I need help with my 'career'
Discussion
Hi
I would very much appreciate your feedback and opinions,
I am 24 and have worked mostly in sales since leaving school. My OH who is a Physiotherapist has secured a well-enough paid full time contract and it would seem that now is the perfect time for me to break free of sales and look into making a career for myself but first, Further education...
I was made redundant from a good sales role in November and tbh I am sick of sales, I don't always want to be a salesman.
I want to learn, re establish myself if you will. I had quite a hard realization the other night that for the past 6 years, I have not progressed at all!, Always earn't between 25-30k pa and don't peticulary enjoy what I do, 'I very much work to earn'.
BUT, in what? I have very little time to decide, It would seem the Industry to be in is IT, a few people have suggested Computer Science, I want to study something that will offer me a rewarding career, both in job satisfaction and salary.
I guess what I am asking is, if you were 24 and wanted a great career, what would you do?
I would very much appreciate your feedback and opinions,
I am 24 and have worked mostly in sales since leaving school. My OH who is a Physiotherapist has secured a well-enough paid full time contract and it would seem that now is the perfect time for me to break free of sales and look into making a career for myself but first, Further education...
I was made redundant from a good sales role in November and tbh I am sick of sales, I don't always want to be a salesman.
I want to learn, re establish myself if you will. I had quite a hard realization the other night that for the past 6 years, I have not progressed at all!, Always earn't between 25-30k pa and don't peticulary enjoy what I do, 'I very much work to earn'.
BUT, in what? I have very little time to decide, It would seem the Industry to be in is IT, a few people have suggested Computer Science, I want to study something that will offer me a rewarding career, both in job satisfaction and salary.
I guess what I am asking is, if you were 24 and wanted a great career, what would you do?
Edited by wolfy1988 on Wednesday 20th February 12:16
okgo said:
You're misinformed on many levels here I think.
IT probably ISN'T the place to be for most people.
And you can have a career from any sales role, I work in advertising and there is a clear progression in this company and all the others I know of or have worked at.
Hi okgoIT probably ISN'T the place to be for most people.
And you can have a career from any sales role, I work in advertising and there is a clear progression in this company and all the others I know of or have worked at.
I was referring to my own 'career in sale', but like I said, I no longer want to work in sales.
I deleted the part about sales careers as it is not relevant
Warning: disorganised ramblings ahead.
If you want to make lots of money in IT, it's totally possible, but you'll need to get into something like SAP or Cisco networking.
And not at the "can successfully distinguish a router from a live struggling turkey 80% of the time" CCNA level, but the "b
d difficult and costly" CCIE level.
CCNA = Cisco Certified Network Administrator
CCIE = Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert
SAP Developer = sociopath who hates people
For a developer, the most valuable asset you can have is good experience in desirable environments, and the ability to demonstrate it. For example, if you're a web developer, have a website that's interesting to look at.
You don't need a formal education in computing to do well in IT, but one thing I've noticed amongst the self-taught is that while they're often much better motivated and naturally skilful than those who got it shoved into them at University, they also often don't have the boring but essential stuff (classic examples: database normalisation, Boolean algebra, formal methods - all absolutely dull as st, but form the bedrock of much other more interesting stuff), because when you're teaching yourself, you teach yourself the interesting bits.
If you want to make lots of money in IT, it's totally possible, but you'll need to get into something like SAP or Cisco networking.
And not at the "can successfully distinguish a router from a live struggling turkey 80% of the time" CCNA level, but the "b
d difficult and costly" CCIE level.CCNA = Cisco Certified Network Administrator
CCIE = Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert
SAP Developer = sociopath who hates people
For a developer, the most valuable asset you can have is good experience in desirable environments, and the ability to demonstrate it. For example, if you're a web developer, have a website that's interesting to look at.
You don't need a formal education in computing to do well in IT, but one thing I've noticed amongst the self-taught is that while they're often much better motivated and naturally skilful than those who got it shoved into them at University, they also often don't have the boring but essential stuff (classic examples: database normalisation, Boolean algebra, formal methods - all absolutely dull as s
t, but form the bedrock of much other more interesting stuff), because when you're teaching yourself, you teach yourself the interesting bits.CommanderJameson said:
Warning: disorganised ramblings ahead.
If you want to make lots of money in IT, it's totally possible, but you'll need to get into something like SAP or Cisco networking.
And not at the "can successfully distinguish a router from a live struggling turkey 80% of the time" CCNA level, but the "bd difficult and costly" CCIE level.
CCNA = Cisco Certified Network Administrator
CCIE = Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert
SAP Developer = sociopath who hates people
For a developer, the most valuable asset you can have is good experience in desirable environments, and the ability to demonstrate it. For example, if you're a web developer, have a website that's interesting to look at.
