The world is your oyster. What do you do?
Discussion
Okay so the world is your oyster, you can go out and do any job you like. What is it?
The reason i ask is i am in a similar position to many graduates. I graduated in 2008, went travelling for a while and then returned to a shagged job market. In hindsight I should have applied for a graduate job before leaving university.
Now i find myself in a crappy semi managerial role for Nationwide Building Society, admin office, not a branch.
So I have a degree, pseudo management experience and no ties to any particular town or location. What do i do with my career? I would ideally like something, anything interesting, i have no qualms about training or starting at the bottom as long as the progression is clear and well structured.
I have considered rail contracting, merchant navy, oil rigs etc but have no real knowledge of how to get in to these industries.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
The reason i ask is i am in a similar position to many graduates. I graduated in 2008, went travelling for a while and then returned to a shagged job market. In hindsight I should have applied for a graduate job before leaving university.
Now i find myself in a crappy semi managerial role for Nationwide Building Society, admin office, not a branch.
So I have a degree, pseudo management experience and no ties to any particular town or location. What do i do with my career? I would ideally like something, anything interesting, i have no qualms about training or starting at the bottom as long as the progression is clear and well structured.
I have considered rail contracting, merchant navy, oil rigs etc but have no real knowledge of how to get in to these industries.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
ewenm said:
What do you enjoy doing and what are you good at?
Enjoy anything adventurous, practical, dangerous or challenging. Im not a fan of office work per se but given the opportunity to be a city trader i would take it. What am i good at? Well im organised, enthusiastic and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.
What I need is inspiration and contacts.
Burgmeister said:
ewenm said:
What do you enjoy doing and what are you good at?
Enjoy anything adventurous, practical, dangerous or challenging. Im not a fan of office work per se but given the opportunity to be a city trader i would take it. What am i good at? Well im organised, enthusiastic and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.
What I need is inspiration and contacts.
As an example, a friend and I are both heavily into mountaineering, mountain biking and rock climbing. Throughout our summer holidays at uni we worked at an outoor pursuits centre in the Lakes, instructing in those activities (amongst others). After graduation with good degrees from a top Uni for both of us, my friend went to work for Outward Bound as an instructor, I went to PwC as an IT consultant.
He enjoyed the work a lot, but was poorly rewarded and found it very difficult to make ends meet. I found the work occasionally interesting but mostly fairly dull and with long hours of unpaid overtime, but was well paid so could enjoy my leisure time. Now, 10 years on, my friend is manager of a bike shop in the Lakes and trying to get out of retail, wondering how to do so. I'm a freelance IT contractor, using it to fund my outside work activities.
What's my point? Doing something you enjoy, a hobby, as a job can seem like an ideal set-up but if it doesn't pay well enough to support your life, then it may not be the best decision. I put up with the long hours and dull work to get to a position where I could be more flexible about working and still enjoy doing my hobbies at the weekend. For a lucky few, their hobby can pay well enough to be a decent work proposition, for many others it becomes a chore and is ultimately not worthwhile.
I'd be looking for a job TO FUND my life, not a job that IS my life.
Yes although money isn't everything, it is very important at the end of the day. If you are happy to earn less and can support the lifestyle you want without the extra bucks then I'd say do something you enjoy.
A very good friend of mine and I are a good example of this. Both did the same course and uni exchange and both now 23. She now earns £40k doing long hours at an investment bank and I earn nothing like that about to move overseas to Teach English. We both like to travel and I've decided to make it a key factor in how and where I live and not have the megabucks whereas she has some amazing luxury trips, but spends most of the time funding that style of travel. Horses for Courses
ETA: We are both happy with our choices (so far!) and can both be very jealous of each other at times. Sometimes I wish I'd got the big salary for a nice car, but equally she wishes she had more time off and less stress to enjoy life.
A very good friend of mine and I are a good example of this. Both did the same course and uni exchange and both now 23. She now earns £40k doing long hours at an investment bank and I earn nothing like that about to move overseas to Teach English. We both like to travel and I've decided to make it a key factor in how and where I live and not have the megabucks whereas she has some amazing luxury trips, but spends most of the time funding that style of travel. Horses for Courses
ETA: We are both happy with our choices (so far!) and can both be very jealous of each other at times. Sometimes I wish I'd got the big salary for a nice car, but equally she wishes she had more time off and less stress to enjoy life.
Edited by v15ben on Tuesday 24th November 15:58
Burgmeister said:
Enjoy anything adventurous, practical, dangerous or challenging.
