Ashley Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 CAREERS! (get your minds out of the gutter) (also, not the boat from Arrested Development) So a month today I finish my undergrad and you know when you start uni and you presume after three years you know what you want to be, what you want to do etc etc? Yeah not happening. I still feel too young to be thinking about careers, and I know its not essential, I can just go out and get any old job but then I'm worried I'll be stuck in a rut and stuff. And what I want to do with my life changes on a weekly basis which isn't helpful. What about you folks. Some of you have careers, some don't. Some will know what you want to do, some would rather not think about it. Tell me more, tell me more and any careers/job offers would be nice thanks ^_^. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Once I'm in work I can think about it. Obviously some kind of inroads towards magazines/ teh media are my preferences but for now I need the cash in my pocket before any kind of ambition comes in to it...urgh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jav_NE Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I literally went straight into publishing after uni. I got pretty lucky with my job, and i've had a blast over the last three years writing about games. But i cant do it forever. The pay is attrocious, something i wish i knew before i pursued this line of work. Even with freelance its a joke how little they pay us. On top of that, the industry is so competitive, very few actually actually go on to Editor positions, and those that do still get a shit wage. The whole thing's a joke. Still, like i say, its been fun. I'll be leaving this summer to do some travelling, then i'll be teaching in China for a while (as an assistant though). After that, i'm not sure what i'll do. I've got good experience so far, and with the added travelling and teaching under my belt, im hoping i'll be able to get a decently paid job for once when i return. I've just got no idea what that will be. My degree should help with some IT based jobs, but i dunno, anything well-paid in an office will do. I might look into PR as alot of videogame writers move into that, but that's pretty competitive too so, will have to see how it goes. Might need to do another course for that too but, who knows. First things first - travelling and teaching! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 Hmm well thats a kicker, one of the things I considered was magazine journalism. Travelling sounds like fun. If I didn't get into my postgrad I was considering getting a TEFL and just travelling around Europe teaching (practicalities aside of course). Hope you enjoy it Jav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I literally went straight into publishing after uni. I got pretty lucky with my job, and i've had a blast over the last three years writing about games. But i cant do it forever. The pay is attrocious, something i wish i knew before i pursued this line of work. Even with freelance its a joke how little they pay us. On top of that, the industry is so competitive, very few actually actually go on to Editor positions, and those that do still get a shit wage. The whole thing's a joke. Still, like i say, its been fun. I'll be leaving this summer to do some travelling, then i'll be teaching in China for a while (as an assistant though). After that, i'm not sure what i'll do. I've got good experience so far, and with the added travelling and teaching under my belt, im hoping i'll be able to get a decently paid job for once when i return. I've just got no idea what that will be. My degree should help with some IT based jobs, but i dunno, anything well-paid in an office will do. I might look into PR as alot of videogame writers move into that, but that's pretty competitive too so, will have to see how it goes. Might need to do another course for that too but, who knows. First things first - travelling and teaching! how much do you make? (if you don't mind me asking) It's something I'm curious about myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganepark32 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I was one of those people that, half way through high school, suddenly felt that I had found my calling in life and knew what I wanted to do. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how I look at it, I got to experience what I wanted to do in a college environment before signing my life away for 7 years of Uni and I'm glad I did because I couldn't stick Architecture. So that being thrown out the window about this time last year, I decided on doing psychology, because everyone does it and I thought I'd enjoy it. Wrong again. The main upside to studying it though is that I've been able to study english and realise that I am in fact pretty decent at that and as a result will be changing to studying for a degree there. What I'll do when I'm done with it is beyond my imagination. I'm currently writing for a website doing reviews but I don't see myself doing that for the rest of my life, or for much longer. I've gone from knowing exactly what career I want to being completely in the dark. One day, I'll find out what it is I am, shall we say, 'destined' to do but it seems awhile off now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReZourceman Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I am in a shitty job, and I am going to be a comic book writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jav_NE Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 how much do you make? (if you don't mind me asking) It's something I'm curious about myself Staff Writer's start on 13,000. It might even have been 12,000, i cant remeber. The next step up is where i am now, which is Senior Staff Writer. I've had gradual pay increases every year though and am on something like 14,000 now. I think =/ Step up after that are Section Editors (News, Reviews, Games Editors etc). They get a little bit more, maybe 15,000 max depending how long you've worked here. Then it's Editors who get about 16,000 i've been told, and as i say, it will take years to get there, unless you're very lucky and someone leaves at the right time for you. Freelance is paid by the page. £50 to be exact. Most reviews will be one or two pages. I did over a grands worth once though and only saw about £600 of it by the time i'd been taxed. Wasn't worth the effort as all freelance must be done in your own time. I didn't go out or see anyone at all that month, and for £600 extra?! No thanks. Alot of people here do alot of freelance and pay for it with their personal lives. Some of them are father's too, it's horrible. So yeah, i dont fancy wasting up to ten years of my life working towards a possible £16,000 (even if it does increase yearly and reach £18,000 by the end). And i want a social life so doing alot of freelance is out of the question too. A few hundred quid extra is nice, and does increase your yearly salary if you worked it out, but freelance is very competitive too. Alot of ass-kissing is involved if you want to depend on any regularity to it. Not to put you off though. It's a great job and i love doing it, they just rob you blind. I'm just at a point in my life where i need something more financial. I've had my fill, as it were! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 fuck me that's shit! haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I was very lucky that I got a great placement year mid-way through my uni course as a Business Analyst something it turned out I was very good at. Before then I wouldn't even have known such a job existed. I was then even luckier that I landed a job at a great company in the right industry a few months after I left uni. Now I do something I'm good at for something I care about it makes other things fall into place quite nicely and it almost doesn't feel like work. I think the best advice is to send out a few speculative applications to companies who do things you would care about doing, then work out what position you really want later on. There's nothing wrong with job hopping for a few years to get a good idea of where you want to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paj! Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I have no job, nor can I imagine having one doing art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten10 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Well lets see. My story is that after finishing uni I kept working at my part time job while saving up for the family holiday. I quit my job in August. Went on holiday end of August. Then needed to find a job. Broke up with gf because of her cheating at the end of September, so I'm kind of glad I didn't have a job to go back to as I would have been too emo to do anything. Place I worked part time at closed early October, so I thought I got off that ship before it sunk. Applied for various jobs, one company turned me down, then phoned me up a few weeks later saying we've got a job going you interested? Then after the interview I was brought on board, started 15th December, worked like 6 days and then it was time for Christmas came back on the 7th to really start work. All in all I've never looked back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Captain Falcon Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I've been at a something of a crossroads for a while. When I was in high school, I always wanted to do something with numbers and as time went on, I thought about getting into accountancy. So I took it at college and found I pretty good at it (I was the best in my class and everyone knew it). So then I took it at university too. Now I work in the finance department of a building society, but I'm not sure I want to continue studying and become fully qualified. Sure, the money would be better, but after finishing Uni, I was just so fed up with the idea of studying, that I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. I'd like to try something else, but I've no idea where to start and inevitably, it would no doubt result in a pay cut and I'm trying to save money at the moment. Plus with the job market being what it is, options are few and far between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lillster Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I'm still not 100% what I want to do, but have decided I want to go back to College. To get on the course though, I will need to get a level 2 certificate in maths and english, which I am currently doing. I'm still not 100% sure I will get on the course, even with both those certificates. Hopefully me going down to learn direct in my free time, will show that i'm determined. The course i'm applying for is 'ICT Practitioners BTEC National Diploma - Level 3' After I complete the course (two years long), I will be able to do a HND or University Graduate Programme. The college course is two years long and then if I do a Degree that's another two or three years, so four or five years of my life will be studying. Will it be worth it? Im 23 at the moment, 24 in December. The only thing I do know is, whatever I do, I think it would be best I studyed computing, since that's the only thing i'm good at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Since I started attending the gymnasium, I have fallen in love with classical philology. I want to study it at university level and become a teacher in those subjects, either at gymnaisum level or, if I can make it, at university level. I've always loved to teach other people - or more precisely helping my friends with their homework. I've been told that once I've explained things to them, they understand them much better, so I seem to have a knack for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayseven Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I'm pretty certain I'm destined for a series of unrelated jobs scraping enough money together so I can take 6 months off and sit around doing nothing... for the rest of my life. Dream job; sit at home doing nothing while telling everyone I'm an AUTHORRRRRRR. I don't know how much it pays. CHEERS FOR DEPRESSING ME ASH! *stab stab* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 CHEERS FOR DEPRESSING ME ASH! *stab stab* I'm in a similar boat. The depressing/stab worthy people are those that are like "yeah I have a career it all worked out fine for me lalalala" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supergrunch Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I can't see myself becoming much other than a professional linguist, to be honest... which would be awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I work in retail and after reading how much Jav earns, I don't feel so bad . There is a lot of scope for promotion at my place and the yearly bonus is always handy. Been there almost 3 years now and still enjoying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I'm thinking of going into advertising. It's an evil industry, so that's tempting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining_again Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I make 14.5k, in a call centre in the NHS. Go me. I got lucky, came straight out of college into the job i'm in as a temp. Been here 4 years and counting. Started as a temp in another dept. Got told to switch over to this pilot call centre or lose my job... Went over to call centre and not long after that applied for a "job" with it, working for the trust rather than through the agency (about 1.50 ph pay rise switching!) Now theres talk of the jobs becoming permanent with RPA being done, and us moving to our fancy new place. I think I'm kinda landed considering I don't have a degree. Could get supervisor job when we expand (im more than experienced enough, probably would be expected to apply for it if they ever came around) I actually don't mind my job at all. Yay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I'm thinking of going into advertising. It's an evil industry, so that's tempting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyxis Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I work for Barclays Commercial in one of their banking departments... Been there for 2 years now and I'm sick of it, but I'm trapped there due to the state of the economy. I started searching for another job just before the economy hit the fan.:awesome: The people I work with are really not my cup of tea. I'd love to go to university and study Chinese or go abroad and travel, but I cant because I'll be moving out and settling down soon and none of that is really possible! I'm studying Chinese in my spare time and I'll be taking my Intermediate HSK exam in October this year. I am also learning HTML/XHTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, MySQL and etc and I'll see where that takes me once I've mastered everything. Anything to stop my brain from rotting. The economy sucks, but we might as well make the most of it and improve ourselves during this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 I can't see myself becoming much other than a professional linguist, to be honest... which would be awesome. What does a professional linguist do? Do you make up words because I do that...No? Okay. But seriously, what? The economy sucks, but we might as well make the most of it and improve ourselves during this time. Great for us graduating eh? :P Good to see you're using your time wisely though. Neither chinese nor scripting is easy to learn so good luck with it After reading an interview with Alexandra Patsavas I have decided I want to be a music supervisor for a show and im about 14% serious of that! Hmm, may actually look into it. Will give me an excuse to listen to more music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supergrunch Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 What does a professional linguist do? Do you make up words because I do that...No? Okay. But seriously, what? Lol, it's basically a type of academic. Hold some kind of university position, theorise about language/grammar etc. give lectures, and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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