Careers guidance

[Tom]

I had leave uni last year, so I went and got myself a real job with long term prospects, pension and all that sensible stuff. Nearly 4 months in and its going really well, and it looks like a promotion is on it's way as soon as a branch manager position becomes avaliable.

 

The problem is that the more time I spend there the more i realise that I am better than this job, and that I have a lot of skills to offer that could be better used elsewhere. Plus I really dont want to work in insurance for the rest of my life...

 

I am planning to continue and finsih my degree via the Open University, but that will take several years, so I cant look for graduate positions. I want to have a detailed face to face interview with someone who can really help me find what I'm looking for, but the only place I can think of for that is the job centre, but they don't really cater for 'professionals', more the manual/retail side of things.

 

Anyone have any ideas who I could speak to about this, as I think a bit of advice and guidance could be really usefull.

[Nintendork]

First of all your impression of the Job Centre is quite misinterpreted. They're very good these days.. my one was very helpful.. while they do cater to the masses like myself they will help you out.

 

Secondly never stop learning, true wisdom is understanding that you know nothing.

 

Thirdly, don't up yourself too much.. you migth be better than the job but there's more to life than money and being the best you can be.

If you're not challenged then fair enough but you shouldn't think this way.

 

Lastly.. err, what was I gonna say now? hmm.. oh yeah, do something you enjoy and you'll never work a day in your life.

 

I'm on a gap year right now.. part of me wants to go to University, work hard for a few years and get a good job with lots of money.

 

Part of me wants to doss around, get a shitty job with few prospects but enjoy my life with my friends in my hometown.

Skateboarding, getting drunk and the like.

 

Life is very boring in the middle bit, why bother with it all? 20 years of schooling and they put you on the day shift as Bob Dylan once wrote.

 

I'd shoot myself if I had to live every day the same, no spontaneousness, living a slave to the things you own and borrowing money to live (mortgages etc..)

 

Part of me is a rebel.. and they always end up fools but do what you feel you want to, not what you should do. If that makes sense.

 

Should being your sensible side, want being yourself.

[|Laguna|]

^Just wanted to say thanks.

 

A very good, true post in my opinion.

 

I have always maintained the stance that in life it is surely better to do a job which you enjoy, instead of having amassed lots and lots of wealth, simply because you'll have missed out/not enjoyed a lot of your life in doing so.

Well, that's how I want to live anyway.

[Noodleman]

First of all your impression of the Job Centre is quite misinterpreted. They're very good these days.. my one was very helpful.. while they do cater to the masses like myself they will help you out.

 

My job center was utter shit when I was unemployed, not once did they so much as ask me what I wanted to do let alone even attempt to offer me any advice. The annoying thing being I found my job on there website so they'll blatantly think I got employed because of them.

 

Assuming you live near a university pop into the careers center there, the one at Norwich is supposed to be very good and was avaliable to everyont not just students.

[McPhee]

First of all your impression of the Job Centre is quite misinterpreted. They're very good these days.. my one was very helpful.. while they do cater to the masses like myself they will help you out.

 

Secondly never stop learning, true wisdom is understanding that you know nothing.

 

Thirdly, don't up yourself too much.. you migth be better than the job but there's more to life than money and being the best you can be.

If you're not challenged then fair enough but you shouldn't think this way.

 

Lastly.. err, what was I gonna say now? hmm.. oh yeah, do something you enjoy and you'll never work a day in your life.

 

I'm on a gap year right now.. part of me wants to go to University, work hard for a few years and get a good job with lots of money.

 

Part of me wants to doss around, get a shitty job with few prospects but enjoy my life with my friends in my hometown.

Skateboarding, getting drunk and the like.

 

Life is very boring in the middle bit, why bother with it all? 20 years of schooling and they put you on the day shift as Bob Dylan once wrote.

 

I'd shoot myself if I had to live every day the same, no spontaneousness, living a slave to the things you own and borrowing money to live (mortgages etc..)

 

Part of me is a rebel.. and they always end up fools but do what you feel you want to, not what you should do. If that makes sense.

 

Should being your sensible side, want being yourself.

 

Couldnt have put it better myself. I did the uni thing for a year too but got bored and quit. Im now working for a year to pay off this stupid student loan, in September im starting as an apprentice chef (1 day at college, 4 in a resturant), saving up money and then traveling the globe.

 

Keep trying out new things and you'll find something you enjoy doing, the people with the most job satisfaction are to ones who turn a hobby into a career!

 

If you need someone to talk to try your local Connexions Centre: http://www.connexions.gov.uk/

[Nintendork]

Connexions staff are poor, as soon as you phone up ask for the specialist careers advisor, otherwise you will get your job interest typed into a computer. Followed by a computer generated response advising you to do something that the computer says.

 

Talking to a humanoid is much better than talking to a computer through a human.. often they only have 1 careers advisor on at once so you might have to wait for them to call you back.

[Tom]

Connexions is no use to me as I'm 21. And given what other people have told me about the job centre I know that they are of no use to professionals.

 

I know what I want to be doing, but it's not something I can do at the moment, so for now I need a good job I'm constantly challenged in. I kinda like my current job, but I feel like I have pretty much sorted it out, and I can't see how it will get immensely more challenging in the future, even promotion to branch manager won't make things that much harder.

 

I want to speak to someone who can analyse my strengths and weaknesses and what I have to offer and suggest a route for me, as I know I have alot more to offer than this job is using. There must be somewhere that can do that. I'll try and employment agency and see what they say.