You don't need a formal education in computing to do well in IT, but one thing I've noticed amongst the self-taught is that while they're often much better motivated and naturally skilful than those who got it shoved into them at University, they also often don't have the boring but essential stuff (classic examples: database normalisation, Boolean algebra, formal methods - all absolutely dull as st, but form the bedrock of much other more interesting stuff), because when you're teaching yourself, you teach yourself the interesting bits.
Thanks Commander for taking the time to write that.If you want to make lots of money in IT, it's totally possible, but you'll need to get into something like SAP or Cisco networking.
And not at the "can successfully distinguish a router from a live struggling turkey 80% of the time" CCNA level, but the "b
d difficult and costly" CCIE level.CCNA = Cisco Certified Network Administrator
CCIE = Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert
SAP Developer = sociopath who hates people
For a developer, the most valuable asset you can have is good experience in desirable environments, and the ability to demonstrate it. For example, if you're a web developer, have a website that's interesting to look at.
You don't need a formal education in computing to do well in IT, but one thing I've noticed amongst the self-taught is that while they're often much better motivated and naturally skilful than those who got it shoved into them at University, they also often don't have the boring but essential stuff (classic examples: database normalisation, Boolean algebra, formal methods - all absolutely dull as s
t, but form the bedrock of much other more interesting stuff), because when you're teaching yourself, you teach yourself the interesting bits.To self tech is something I really want to do, where would you recommend I look to find what I need (even the boring stuff)
I believe I am motivated enough to do it but do employers REALLY consider people who have done so?
I would of course do as many online courses that I could in order to bump up academic accreditation's.
If it's any consolation to you, at age 24 I didn't have the faintest idea what I wanted to do career-wise. At that point I was in FMCG sales, married, mortgage and one year old nipper. Not sure how typical I was, but although I could do the job I was doing, earned a reasonable living, got a company car and didn't have to get my hands dirty, it wasn't something I had any real ambition about.
Then I had a bit of an epiphany - it would make sense to do something I was interested and passionate about - so that's what I did.
Trying to get into the IT field just because it's supposed to be a good earner may not be the right reason. Personally I'd rather kill myself than have to dick around with computers for a living, so even if I was capable (I'm not) and it paid a fortune (I don't think it does, in the grand scheme of things) it wouldn't work out for me.
You are still very young. Figure out what you enjoy, what motivates and excites you. That's the business you should be in, in my view.
Then I had a bit of an epiphany - it would make sense to do something I was interested and passionate about - so that's what I did.
Trying to get into the IT field just because it's supposed to be a good earner may not be the right reason. Personally I'd rather kill myself than have to dick around with computers for a living, so even if I was capable (I'm not) and it paid a fortune (I don't think it does, in the grand scheme of things) it wouldn't work out for me.
You are still very young. Figure out what you enjoy, what motivates and excites you. That's the business you should be in, in my view.
IT is a great thing to make a career of if there's something there that you like and as an area it does have a broad reach and a fair variety of different jobs (though you can find yourself stuck in one 'side' of it quite easily if you aren't careful). Not something that everyone can get excited about, though.
For the more technical stuff, you will definitely need some sort of qualifications depending on which areas you look to get into and a computer science degree is a pretty good starting point for most things.
What is it about IT that's interesting to you? Do you want to do something technical, or do you want to be more of a people person? Or is it just "hey, that's a thing"?
Also, if you've not seen it, watch Office Space. Its really rather accurate.
For the more technical stuff, you will definitely need some sort of qualifications depending on which areas you look to get into and a computer science degree is a pretty good starting point for most things.
What is it about IT that's interesting to you? Do you want to do something technical, or do you want to be more of a people person? Or is it just "hey, that's a thing"?
Also, if you've not seen it, watch Office Space. Its really rather accurate.
Edited by ImpossiblyDaft on Thursday 21st February 00:37
OP
This is not what you are wanting to hear, but..... this really is NOT something suitable for a quick decision!
Can I suggest you find a coach/careers adviser who can work through your skills/interests etc to find out what you are really passionate about. You hopefully have a long working life ahead of you and you need to find something that you enjoy doing. The process to get there will take time, effort and money but it will be worthwhile in the end.
This is not what you are wanting to hear, but..... this really is NOT something suitable for a quick decision!
Can I suggest you find a coach/careers adviser who can work through your skills/interests etc to find out what you are really passionate about. You hopefully have a long working life ahead of you and you need to find something that you enjoy doing. The process to get there will take time, effort and money but it will be worthwhile in the end.
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