25 with no career prospects, feel like a waster

[EazyDuz]

Just looking for advice really.
I'm 25 with no qualifications other than CCD at A level (ICT, English Lang and Business Studies), taken in 2009.
Keep getting stuck in dead end retail jobs with nothing to show for it. They're not confidence building and i just feel out of place, working with people who go to uni or will be, or older people who's partner brings in the income.
I'm too old for an apprenticeship now so i'm totally at a loss of what to do and how to make decent money or to even get on a career ladder.
No career excites me massively, so if i went to uni i'd probably study a broad subject which would most likely result in a job. Such as business and marketing. This seems like the best step as it would make me more independent and work towards a goal. On the other hand with such poor A level grades i'd likely need to do an Access to HE course, totalling 4 years of study and 50k or more in debt, for a degree.
Feel like i'm getting older and running out of time. Before i know it ill be 30 in the same situation if i dont take action. Its making me depressed and unmotivated.

Has anyone been in the same situation and what did you do?

[EazyDuz]

Sheetmaself said:

Why are you to old for an apprenticeship?

I know of plenty of adult apprentices in official schemes.

After age 25 the government won't fund the business for the studies. There are some designed for older people but they are few and far between. Ive applied for BAE, an Engineering one and BT and got almost insta rejected despite passing all the online assessments.
Funding for over 25's has to be paid by the business alone

[EazyDuz]

bhstewie said:

At 25 given a free reign I would like to think I'd be asking my past self "What do I enjoy doing enough that I could spend lots of time doing it in return for money?" and then pursue it assuming it's reasonably practical and you don't yearn to be a geologist or something that is essentially a sodding massive gamble.

It's a cliche but if you can find something you enjoy and you get paid for it, you never really feel like you've done a days work.

Well my hobbies are:

- Modifying and working on my car. Nothing too intense. Installing new lights inside and out, installing ICE, cosmetic changes (no painting). Servicing i do all the basics like oil changes etc. The reason i do it is because its satisfying improving my own car. Would i enjoy doing it day to day on a low salary (as most mechanics are, generally)? Not at all. Especially being under pressure by a manager to do things in time, being told to up sell and con customers, working in the cold etc. So ruled that out.

- Same as above but with my motorbike. Wouldn't pursue as a career for the same reasons.

- The gym. I go at least thrice a week. But that is limited to a gym instructor who typically earns minimum or slightly over. Or a personal trainer who is self employed, and everyone i've spoken to said its a very tough market to crack, with most having second jobs just to pay the rent.

- Video gaming. Enjoy playing, wouldn't enjoy slaving at a computer week in week out to make animations.

- Travelling. Not even been to many places but do enjoy the odd motorcycle camping trip.


And that is about it. I do like watching stuff like Dragons Den and the Apprentice, seeing in its most basic form how businesses are run.

Its so difficult growing up as one of the kids who just doesn't have a passion for anything. I knew people who knew from 12 years old what they wanted to be, and worked to get it.

[EazyDuz]

CubanPete said:

A decent company will offer an enthusiastic person an apprenticeship. Where are you based? Look for the big engineering companies.

What about gardening, small home improvement jobs that many builders won't be interested in.

In all cases You've put a pretty negative slant on the relationship between your interests and working, most jobs involve doing stuff you wouldn't want to for 8 hours a day, you will have to work behind a pc, you will have to chase jobs, that is why they give you money...

Edited by CubanPete on Thursday 7th July 21:39

South Leicestershire.
I guess a 2 or 3 years of feeling unfulfilled in life has given me the negative attitude.
What really made me feel this way is my gf has just graduated uni with a 2:1 in modern languages.
Leading up to her exams she applied for graduate jobs, and ended up scoring a job at Ford Finance with a starting salary of 30k which goes up 1k a month. She's currently doing a paid internship until October when she starts with Ford. Basically just helping other employees with their presentations etc.
She tells me she is a minority and a lot of graduates do nothing for a while until they get a job in their field. But i cant help but feel just having a degree opens you up to all these graduate opportunities which everyone else don't get, with higher starting salaries and better/faster progression.

I have no commitments where i live, no mortgage or anything which makes me think uni makes sense. But at the same time the thought of being 30 odd with no money and a degree isnt that appealing.
I have 20k saved because despite low pay, i'm good with saving.

