What should i do with the next 42 years?

misssarahleigh

I'm on the volunteer site's now applying for some things. Two so far and your right. i should make contact with the YOT again.

I think the lightbulb came yesterday. I was only meant to be at my current job 2 weeks which is now 8 months, but my job has never been safe. at the start i went week to week, they had a recruitment ban so could not take me on full time. Then my co-worker had to make a choice, my job or another (she did both half and half but one meant i would be out). this went on for months, then had to wait to see if we got the company contract again (as if not the entire department would be out on it's ear in march)

We eventually found we had the contract just after xmas so my boss set about getting me a full time position, i asked how that was going the other day and whether the recruitment ban had been lifted this year (i know full well it has by the new girl down the office who told me she was on staff)

The resonce was....

"well, it's the head of department we have to speak to, were all having a meeting wed but... were still making redundancies"

Doesn't sound to good as since i've been here 1/4 of the big managers have gone (left, fired, made redundant or latley dissapeared wihtout a word lol)

and i though, well sod you. If you don't want me i don't care because i don't want to spend the next god knows how many years being stuck in a dead end admin job anyway

and hance the reason for my plea for help lol

Well, theree's my life story :beer:

Annisele

misssarahleigh wrote: »

I want something where i can use my skills at being diplomatic and getting things solved. I enjoy the rush of winning the battle (normally in the form of ringing conpanies and tell them how their illegal behaviour means i don't have to pay a pennie lol)

Then maybe you want to work for trading standards, or for some kind of ombudsman service, or for somebody like citizens advice. You might also like a career in law, but that is seriously competitive and at your age you'd probably have to self-fund your courses - so only try that if you *really* want it.

Hermia

misssarahleigh wrote: »

I like the social science's. it interests me greatly and i personally can see the benifit but other people/employers don't get that.

When you fill in application forms or go to interviews do you actually emphasise the transferable skills your degree gave you? It's really important to do this no matter what subject you studied as the employer may not know anything about that subject. When I started out I really emphasised the fact that Sociology teaches you good research skills, information evaluation skills, social policy etc. You sort of have to explain things to potential employers as though they are idiots!

misssarahleigh

I do like law but as you say, i would have to be *very sure* thats what i wanted.

I haven't been to an interview on a job related career. couldn't even get that far lol but i shall certainly note this for when i do.

I did look at trading standards etc after reading another post on mse. Cannot remember which way round it was but one was based in London (I'm in West Yorkshire)

Citizans advice is a good idea but i can't seem to find a startin point for those. A lot of the jobs i see you need to be well qualified for them. Volunteering for them is good i suppose. shall add that to my list of things

flutterbyuk25

misssarahleigh wrote: »

I haven't been to an interview on a job related career. couldn't even get that far lol but i shall certainly note this for when i do.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but at 23 with a non-specialist degree you are unlikely to walk into a job-related career straight away.

At the moment concentrate on finding any job that is suitable for you (e.g. pay/hours etc), and then apply for a career related job as and when they come up. Keep up volunteering, build your skills and start networking!

It is usually easier to find a new job whilst you are in employment.

x

Welshwoofs

moggylover wrote: »

You know, I find it sad that an intelligent girl would let those with an axe to grind make you feel that you have been damaged by uni! You are not "10 a penny" and you have learnt not only a lot about your subject but a lot about yourself and your own life skills in pushing yourself to finish the degree even though you found you didn't like it!

Just to pick you up on something for a moment here.

I have absolutely no axe to grind, however I do a fair bit of hiring in my role and I've noticed in the last few years that just about every application across my desk comes from a graduate. These are for fairly unskilled entry-level jobs which would generally be filled by school or college leavers and not graduates.

Degrees are becoming devalued by the sheer number of them (and often by some of the wishy washy subjects on offer). Ultimately most employers will go for someone with solid experience rather than someone with a degree in something which appears rather general and unrelated to the job on offer.

In the Op's case it sounds like she has a good, solid degree and has a lot of options. However rather than simply applying for jobs randomly (where she's up again 1001 other people with degrees), I do think she'd be better served looking for graduate programs or more training to get into something she wants to do.

misssarahleigh

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

Please don't take this the wrong way, but at 23 with a non-specialist degree you are unlikely to walk into a job-related career straight away.

At the moment concentrate on finding any job that is suitable for you (e.g. pay/hours etc), and then apply for a career related job as and when they come up. Keep up volunteering, build your skills and start networking!

It is usually easier to find a new job whilst you are in employment.

x

I am in a job. i've said this throughout the thread. been here 8 months.

wontfallforit

Welshwoofs wrote: »

Degrees are becoming devalued by the sheer number of them (and often by some of the wishy washy subjects on offer). Ultimately most employers will go for someone with solid experience rather than someone with a degree in something which appears rather general and unrelated to the job on offer.

Agreed.

I do think though (and this isn't related to your post, just a general observation) that in recent years so-called "wishy washy" subjects have been devalued a little too much. It seems the vogue to deride some subjects as "wishy washy", when they're anything but. Whilst some degrees are clearly too obscure and irrelevant for anything except specific - and sometimes quite elusive - jobs, all degrees have their merit, in some way, shape or form.

Whilst there may be tens of thousands of graduates in subjects like "media studies", the fact remains that "the media" is still an important player in the UK/world economy. The sad fact is, as you point out, that there are simply too many graduates for jobs like this at this moment in time.

And as for subjects like the humanities and the social sciences, they have been valid subjects of study since time immemorial. Somebody who has the right 'brain' to study for and land a career within a discipline like chemistry, mathematics or engineering may simply not be equipped with the right skills - cognitive, interpersonal, or otherwise - to do a different profession like teaching, social work, or probation work (and vice versa).

Degrees that lead to professions in technical and/or highly specialist areas aren't necessarily better than those that don't. It just seems that there simply aren't enough young people who are particularly interested in those subjects. The balance has swung too much in favour of "softer", more people- and/or service-oriented professions, leaving many otherwise intelligent and capable graduates to the wayside.

I predict a swing back in the opposite direction in the next few decades. Currently there's a government campaign urging youngsters to refuel their interest in maths and science. That's all good and well, but what will happen when there are too many graduates looking to be doctors, engineers and accountants? Will there at some point be too few graduates to keep up with the pace of the likes of the media industry, middle management, police, probation, 'caring' professions, etc.?

hairy_g

misssarahleigh wrote: »

I am in a job. i've said this throughout the thread. been here 8 months.

Have you tried the NHS, Plenty of jobs other than nursing..

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/advsearch

misssarahleigh

I totally agree. Looking back i wish i had a plan, but my general thinking was that a degree was something that would land you a job. I took a year out after college but ended up as a receptionist for months. I felt i could do more than answer the phone and smile at customers.

Same position i'm in now really, i feel i can do more than what i'm doing. I want something with purpose which will help people, not companies.

the people on my course were average joe's. knowbody that i would especially say was intilegent or bright.

The most annoying thing was when we had the topic 'substance misuse' with the social workers that had opted for that course as part of their degree's.

I can only tell you that it was cringe worthy to see who would be looking after the young, old and disabled and to hear their views. Some of the people were just foul and all i kept thinking was my gos why would you chose such a caring profession when their attitude was anything but. i would love to be a fly on the wall to what some of them are doing now.

As seen in the thread i think it's whether the person looking at your cv or interviewing you thinks your degree is something to credit you for.


I applied for 5 jobs with the NHS while out of work and never got a reply from one.