Advice needed please- asking on behalf of my son

gilly41

Hi
My son is 20 and away at University. He is doing a Foundation Degree and finishes in June after two years. He didnt do particularly well at school- he gained 3 GCSES in Physical Education, Information Technology and Drama at grade C and above. In Maths and English he got grade Ds. The local College agreed to let him have a place on a BTEC in Sport & Exercise Science(the minimum requirement is 4 GCSES but they had 2 spare places!) and he gained a pass in both years. I was so proud of him and from that he managed to secure a place on a Foundation degree in Sports Coaching(he is very talented at Football as he used to play for a professional club til he was 15 and this put him in good stead!)at a University. This was a dream for him and he has done really well and passed last year and this year he has done just as well. He has just applied to do a top up degree at the same Uni in Sports Management- this will finish next June and he will come out with a full degree.This again is more than he could have ever hoped for- he has also got the chance to go to America this summer(just been accepted) for 7 weeks to Coach Soccer in California.
Anyhow, this week the local careers/job centre have been in to Uni. They have had a chat with the people on my sons course and advised them that they have vacancies in the next town for the Borough Council as Sports Coaches

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starting on a salary of £18500.As you can appreciate my son is very interested ----there are apparently five vacancies!!!
He is now ringing me two/three times a day asking what he should do. If he applies he cant go to America cos the closing date for applicants for the Sports Coaching posts is in about 3 weeks time and he has to let them know by the end of March if he is going to California as if not his place will be offered to the next successful candidate- which of course is very fair!
What do you think he should do?
Also the Sports Coaching Vacancies will start before he returns from America at the end of August.
If he carries on and does the top up he will get a full degree and obviously will be better qualified but who is to say a job with that sort of money will come along again?
I really dont know what to advise him to do!!!!!
Thanks for any help
xx

kathfisch

Hi Gilly! Gosh, what a dilemma! Your son really has to think carefully and decide which route he feels is right for him, no one else can know. I think my instinct would be to do the american coaching and get his full degree, jobs will always come along and he will have the best possible cv to apply for them. A friend of mine did sailing coaching in america last summer and he described it as truly a life changing event, he had an amazing time and learnt so much, about coaching and himself.

Obviously the job offer is tempting but how much does he know about it? It would be such a pity if it did not turn out to be as he had expected, if he had given up all sorts of things to take it.

Although you can clearly advise him and help his thoughts, that's what mums are for, he really needs to make the final decision for himself according to his own priorities, everyone is different after all. Money is not everything, after all, the experience of america and another year of study might be so much more valuable to him. As a mother it is natural for you to think of how nice the money would be (particularly as a dfw!) but maybe things are different from his point of view.

Best of luck to you and him

Kath

CLAPTON

i would say that both options are really good news; one gives him a great experience in america and a full degree ... a great basis to build a career and the other a very good job on a good salary. the US experience and full degree will probably open up better long term opportunites for the future and the US experience will always stand him is good stead. it depends upon his attitude to risk ...but i'm pretty certain he wont regret going to the US but he may regret not having tried there.

gilly41

Thanks for the advice. I am hoping he will opt to stay on and go to America. I know the other sounds very tempting with a good salary for a 20 year old but the chance to go to America and do a final year at Uni will probably only come along for him now!!!!
I think if he leaves he will never return to his studies and he will never get to America!!!
xx

lynzpower

Personally, I would go the other way, the only things that the America thing has going for it is a) its in america b) it gives him experience in coaching.
He would get this by applying and getting the job with the council. Experience in donig the job itself!

I would also say that my local authority often pay for further training, so if he mentions at interview that he wants to better himself in the long term and get the top up degree, would there be any leverage in getting them to pay for it? My employer (also a LA) paid my training course to the tune of 12k. and there were 12 other people also doing the course at the same time. If the LA is an investor in people then they are EVEN more likely to cough up!!

Also to say doing a training course/ academic course while you are doing the job makes the course easier, as you have practical info "coming in" all the time, by doing the job and you are learning from the course and immidiately putting things into practice. Surely he can coach there at any time in his life, and I believe that the salaries in the USA for this sort of thing are pretty amazing!

chatty123

i would say he should go for full degree in the usa.. you are only young once and the opportunity will never come araound again.. with his then degree there will always be a job somewhere..

chatty123

Oh! And Forgot To Add Good Luck To Him..

Murtle

I would go for the American option, only as a student I went straight into work following my degree a choice I will always regret. It helped pay back my debt but the experience gained so young in a different place will always hold him in good standing for future jobs. I was fortunate as I completed my placement abroad, and the benefit of that on my CV outweighed what I did there. It was the ability to live abroad facing new surroundings and new challenges, the fact that something new was an option and positive things that people asked about. With experience he could come back on more or be offered alternative posts elsewhere.

I hope what ever he chooses he is happy with.
x x

gilly41

Hi
I have spoken to him last night and he says he really wants to go to America and also he wants to take the job if he gets the chance!!!
I have tried to explain that this probably wont be possible!!!
He isnt really academic and getting him to even go to college was a struggle.He thinks that the top up degree will be very hard but i have said that if it is he can give it til Xmas and then make a decision- if it is not for him at least he will have tried.

On the other hand i know how tempting a salary of £18,500 for a 20 year old sounds when you are struggling on a student loan and doing bar work!!

I have suggested he has a chat with his lecturers tomorrow and see if they can help him. I am 100 miles away - it does make it more difficult.
The forms for America need to be in this week and his passport sorted. The date to go is 6th July so time is ticking away LOL
xx

bizzy_lizzie

I'd say try for both. The degree & USA experience would probably be good for his career overall but also gives him a chance to broaden his horizens but also expectations. Apply for the job too & if he convience them he is the best man for the job then maybe they'll wait a little. If it doesnt work then nothing is lost & if it does then everything gained.

Good luck

BL

Murtle

what has he chosen.....?!!

M