Edited by EazyDuz on Friday 8th July 09:53

[EazyDuz]

UberMeister said:

What about accounting?

Have a look at a low level finance role where you could study towards an accounting qualification which would open up many career options.

Snooze fest.
I'm interested in optometry but had mixed opinions on what kind of salary to expect.
My eyesight is quite bad and needs a lot of correction so I've spent a lot of time at optometrists and always found the eye quite interesting.
Correcting other peoples vision might make me care a bit more about others too

[EazyDuz]

Thanks for all the replies, a lot to think about.
I'd just about meet requirements if i do well in a science based Access to HE course, leading to study Optometry at uni.
Graduates start on around 25k which isn't bad for a fairly low stress 9 to 5. I'd imagine its quite rewarding fixing and saving peoples eyesight as well.
I'm giving it serious consideration. I have nothing keeping me where i am currently. No kids, no mortgage, minimal friends (they all went to uni and became something, and moved as a result). The ones that didnt knocked up their girlfriends and live on benefits. Or worked their way up in a corporate white collar office job, which i cant say appeals much to me at all.

[EazyDuz]

Penelope Stopit said:

This is the best advice I have read here although the military is also a good option
I once walked away from a highly skilled job and in already having a van started my advertising by printing and posting leaflets through letterboxes offering a DIY service fitting carpets, painting, the odd plumbing job etc
I really do believe that gardening, fencing and patio work will prove to be much better than what I did

I'm also having other thoughts here that are well away from the above
Tell me something, can you read and understand technical instruction, can you read and understand diagrams of a techy nature, are you ok with maths as in calculate simple multiplications in your head?

I will wait for a reply before I go any further

It sounds OK but somewhat lonely. Also cutting grass is quite seasonal and you're not using your brain for anything. I looked at being a postman which is good pay, keeps you fit etc, but again you dont use your brain at all. Just left on your own with your own thoughts.
I dont have much experience reading and understanding technical instruction unless you count a Haynes manual.
Maths is OK but only passed GCSE with a C. Though i didnt revise at all and didnt pay any attention in lessons. Somewhere a long the line at school i just didnt apply any effort. At the end of year 6 I got an award for being the most academic in my year. In high school I just plummeted, hung with the wrong crowd and came out with a poverty CCD at A Level.

I think if i apply myself uni could be a good path. It seems like my best option right now.
Plus living in a new area surrounded by new people would be an adventure and get me out of this rut.
Optometrists start on 25k once qualified which is alright for me, i'd rather have less pay and less stress than a high up marketing executive on good pay with no life outside of work and constant stress

[EazyDuz]

CubanPete said:

Snooze fest... Compared to what you're doing now?

Optometry will pay reasonably well, and there is plenty of scope to take on a practice in a few years. My uncle was an optometrist, he has done well for himself, and has had a pretty stress free life. The are lots of technician roles preparing lenses.

Since you wrote this reply, how much research have you done onto optometry? I'd be chasing round and seeing if you can either get into this years university intake, looking for a job in an optometry or looking at what qualifications I need to improve to do so. Unlike school, a career doesn't set you homework, give you a timetable it's something you have to self motivate and make up on your own.

I'd need to do an Access to HE course for 1 year at college if i want a chance of getting in. You need 5 GCSEs, i have 4 but i also have A levels which the Access course don't require so i should be OK at A university.
I cant say im massively passionate about it but i feel i just need to pick my poison. Nothing excites me much. Something like a park ranger i feel would be more suited to me. Being outdoors in a somewhat varied role instead of stuck at a desk attached to a ball and chain. But they don't pay too well. I actually know a guy at uni studying Forestry after doing a BTEC at college in something similar.
I've also considered just going travelling around Europe for 2 or 3 months but thats just running from my problems, and i'd miss the start date for any access course if i do go ahead with uni.
Very indecisive. When i was 18-20 I just assumed i'd naturally find a passion over time, 5 years later and nothing has changed

Edited by EazyDuz on Wednesday 13th July 15:45

[EazyDuz]

To top it off ive discussed it with my gf (who is moving away due to her grad job soon) and all she has done is told me that the social side of uni wears off, the workload is huge and very stressful (knew all this already, never said id be going for the social side other than a boost in confidence and self esteem).
I had also mentioned to her that i might travel which she took great offence to, as previously i was upset that she was moving a way herself, yet now i have the audacity to say i might go travelling for a few months in the hope that it makes me decide what i want in life.

