careers

[cassi]

Ok so I should be in college now doing A-levels in Law, Geography, government and politics and English lit....however then I found out I was pg and had to drop out.

I would never have time to do all those again now and I could'nt go into law either because it will take up too much time and I would like to spend time with my son.

So I need to choose a whole new career path, I can see me in an office, maybe a company car? Thats about as far as I have got, midwifery did cross my mind, but its not me.

Any ideas? Or what do you do? What perks do you get? And how did you get there?

Cheers
Cas x

 

[Alfiesmummy]

computer prgramming? your a comp whizz

 

[cassi]

I did start college doing that but then I had to move

 

[Nicola]

I was in marketing and advertising. Easy to get into really (although I went in with a masters degree so missed out the bottom few rungs of the career ladder). Perks? god everything you can imagine, a car, mobile phone, laptop....free travel, international travel/hotels etc and an extra few days there (paid!!) to see the sites/shopping etc. Parties and soooo many freebies, i.e the product you were working on so from pens and t-shirts to weekends in a spa or a haircut, god anything was free there you just had to work on the right launches etc!! Plus if you are reliable etc the hours can kinda suit yourself at a junior management level, after that it get's more demanding but your son will be older by the time you reached that level. Great fun, young and enthusiastic team, I can actually see you doing that kinda thing well in all honestly.

 

[Dee1985]

im a techinical advicor for BT wholesale ADSL.

i enjoy my job as it is very challenging

lots of perks, the money is great and i get 1 year paid mat leave

the only thing i hate is sitting on my bum all day. and my down fall is i cannot understand different accents to wel if a scotch man phones i can never understand them, and irish and tiscali in india

 

[cassi]

I was in marketing and advertising. Easy to get into really (although I went in with a masters degree so missed out the bottom few rungs of the career ladder). Perks? god everything you can imagine, a car, mobile phone, laptop....free travel, international travel/hotels etc and an extra few days there (paid!!) to see the sites/shopping etc. Parties and soooo many freebies, i.e the product you were working on so from pens and t-shirts to weekends in a spa or a haircut, god anything was free there you just had to work on the right launches etc!! Plus if you are reliable etc the hours can kinda suit yourself at a junior management level, after that it get's more demanding but your son will be older by the time you reached that level. Great fun, young and enthusiastic team, I can actually see you doing that kinda thing well in all honestly.

Thats the sort of thing that would suit me to a tee, something with a target, but fun at the same time...how would I get into something like that?

Cheers
cas x

 

[foxymum]

sounds good to me too, giz a job

 

[Nicola]

Most proper marketing positions require experience now whether this is via college with a few work placements along the way or by doing say a year in something tedious like telesales is up to you. Keep your eye out for office junior positions in marketing firms, you'll be amazed at how fast you can jump out of that and into a junior marketing role. Look on sites like monster.co.uk and fish4jobs.co.uk they are always seeking marketing reserachers or marketing assistants (I was an MA when I came out of Uni it's a great learning curve!!) and just mainly use common sense when applying/interviewing, they ask questions at interview (for things like a marketing assitant) about whether you think you are more creative or more organised (you have to be both!!) so think up a great answer to questions like that as they often think creative people are messy workers and organised people are not enough fun for the role. As soon as you land a role like an MA (they usually start on something really crappy around the £14k marker per year but the perks make up a few thousand a year too once you sink your teeth into it and you'll soon earn much more!). Advertising is a killer game.....be prepared for long hours and ultra stiff competition, I wasn't so keen on that side, very cut throat industry, one crappy launch and your out type thing but dabbling a little is fun - the first year or 18 months might seem duller than you think of it to be but it gets so much better and the longer you are with them the more courses and opportunities you get, I'd not been with my company 6 months and got a holiday to Spain out of it for "team work". Most colleges offer an HNC or NVQ etc in Marketing, it's fun even on college level, I done the HNC, then the HDN the second year and from there gained 3rd year uni entrance - heaps of options etc, PM me if you want to know anything more specifc...or when you get an interview, I'll tell you what to expect depending on the firm in question!! Good luck!

 

[sparky]

i work for a charity and enjoy no fancy material perks...only the warm fuzzy feeling that i've done something to help the lives of others...

