i dont know what to do with my life

Minibiker said:
I had only read the first few replies on this page when I come across this :p GENIUS! There's plenty of people doing exactly that and living a happy life, Makes my blood boil :mad:
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Depends what you call a happy life TBH.

Yes they've got (cheap and nasty) big TVs and all that to look good to the neighbours, but it's not a life I'd want to live.

Shopping at Iceland and considering a Hungry Horse meal a good night out. No thanks.
 
wesimmo said:
Depends what you call a happy life TBH.

Yes they've got (cheap and nasty) big TVs and all that to look good to the neighbours, but it's not a life I'd want to live.

Shopping at Iceland and considering a Hungry Horse meal a good night out. No thanks.
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Yeah I suppose you could be right as I don't know anyone but when I go through the areas known for these kind of people I do look through the window and think hmmmm nice big TV..

As for shopping at Iceland, I have to do that to save weekly costs so I can pay finances lol
 
I strongly advise getting into Physical Asset Management in one form or another. Go Engineering then do Engineering or Physical Asset Management.

Something in an Engineering Design dicipline or asset management, the world will need to plan for maintenance and renewal of all this stuff from utilities, oil & gas, automobile, military, renewables, etc etc.

Option two: Technical role in a branch of the armed forces is a very good shout.

Option 3: Get a good trade - electrition, plumb, plasterer etc etc.

These three options are very sound advice.
 
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Get some work experience NOW.

I can’t stress this enough. If you picked a few companies that offer a career you decide might be an option you could essentially see what your life would be like “after college/uni”.

For instance, I work for one of the worlds largest companies and can travel all over the world with my job. A colleague of similar age started here the year I went to university and already has 15 years of service with a seriously good pension. If I knew what I know now, I’d have knocked on the door and skipped uni.

I say this as someone that didn’t know what I wanted to do, and picked a degree that interested me. It was good for me personally, because I enjoyed it, but I didn’t get a job in a related field so it was essentially wasted. Don’t be that guy... do a month here and there, even if it’s for free (voluntary) and you never know, you may hate the environment you think you’ll love.

Once you’ve found something you think is promising, do the necessary courses at college and even a degree if it’ll help you career, but don’t forget some employers will pay for a degree if they see value in progression.
 
String said:
Prefab has been around for years, 3-D Printing is just another way of doing it. That wasn't a brick wall being built.
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you only said "wall" you didn't specify "brick wall"

here is a robot laying bricks:


I honestly can't see how construction can be automated... sure, you could negate the need for bricks by creating concrete structures but that's been a thing for decades.
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well exactly, you can look at different methods of construction and make things more efficient there
 
plumbers and electricians will be the kings of the future, as everyone becomes lazy with automation, those who can do something with their hands will be able to charge what ever they want. Probably find something even as simple as putting in an electrical extension would command a pretty decent price, or even changing a light bulb :)

Although if I was 18 again, i'd work my butt off for a year saving every penny then sod off somewhere else for a year to experience life.
 
Minibiker said:
Yeah I suppose you could be right as I don't know anyone but when I go through the areas known for these kind of people I do look through the window and think hmmmm nice big TV..
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Then you look at the TV brand and its Polaroid, Celcus, Blaupunkt or Technika. That's fine by me if their bare minimum benefit funds to buy cheap TV's.

Im sure they are not rocking a 65" OLED with 10bit HDR from Samsung or LG. The benefit system isn't THAT generous!
 
Ayahuasca said:
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.
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This.

Many people have a decent knowledge about using building and operating a computer.. But when it comes to actually doing anything that generate an income, then they often fall flat on their face.
 
bush said:
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?
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As someone who is now a decade out of an undergraduate degree,let me add the following general advice (some you may have received in thread).

1. It's ok not to know exactly what you want to do right now. In fact, the idea that you would is slightly ridiculous. I didn't know my graduate role existed before I finished high school. Even if you did, it's unlikely you would either want to, or be given the opportunity, to do it for life anyway. So no more 'job for life' you need to be a 'life long learner' and able to adapt as you progress through your career. I have changed my role and industry and it's been a massive personal challenge. There is no way I would have foresaw I would be where I am now. That's life.

2. University was certainly worth it for me. Importantly, not just in the 'get a job/money' sense but in the broader education and self development aspects. A Higher Education is about (or should be) much more than 'just' ('' because that is obviously important) getting a job at the end of it.

3. It's ok not to do STEM (!) if that's what you are interested in and excel at. Perhaps expected given the nature of the forum replies have heavily recommended some disciplines and dismissed others. There are plenty of successful and happy people who have studied History, or some other non numerate based, under-graduate degree. Many company 'graduate schemes' are not subject specific.

4. The University and department (school or college within the university structure) matters a lot. If you are going to a university then you really need to think carefully about where you go. Are you picking oxbridge, lse, a top Russell Group or somewhere that is exceptional for the discipline you are interested in? It will make things much easier later on, either for getting a job or post graduate study. Lots of industries are awash with folk with those 'useless humanities degrees' from the top institutions as many will only recruit from certain graduate pools.