Would you consider the military? They have a huge number of trades in the support arms and offer a hell of a lot of adventerous training and the like. Pay's not astronomical but officer's salaries aren't bad and the cost of living can be very low.I'm currently training to be an engineer officer in the Merchant Navy. Way to get into it is usually get sponsored by an actual sponsoring company, Loads of companies take on cadets via these sponsors. Lots of different ships, Offshore supply, Cruise, Tankers, MOD Support etc etc. Different sponsoring companies pay different amounts though which is a bit unfair in my books, But some you dont pay tax... Does take a 3 year course for engineering. Not sure on Deck side of things. Colleges located all around the UK, Southampton, South Shields, Glasgow, Fleetwood etc.
Depends what sort of Merchant navy career you were considering. If you want any more information feel free to drop me a message, I'll do my best to explain anything. Although I dont know a massive amount as im only 2 years in!
Depends what sort of Merchant navy career you were considering. If you want any more information feel free to drop me a message, I'll do my best to explain anything. Although I dont know a massive amount as im only 2 years in!
You seem to have a similar outlook on life to me. I would give the armed forces serious consideration. If you can get into the aviation side of it, for example RAF/Air Corps/Fleet Air Arm then the world really 'is your oyster'.
You will go places, see and do things that your 'average joes' never will. Decent pay as both an officer and junior rank despite what you may hear in the press, lots of opportunity to travel (not just to hot sandy places!), sport, social, education, medical, other perks and excellent personal development for any future career.
Alternatively, I know a couple of people who are in the merchant navy and who have a great life. I would have done that if I had not joined the forces.
You will go places, see and do things that your 'average joes' never will. Decent pay as both an officer and junior rank despite what you may hear in the press, lots of opportunity to travel (not just to hot sandy places!), sport, social, education, medical, other perks and excellent personal development for any future career.
Alternatively, I know a couple of people who are in the merchant navy and who have a great life. I would have done that if I had not joined the forces.
With regards to the Merchant Navy - if you have an engineering degree you can often gain exemption from many of the written exams for your first watchkeeping certificate - all you have to complete is your practical workshop classes (welding, machining, etc.), 6 months' sea time and practical portfolio, and sit an oral exam board. This shortens your time to qualification from 3 years to about 1 1/2. There are no exemptions for deck officer training (ship driving), so it will take about 3 1/2 - 4 years to qualify for that. When you have your engineering ticket, you don't need to stay at sea - your basic skills should open up jobs on the rigs and shoreside (e.g. ABB, Rolls Royce, Wartsila).
As said above, if you stay at sea, there's a choice of different areas to go, e.g. cruise ships, box ships. tankers, offshore support, RFA, dive support, etc.
Training companies include Clyde Marine, Ship Safe Training Group, Anglo-Eastern Group - they will sponsor your training and find you a company from their clients to serve your sea time with. Alternatively some companies, e.g. Maersk, run their own cadetship schemes - Maersk is making huge losses and cutting jobs all over the place at the moment, so I'd give them a miss.
http://www.clydemarinetraining.com/
http://www.sstg.org/
As said above, if you stay at sea, there's a choice of different areas to go, e.g. cruise ships, box ships. tankers, offshore support, RFA, dive support, etc.
Training companies include Clyde Marine, Ship Safe Training Group, Anglo-Eastern Group - they will sponsor your training and find you a company from their clients to serve your sea time with. Alternatively some companies, e.g. Maersk, run their own cadetship schemes - Maersk is making huge losses and cutting jobs all over the place at the moment, so I'd give them a miss.
http://www.clydemarinetraining.com/
http://www.sstg.org/
Burgmeister said:
ewenm said:
What do you enjoy doing and what are you good at?
Enjoy anything adventurous, practical, dangerous or challenging. Im not a fan of office work per se but given the opportunity to be a city trader i would take it. What am i good at? Well im organised, enthusiastic and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.
What I need is inspiration and contacts.
Hmmm this thread sounds like what i'm feeling at the moment. I'm stuck in a big company doing not much at all.
I'd love to do something more adventurous and interesting, but like the OP have no idea. I'm just going to sit here and watch and see what advice people come up with.
I don't know if I could join the forces because my family seem to think that joining = instantly being shot in the face by taliban. I have Mechanical MEng under my belt, but that pilot idea seemed cool. I think a year staring at pistonheads has ruined my sight though
I'd love to do something more adventurous and interesting, but like the OP have no idea. I'm just going to sit here and watch and see what advice people come up with.
I don't know if I could join the forces because my family seem to think that joining = instantly being shot in the face by taliban. I have Mechanical MEng under my belt, but that pilot idea seemed cool. I think a year staring at pistonheads has ruined my sight though
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