Maybe its time to just accept that i'll never 'make it'. Dunno, a bit drunk currently after celebrating her 2.1 degree and career via a meal out with her family (the whole night just rubbed in my face how she is something and i have no quals to my name and no career, she's 22 and starting on 30 something grand)

[EazyDuz]

Thanks for the further replies.
Had a bit of a break down last week, just lost it and explained all the problems to my gf, just felt worthless and stayed in bed while she graduated. Showed my face at the ceremony thing afterwards but really didn't want to be there.
I'm awaiting CBT sessions to help with all that. I've tried SSRI's in the past but they didnt make me feel good about things, just numb to the world which is no good.

I feel a bit better now though, but still lost. Spoke to parents about it. My mother said she was the same at a young age, then met my dad and together they created a very successful business. Unfortunately that business is a tiny company which only really needs one person to run it. I've worked there before on and off but it isn't something with much of a future left in it.
She thinks optometry would be a good idea. And i did too until someone on another forum posted a long list of reasons NOT to study optometry in a thread full of potential optometry students. I'll post it if anyone is interested and can back up the claims.

I also got a letter in the post inviting me for a Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship interview. It looks OK but you only get a BTEC level 3 qual after 3 years working at minimum wage. ME doesn't appeal to me either, i only applied to see what would happen, turns out it was good enough for an interview.
I've also emailed my optometrist who graduated in the 80's and takes on uni students for placements, so he might have a better idea of where that sector is going and if its worth going for.

I know what an ideal job would be for me, and that would be:

An OK wage, really anything over £25k would be fine
A good work/life balance, around 40 hours a week
A change of scenery every now and then. For example if it was in IT, i'd be going to customers houses to set up/repair equipment. Or even outdoor work, i much prefer the fresh air than being stuck inside. One of the reasons i got a motorbike licence for that sense of freedom you dont get from driving.
Social. Meeting new people or at least work with a team most of the time, isolated work isn't for me.

I also did a career drivers assessment test, the results were as follows, graded from most to least important to me:

Affiliation (Work relationships): 20/24
Meaning (Seeking to do things which are believed to be valuable for their own sake): 16/24
Job security: 16/24
Autonomy (independence, make own decisions): 14/24
Material rewards: 13/24
Social Status: 12/24
Creativity: 7/24
Power Influence (think management): 6/24

I'm still trying to figure out what kind of jobs fit that criteria.

[EazyDuz]

Will_S said:

You've got plenty of money saved OP, so you have lots of options.

If I had £20k at the age of 25 this is what I would do:

1). Buy bulk items from China off Alibaba or Ebay - consumable car parts like bulbs (LEDs, or even xenon kits), reverse camera kits anything that people want asap and aren't prepared to wait two weeks to come from China. Then sell them on eBay, or better yet Amazon, who offer a Dropship service with free next day delivery for Prime members. I use this all the time and will happily pay a little more on the price of the tool or item I need to have it next day.

Then rinse and repeat testing new items and getting greater discounts on more stock. You won't have to be part of the business and can spend time developing it, and run it from anywhere.

2). Start a vehicle dismantlers / scrap yard. Rent suitable land for this with some of your £20k, and advertise on gumtree that you buy scrap cars for £100-150. List each car you buy in Ebay & Guntree for breaking and then strip parts off as required initially in your spare time. Some cars you get could be fixed up and sold on. If you have more spare time strip parts completely off the car so they are ready to dispatch. You'll probably make 4-5x the cost of each car. More of it has valuable parts.

It'll be rewarding and you like mechanical work. It becomes and expandable business very easily.

3). Travel for 3-6 months around SE Asia. This would let you see how the poorer people on the world survive - their ingenuity is incredible sometimes. It'll give you ideas for what to do with your life, and will be fun at the same time. You can run option 1 whilst doing this if you set it up correctly.


I could give you a lot more ideas but you need the motivation to make it happen. Don't give up!