5. Being at a University should mean you are still a part of the 'real world'. Unless you obliterate yourself in various ways for a few years. It's an amazing opportunity for development of these 'soft and people skills' that you have had mentioned to you. Universities call these 'graduate attributes' and these are the things other than the subject specific knowledge you will gain from the experience.

6. Whatever you do, choose what you enjoy and are good at. Life will be difficult enough in the future even when you enjoy your discipline/industry. Don't be a medical doctor to please your parents. Equally, don't be a plumber because you think you'll have a job for life and be rich.

7. There is a massive difference between 'being into computers and games' and forging a career in the sector. This has been mentioned, i will repeat just for emphasis.

8. One person mentioned thinking about what you -don't- want to do and work it out from there. This is good advice. Even peruse things like https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/home
for ideas. If you manage to get an idea of what you'd like to do then look at folks profiles on linkedin. See what their background is, what roles they had previously, what degree they obtained if any and what university they went to. Find the end goal to work towards and work backwards and see what you need to do to get to it.

9. At this stage, it's almost as important to not -restrict- your future options. By that I mean don't omit English, Maths, a science, history/geography etc.

10. This is longer that I meant, but just to get to ten, money isn't the most important thing in life, don't chase a career based on that alone.
 
Honestly look into apprenticeships. They're a great way to start. Find roles that interest you, possibly IT related and try applying. My little brother did this at
After 6th form and he's been at it for 6 years now and earns more than any of his mates from school and has 0 debt.
 
d_brennen said:
I'm 34 and have no idea what I want to do when I grow up
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Yep. I say this to my kid often and always emphasize the need to not worry about not knowing what they want to do. I had some real **** "Careers advice" when I went through school. Advisors trying to fit you into something just from a couple of things you could think of saying that you liked, just to satisfy the pushy teachers and advisors. I think they "matched" me to becoming an accountant. I'm not one.

I'm not sure I can give advice on career paths other than to try to do something that you enjoy or have an interest in. You potentially stick with it for longer.

I am always shocked (and I have to say appalled at times) at how much people in the trade charge when often the quality of work is utter **** with awful customer service/satisfaction, basic time keeping and regard for doing a decent full job of something. This is more specifically aimed at builders, decorators, plumbers and electricians. Even people "recommended" I've seen do shocking work. So the good ones out there, must earn even more. I think trades are a quick thing to learn and build up in (in comparison to a lot of careers) and once you have the confidence and rep, you can charge the same as the going rate quite quickly, which is apparently a **** ton of money for very basic work. The only main issue is a) The work can be mind numbingly dull and b) It does take a toll on your body. I know someone that has worked on cars all his life, and he's had probs with his shoulder, back, knees and finger joints. There are benefits to a desk job!

In all seriousness though I do know some people in the trade that used to be considered "gypos" back in the day. Proper school drop outs. They live in large houses and drive big chelsea tractors now. They must be laughing in the faces of those that mocked them for getting not one GCSE. On average, it pays to be well educated and qualified yeah, but a lot of people make it by being innovative, lucky or working hard at something.
 
A trade can lead to a good source of income but I think the idea that beings a tradesmen leads to life of wealth, big houses and fancy cars is going a bit far. I know a plumber and a builder, both self employed for decades now and built a good reputation so can charge a fair rate for their work. But they are still restricted by the amount of work they can physically do in a day and still have to pay all the necessary taxes and insurances that comes with being self employed without any of the safety nets of employment. They are also both very aware that they are starting to slow down now and need to either find help or look at a pretty meagre retirement.

They are doing alright but the only way to earn big money is to either employ other tradesmen under your company or fiddle your taxes and go cash in hand (which is easily picked up on these days if you start splashing the cash around).

Still, not a bad life but certainly not the land of milk and honey being described on here.
 
Rock_n_Roll said:
Get a PT job in a Call Centre. :D

You'll hate it that much it'll inspire you to do something better.
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Or give you opportunity.

I currently have a team of 9 in a Resource Planning function.

None of us set out to be Resource Planners.

I started off doing Financial Analysis and nearly did my CIMA but ended up building Automated Call Distribution (ACD) systems and Workforce Management systems and fell into Resource Planning.

My entire team started out as agents but moved into Resource Planning through internal recruitment.
 
It kind of sucks at that age because whatever path you choose unless you're quite lucky could be it for life, changing careers once committed for a few years can be difficult unless someone gives you a foothold.

You're not alone though, most us never had a clue what we wanted to do and still don't.

I'm in well paid job but it is quite stressful, if I could easily change career would I? Honestly I don't know, I don't enjoy my job but I'm very good at it.
 
Procurement is a growing function is businesses and one that is very unlikely to get automated from management onwards. Plus it is very diverse as you can work in all sorts of industries and can gain an on the job qualification (MCIPS) without going through the traditional university route.
 
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