Son needs help to decide what job/career he wants to do

[geek84]

Good Morning Folks

My son who is 15 years old and in year 11 at school needs help to decide what job/career he would ideally be suited for when past compulsory school age. He met the school careers advisor last week but he seems to be non the wiser.

Can you suggest any tests/quizzes which he can do online and which can help him to separate his likes/dislikes in order for him to achieve a more manageable list of jobs/careers from which he can choose?

Thanks

 

[motorbiking]

If I'd have taken the advice of the school careers advisor, I'd be a lot worse off than I am now. You need to see what interests him. Is he creative, a quick thinker, has good attention to detail etc? What does he want to achieve in life? Success is much more about attitude than skills. Also boys don't really perform well in school until they hit 18-20.

 

[DaveHerns]

What does HE want to do? My parents wanted me to get a proper job and I ended up in insurance.... I wanted to be an electrician when I was a boy.

 

[Burnerman]

Try:
nationalcareersservice.direct.gov for general thoughts, career definitions and required qualifications.
I guess a lot could depend on his predicted grades at the end of yr 13 or equivalent as he has to be either at school or doing a college course.
On line quizzes are pretty useless I think as the suggested jobs are strictly limited. Has he any thoughts at all yet?
John

 

[blightymam]

I think in a way it doesn't matter what he tells the school. A lot of kids change their minds when they start coming into their own. The only thing I can think of is if he is off to do A-levels after, then to stick with subjects he has a keen interest in because it will keep him motivated. 15 in a lot of ways is too young to decide which career to choose imo and nothing wrong with night classes etc if he fancies a big change of direction later on.

My school suggested hairdressing, couldn't have been a worse choice for me. I didn't really get into my career until in my early 20's even tho I did always want to do what I ended up doing from the age of 17.

 

[geek84]

Thanks folks.

My son seems to be focused on becoming a secondary school teacher, but I think he can only see the amount of holidays that teachers seem to get, and he does not seem to be too concerned about the amount of time teachers spend doing admin work and lesson planning.

Another issue is that he seems to be focused so much on this teaching idea that he refuses to consider a secondary job/career in case he does end up not enjoying teaching.

 

[Burnerman]

For sure, teaching did me no harm, 33 years in the job and finishing off at just under £58k
Once established, lesson planning and whatever becomes a breeze but that does take years! I had to train for 4 years unpaid, of course - teaching practice every year in different schools.
Teacher training courses are vastly different now and the dedicated colleges have gone.....all being universities now. If he is that keen, he could check out a typical uni to see what the courses involve.
My own was St. John's York and it still exists with a good reputation. At least during his training years he is free to change if he doesn't think its for him.
John

 

[geek84]

Thanks Burnerman

 

[HawkEye244]

What you do is get a job and find out if you can stand it or not, if not, move on.

I would not touch uni or college in this country it is an expensive waste of time/life.

 

[blightymam]

What you do is get a job and find out if you can stand it or not, if not, move on.

I would not touch uni or college in this country it is an expensive waste of time/life.

College is free, up to the age of 18 and I think its a good cushion while kids decide what they want to do. However, it may be expensive but it's getting to the stage now that many employers want to see college or uni education so what is a kid to do if he/she wants to get a good job?

 

[Burnerman]

I found that further education was the most beneficial thing possible for me.....leaving home never to return, leaving as a child and finishing as a man - the usual rubbish.
As well as giving me a fabulous career (in my opinion) it also allowed me to investigate engineering which couldn't have happened on its own. That included working in coal fired power stations (boiler drums) and on two stroke engine exhaust development Both hardly useful now!
Its so wrong for kids to be forced into further education though, just because it is the 'done thing' and their friends are doing it.
John

 

[blightymam]

Its so wrong for kids to be forced into further education though, just because it is the 'done thing' and their friends are doing it.
John

True indeed.
Does seem to be thing thing now tho, uni. Compared to when I was a uni age where only a handful of my mates went, and uni education was free back then too!

 

[OwainDIYer]

My son seems to be focused on becoming a secondary school teacher,

That usually means a subject degree plus a teaching qualification. A good choice of subject degree opens up a lot of other careers instead of or after teaching - and there are a lot of other areas of 'teaching' apart from secondary schools, from IT training to art therapy in psychiatric hospitals.

 

[Burnerman]

Just speaking for myself, once more.....
I reckon one of the most valuable attributes about further education is leaving home. A bit of a wrench at first maybe but you soon get used to it!
Coming from a pretty naff grammar school up here then starting to mix, work and live with other young people - some of whom had come from some fairly grand public schools was a real eye opener, with me thinking that all schools were the same. That was an education in itself!
The opportunity to work and be taught by absolutely brilliant people was priceless - I am so thankful for my education but I didn't always see it at the time.....I guess that was natural.
Its also a great developer of interpersonal skills, so necessary when becoming a teacher......watch the barrack room lawyers being taken down a peg or three.
John

 

[Roger928]

Teachers are well over paid and is one of the reasons we have such a debt deficit.
There was this student who worked with me part time who was at uni training to be a woodwork teacher (think they call themselves something different nowadays) and he said his starting salary was £18k.
Told him he wasn't worth that and he took umbrage.