My career path if you're interested:

I'm 29, and I now run a small & successful advertising company which I'm about to expand from Scotland to the rest of the UK. At 21 I left Uni, without completing the 4th year of my degree in mechanical engineering. I got a job at a BMW garage paying £15k as their website administrator, making sure all the cars were online and that they were photographed. It taught me more about dealing with people than Uni ever did. I made sure I completed every task I was given as efficiently as possible, and always asked for more work. 6 months later I was given a £9k raise. 3 months later I left to start a mobile billboard business (transit van with a scrolling 6metre x 3metre billboard on that back that I'd designed). A £7k personal loan plus £3k savings made it possible. It was tough and we struggled to start with. My first customer invested in the business after the success of their campaigns, and two years later purchased it entirely. I ran it for them for 2 years developing the business into something much larger. The non-compete agreement ended and I left to focus solely on the most profitable products. Bringing me to the business I've got now.

If I'd had £20k saved it would be a breeze. Just do anything that you can to use that money to make you more and you'll have a business. Buy cars at auction and resell them. A car a week at £500 profit and before long you're earning an extra £2k a month. And feeling like you have a purpose.

Tell us what you buy

Ive thought about option 1. I do currently sell stock from the family business on Ebay as a side income.
Problem with your idea is that it doesnt get me out in the world contributing and making something of myself, instead im just indoors getting money which to be honest i dont desperately need.
Same with option 2 i cant see it becoming a career, and also quite a lonely job. I have considered something similar again as a hobby, buying motorbikes, fixing them and selling them. But again it isnt a long term thing and i wont be getting a mortgage from it.
Travelling ive ruled out since GF was so unhappy with the idea.

[EazyDuz]

djc206 said:

1) Don't let someone else dictate what you do. If your gf won't let you go travelling then how about you use a bit of the money to go on a few decent length (3-4 week) trips spaced out so you're not away for an extended period to the same destinations? She could accompany you at least in part. If she's still not up for that then perhaps she's dragging you down a bit.

2) I have an idea but I need to ask how stress free do you want your job to be? Are you able to handle a bit of pressure? Are you a quick learner? How do you cope with criticism/piss taking? Would you be prepared to earn minimum wage for a year if it meant a guaranteed £45k-£60k after 3 years?

I have a feeling its some kind of sales job, door to door?

[EazyDuz]

djc206 said:

Heavens no it's a proper career, but I need answers to the questions before I suggest it and get laughed out of the room.

Try to avoid stress where possible, learn new things pretty quickly, and who realistically likes criticism/piss taking?

[EazyDuz]

okgo said:

Incorrect on most counts there VM. Shrink may not be the role for you.

OP is not in a place dissimilar to me a few years back, bar the moody woman, so its interesting to see the opinions on this that and the other. Personally I don't think the military for the sake of self discipline shaping is required. The only way to get out of the rut is to develop a bit of get up and go. You'll be surprised at where you can get to with that and the ability to sell yourself a bit.

I do lack drive, and i know its due to depression. Its hard to break from since SSRI's dont work, ive tried 3 or 4 different ones in the past. I maintain the gym 3-4 times a week and still seek pleasure in riding my motorbike at least.
I looked at RAF etc and a lot of them require minimum 12 years, thats way too long to just go for it and see what happens.
There is one job i'd love to do. British Gas are offering apprenticeships as a smart meter expert, since smart meters will be mandatory soon, they've hired loads as apprenticeships and within a year you'll be on 25k, with no maximum age limit to apply.
I check the site daily since there are no vacancies in my area. I applied for the vacancy in Warwick but despite me passing the online assessments, it was rejected because i live too far away.
Personally i dont see why they cant train me at the academy then move me to my living area.
The job sounds good though, visiting different homes every day, seeing new faces, a tiny bit of retail involved (offering better plans to the customer) with your own van and equipment.
Just something varied like that with semi decent pay is ideal, rather than stuck in an office getting square eyes on a computer

[EazyDuz]

DuraAce said:

I meant following training and payback of your courses. With hindsight I could've explained it better!. Initial+trade training can take 18+ months (depending on trade choice) then you have a couple of years to "payback" your training and you're done (if you wish)

That sounds a lot like uni, except at uni instead of earning while you work, you do placements for work experience. I'd prefer the uni route out of the 2, but first i need to narrow down a handful of careers and just aim for one, whether that requires uni or not i dont know yet.

[EazyDuz]

Sparkzz said:

If you have a mild mental health concern, which may or may not be attributed to your search for work. I would advise against joining any of the forces, you'll come out with a much worse mental health problem.

