the idea of following your passion is folly as many people have no passion and passion in itself is fleeting (especially when you do it day in, day out). Its also led to people training in areas that have no job demand and left them with student debt for no real benefit.
Instead they said to look at areas with demand and find one that suits you, even if it turns out you don't want to do it forever at least you can earn good money for a few years and set yourself up for something else.

The idea of knowing what you want at life by 18 is crazy really, the world of employment is huge and many of the jobs / industries people have no real idea about. Those that have a clear vision have usually been influenced by their parents and many of them will end up retraining later in life. This generation more than any other (so far) will need to be the most flexible on learning new skills as the workplace will change drastically over the next few decades and its not only going to be the low paid production work that gets automated, machine learning is going after the white collar jobs.

In summary, buy lottery tickets :p
 
Some good advice and some poor advice IMO.

Be very carful if picking a trade. I have many friends in trades and by their early 30's their knees are shot and most of them wish they had done something else.

Pick the right one and you'll not have it too bad when that begins to happen, normally plenty of oppertunities to become more baised towards maintenace / supervisory / design / test and commisioning in the more technical trades
 
Do some A-Levels for now but as another poster suggested, don't take anything too limiting. Or if you aren't academically inclined, do a college course and/or apprenticeship.

A nice broad set of A-Levels might be Maths, Physics, Economics and History, you could then study Computer Science, Mathematics (a particularly good option if you're still unsure of what you want to do), Physics, Economics, History, Law (maybe, I'm not sure) etc.
 
As above a broad set of A-levels is perhaps the answer to keep your options open

if you're decent enough academically and don't have any specific interests yet then, pick some A-Levels in the subjects you're strongest at as they are probably the ones you enjoy a bit more...

if you get good grades then get a place at the best university you can studying the subject your strongest in (this again tends to correlate with what you enjoy)

you'll find that with the vast majority of careers you don't need a specific degree or you can specialise a bit more with a masters/professional quals... for the more specific careers (basically medicine - you'd probably know already if you wanted to pursue it - or at least you should make a decision soon)

otherwise there is no problem becoming a chartered accountant with a chemistry degree, a solicitor with a history degree etc..etc.. best thing to do to maximise your chances is to pick the subject you like the most as you'll get the best results that way... professional courses etc.. can be taken after you've got the academic qual
 
wow thank you guys so much. all of this has helped me a lot, and i will keep coming back to this forum to help me in the near future.

but just one more question, is going to university really worth it? because a lot of people say its just a waste of time, so if anyone has been to university here, would you say it was worth it? or is it better going into the real world after college?
 
ok so im finishing school half way through 2018 and i have no idea what to do with my life, i also have no idea what to do in college, i dont even know if i want to go to college!!!

So you're going to be 16 or 17 next summer? If you're doing at least moderately well in school, then stay in school. I can't stress strongly enough that you now have the opportunity to learn for free and should grasp it with both hands. If you do it later it will cost you in time and money.

I would avoid a career in computers as you have to re-invent yourself every several years.

What are your strengths? Are you a people person? Are you a gadget person?
 
but just one more question, is going to university really worth it? because a lot of people say its just a waste of time, so if anyone has been to university here, would you say it was worth it? or is it better going into the real world after college?

It depends upon the degree. A degree in a professional subject - law, engineering, medicine, etc - will open a lot of doors for you. A degree in Klingon will just leave you with a large debt.
 
I’d go for a job with a decent final salary pension, good work/life balance and job security. Something medical or public sector would be my recommendation.

Earning lots of money in this country is a thankless task as you quickly pay ever higher rates of tax as you take on more work and responsibility. Your only way to being reasonably well off is to inherit large sums, become self employed and dodge PAYE or become a tradesman and work for cash.
 
So you're going to be 16 or 17 next summer?

What are your strengths? Are you a people person? Are you a gadget person?

i'm going to be 16 on january the 2nd. my strengths are editing, e.g editing videos, i can do that quite well, (ive had a lot of experience making youtube videos).
i am not a people person, i'm very shy at first but if i get to know someone then i turn into a very talkative person.
i wouldn't really say i'm a gadget person, no.
 
I'm 34 and have no idea what I want to do when I grow up
45 and still not grown up and still no real idea... :o

I am what you might call "of limited skillset" great with my hands and highly logical but the brains of a Turkey.

So in answer to the OP, what are you good at... Make a career from it and make life a lot easier.
 
Unless you are exceptionally clever and want to become a doctor or surgeon etc then screw Uni and and the ridiculous debt it will leave you in and do a trade. I know Bricklayers, plumbers and electricians who are all earning more than anyone I know that has a degree.
 
but just one more question, is going to university really worth it? because a lot of people say its just a waste of time, so if anyone has been to university here, would you say it was worth it? or is it better going into the real world after college?

depends what you want to do

poor a-levels and just a random degree picked because you just want to go to uni/experience it = probably not worth it

good a-levels and any academic degree from a good university with a 2:1 or above = probably worth it

some vocational degrees might also be worthwhile if things don't go so well with a-levels, just make sure that it is something you're interested in and that it is a good route to take for that thing you're interested in... perhaps if the course offers placements/has a good record for employment afterwards etc.. then can still be worthwhile
 
i'm going to be 16 on january the 2nd. my strengths are editing, e.g editing videos, i can do that quite well, (ive had a lot of experience making youtube videos).
i am not a people person, i'm very shy at first but if i get to know someone then i turn into a very talkative person.
i wouldn't really say i'm a gadget person, no.

Being a 'people person' comes with practice and experience, just like anything. Don't shy away from it. If you get a working apprenticeship you would be around adults and will mature a lot faster. We get school leavers in who are all quiet and shy, but they soon find themselves and become just as rowdy as the old farts. Within 4 years these 'kids' can be earning more than I'll ever earn.
You'll be with other school leavers so you would be with people on the same level as you, and you will form bonds with these people.
 
i'm going to be 16 on january the 2nd. my strengths are editing, e.g editing videos, i can do that quite well, (ive had a lot of experience making youtube videos).
i am not a people person, i'm very shy at first but if i get to know someone then i turn into a very talkative person.
i wouldn't really say i'm a gadget person, no.

While you are still young build that skill and become a people person. Trust me, it will benefit you later in life, makes your life easier when you are in roles such as management (which can be in any job field).

Don't be like my best friend, who never developed his people and social skills when he was younger. It has effected his whole life from communicating with the females to getting a job promotion. Now he is really struggling with life in general.

Its been 17 years since we left high school, he left with top grades A's and B's...and that's it. Did nothing with his life after. At the age of 34, he goes to a minimum wage manual labour job counting money in a factory, goes home and sits in front screen of a screen in his bedroom moaning about how unhappy he is in life.

Please DO NOT become that person.
 
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