I do get 9 months maternity on 50% pay which is better than statutory!

 

[Minime]

Social Work.

No perks, government pay which in no way reflects the responsibility the job holds, no company car but some places do a lease scheme, good pension, occasional abuse, very little thanks but hey like Sparky you dont do it for the money

 

[cassi]

I was joking about the car etc lol...I just want something that I will enjoy, Nicola that sounds great, I have been recently been applying for IT recruitment jobs which is telesale based do you think this would be a good starting point?

Cas

 

[jennywren]

Just don't get a job in I.T its a load of crap lol

 

[kimmumof2]

Hi, im a student at university and i am doing social work. can i ask why you think you will not be able to carry on with education? obviously if you dont want to its your choice but i left school pregnant at 16 and took a year out did my a levels and i am in my second yr at uni and although i will av to take a yr out i will still definately go bk next yr. you could take a yr out and do a job that might not be high paid etc but will keep you financially until you can go bk to college. obviously its your choice but i wouldnt giv up on your education so quickly im glad i didnt and i have got friends who did and wish they were at uni with me now. good luck with whatever you decide to do hun!! xxxxxx

 

[Nicola]

Cassi gonna send you a PM hun!

 

[Fingers crossed]

How about teaching assistant, you can do a distance learning course and you'll get school holidays off when baby is older

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Hi Cassi, I am a softwer engineer. Well I insist on calling myself that but really I am a technical manager, I don't get to do much real programming any more . I am technically responsible for all the software projects in our department. I did a MEng in Systems Engineering (course developed by BAE) with placements in the summer and year out. If you are serious about IT send me a PM or we could have a chat on Friday if you fancy? Eithe way give me a PM - I am not stuck in this house this week no deliveries to wait for.

 

[Happybunny]

Hi Cassi!

Like you, I wanted to do Law. Unfortunately, it was too expensive to do the £5000 post graduate course (I didn't even have £5 then), it costs £10,000 to do 2 years post grad if you have a non-law degree.

Any way, I went down the teaching route...many accountant, barrister friends scoffed.

However, it is the best decision I ever made and I really love my job. I specialised in Special Needs and work in a special school, the kids are brilliant, the management are excellent and I get 13 weeks holiday a year plus a very respectable salary. People whinge about teaching salary, but in all honesty, once you've worked 5 years, have some managment and threshold points, you are laughing. And lets be honest, where else can you get paid for painting/theatre trips/singing...obviously there is a lot of hard work too....but it is a very rewarding career. (Sound like the dodgy teaching recruitment adverts now) But you do have to be in a *nice school for it to be a good job!

You can always do an access course when you are settled with your little one. My sister started uni at the age of 22 through the access route. She now has a grduate IT job.

Good luck to you honey!!!
Michelle
xxxx

* by nice, I mean where the head realises that kid's happiness and welfare come before league tables (there are a few of these schools left )

 

[Tangerinedream]

I am a housing officer *runs and ducks for cover* which isnt a very popular carear. Since being pg i have been exclusively chasing rent arrears. the money is good but you get a lot of abuse. Oh and you meet all kinds. No two days are the same lol. I get a works mobile and get to claim milage (40p per mile).

 

[nathanmum]

i too am thinking of a new career. ive had enough of working for the nhs and nursing in general, had such a bad shift that a formal complaint had gone in(not about me about what happened) it was the final straw. i just dont know what to do though?? ive always quite fancied trying estate agency but i only wanna do part time so im finding it hard trying to find anything. i quite fancy working with familys in the community doing what i dont know??? but i need it to pay what im earning at the mo to keep OH happy. im tied in with the nhs until april so ive got some time to think of it. ive given up on my midwifery ideas, the things that annoy me about being a nurse are going to be the same as a midwife so im just gonna have my own babies.

 

[cassi]

can i ask why you think you will not be able to carry on with education

I didnt say education? I meant law

Thanks very much for you're replies girls its helped alot......nicky that sounds good too I have my driving test on Friday but if i pass il get alan to put me on the 307 insurance and il come over and see you if you like !!! I love my computers..so it would be a nice job....thanks very much for the pm nicola

cas xx[/code]