Does joining the Army, Navy, RAF really fit with your life?
It looks like a lot of time running around doing menial tasks for people who didn't do very well at school, to me at least. You'll leave the army when your middle aged, then struggle to get a decent job afterwards.

Become educated or get an apprenticeship if possible. The army is for people who don't mind getting shot at, lunatics, nationalists and sadly, people who need to make a living.

You don't need a passion for anything really, if your not inclined to join the forces, I really wouldn't be considering it.

I dont want to anyway, apprenticeship would be the way to go. Unfortunately after age 25 they're very hard to come by as the government makes the business fund the education once you're at that age.
There are degree apprenticeships but on the apprenticeship website, when you search for degree level, and choose 'England', Search results: 0

[EazyDuz]

djc206 said:

Air Traffic Control. Recruiting at the moment, no real qualifications required other than a few GCSE's. Good pay, decent amount of time off. If you go down the aerodrome rather than area route (aerodrome generally pays less) the success rate is high and you get to work in an office with a view.

Ideal for someone young with no kids, not so great sacrificing a decent job to start the training as there's a very real chance especially in area that you don't make it.

I actually looked into that, but the requirements state that with correction, the most they will accept is something like plus or minus 2 dioptres in vision.
I'm over -15 seriously (genetics, runs in family). And despite being able to see quite a bit past the driving line with corrective glasses/lenses, i still cant do that job for that reason.
This is why optometry does interest me, as i could help people who have the same issues as me (albeit at a much lesser extent generally).
I did also get an invite today to BT's academy apprenticeship as a vehicle technician.
I dont know why, because i had an email 3 weeks ago stating the application was unsuccessful...

[EazyDuz]

V8mate said:

EazyDuz said:

I actually looked into that, but the requirements state that with correction, the most they will accept is something like plus or minus 2 dioptres in vision.
I'm over -15 seriously (genetics, runs in family). And despite being able to see quite a bit past the driving line with corrective glasses/lenses, i still cant do that job for that reason.
This is why optometry does interest me, as i could help people who have the same issues as me (albeit at a much lesser extent generally).

You keep mentioning optometry. In what way do you feel that

EazyDuz said:

CCD at A level (ICT, English Lang and Business Studies)

will get you anywhere near a course which requires

Manchester Uni said:

Grades AAB. 2 A-Levels in Biology, Maths, Physics or Chemistry with grades AA (normally to be taken in one sitting) and pass in the practical assessments.

Simples:

Access
45 L3 credits of which 30 must be at distinction level including 15 level 3 credits from biology/chemistry/physics/psychology or maths. The remaining 15 credits have to be at merit level. Must have GCSE grade C or above in English and maths or be taking them.

Access to HE courses are designed for people who have never even taken A levels. Its intensive but I can just work minimal hours while studying

[EazyDuz]

V8mate said:

If it's so simple, why were your A level grades in the flakey subjects you chose so poor, and how do you propose to up your game to deliver distinction level results in science subjects you haven't studied in ten years? (assuming you did all the sciences at GCSE and not some 'combined science' course)

I'm all for people following their dreams/aspirations etc., but it's somewhat bizarre that you can't decide between (effectively) going into medicine, or being a mechanic.

I just didnt try at college, mixed with the wrong crowd, was easily influenced.
The Access to HE course as i said is designed for people who dont have A levels, and you dont even need GCSE's to do it. Its not as if they design the course for people who got AAA at A level, its a chance for people to get into uni.
The work will ramp up but its not anywhere near impossible, especially considering i'll have loads of time to study for it.
I can always bail on the course if something better comes along (i.e. BG apprenticeship), but its a good failsafe in the mean time and something to aim for.
I have also just been accepted for another interview for an IT role too, things are looking up

[EazyDuz]

okgo said:

Do you interview well?

Interviewing well is almost as important as being able to do the job in question. In fact, I've probably got jobs in the past I shouldn't have because I did ok in interviews. Lots of tips on this forum about that, but worth getting familiar with before you're in a room with someone.

Yea I can't say ive ever had a bad interview apart from one. Always study the company and ask an array of questions when prompted.
Did drop a bk once when I asked what the salary would be, was given a vague answer so i kept asking in different ways before finally dropping it (it was listed as between 18-22k).
Learnt from that mistake, wait to be offered the job before negotiating the salary