Help Me With Career Choices Pretty Please

n57602000

I Am In The Process Of Sorting Out My Life To Put It Straight To The Point.

I Am Turning 21 This August Been Away Travelling Went To College Got A Levels Good Gcse Results And Been Working Past 2 Years Before And After Travelling As A Swimming Teacher In Health Clubs And In Infant School And Just Past My Fa Football Level 1 Coaching Course.

At The Moment Looking At Getting A Good Qualification In My Future Career But With Me Being Me Very Easy Going I Am Not Sure Which One To Aim For Most As They Both Appeal To Me And Would Suit Me Very Well But Cant Choose So Leaving It Up To You Guys To Help Me Out.

Firstly The Choices

1. degree In Primary School Teaching Studying At University For 3 Years
2. starting Apprenticeship/city Guilds At College In Plumbing And Heating For 2 Years

i Know They Both Have Their Pros And Cons But Very Unsure So Any Advice Or Recommedations Would Be Wonderful Just To Help Me Out Always Good To Have A Second Persons View.

I Will Be Applying Late (very) But In Time For This September Start

Cheers Everyone :t

impecunious

I think that you are torn between a career that you obviously enjoy -teaching - and one that pays quite highly - plumbing.

My gut instinct tells me that you should go for the plumbing profession. And I shall tell you why: I spent my university years in one that was also a teaching training college and the amount of work that they did would have put a workaholic to shame!! The typical day whilst they were doing school experience was from about 7am till 6pm. Then completing their lesson plans for the next day, finishing around 10pm. I know all this because my ex was a trainee teacher. On top of all this, they had to complete their studies. It is bloody hard work and involves lots of research, which you evidently know little about!

QTS - Qualified Teacher Status - is a degree that lasts, not three years, but FOUR! The alternative, is doing a degree for three years and then doing a PGCE for a further year. Primary school teaching, both Key Stage 1 and 2, is heavily subscribed. Secondary school teaching is, by contrast, quite easy to get to.

Plumbing and Heating is less studying and more money. I suggest you go for it!

cannycat

Only become a teacher if you enjoy:

- crowd control
- working EVERY night during term time (and I mean weekends as well) until 10.00 pm
- getting ill the second term ends and/or catching every bug going round the school (they change every term)
- hideous amounts of paperwork
- the syllabus changing every 5 minutes because the government can't make its mind up what it wants its future citizens to learn
- being OFSTED-ed every few years
- backchat (think Lauren from the Catherine Tate show aged 7 x 30 - I'm NOT joking)
- stroppy parents wanting to know why you haven't turned their Little Johnny or Jemima into Einstein Mark II
- having to teach everything under the sun from swimming to science
- oh, and if you're anywhere near the West Country, dodgy PFI schools that are too hot to breathe in and have stupidly 'designed' classrooms (though to be fair the primary schools were ok)

I know people go on about how teachers are contributing to humanity, but honestly, decent sanitation is a pretty good contribution as well!!

(Yes, I am a qualified teacher; no, I don't do it for a living, having decided during my training year it definitely wasn't for me.)

I also know a couple of plumbers; they do earn good money; they also have to put in incredible amounts of hours, but at least they don't have to deal with 30 clients at once!

n57602000

Thank you ever so much for you two your comments are great help to me very good information and well in depth many thanks for taking your time to right it down.

I am in the south east of the country - Surrey - so would be working in this very expensive part of the country to live for both careers which one i will choose in the end.

More peoples comments and information on the 2 areas would be perfect

Conor_3

impecunious wrote: »

Plumbing and Heating is less studying and more money. I suggest you go for it!

And you don't have to have a decent level of literacy.:rolleyes:

n57602000

Dont Start Getting All Smarty Pants With The Comments I Am Not Here To Hear The Stereotypical Views That People Have On Certain Trades As I Am A Very Bright Person With Lots Of Things Going For Me Just Looking For Advice From Other People Not Involved In My Life

chocolatechipcookies

If you close your eyes, which one do you see yourself doing?

chocolatechipcookies

Conor wrote: »

And you don't have to have a decent level of literacy.:rolleyes:

Come on now, just because someone is in a trade, doesn't mean they're dumb. He came here for some advice, not a snarky, ignorant, immature comment.

n57602000

chocolatechipcookies wrote: »

If you close your eyes, which one do you see yourself doing?

I can see me doing sports/coaching/teaching as well as a trade i am really stuck its a pain in the back side :mad: i need to decide within the next week as thats when the deadlines are for applying for this year thank you guys so far for your help its good to speak to someone you dont know directly

chocolatechipcookies

n57602000 wrote: »

I can see me doing sports/coaching/teaching as well as a trade i am really stuck its a pain in the back side :mad: i need to decide within the next week as thats when the deadlines are for applying for this year thank you guys so far for your help its good to speak to someone you dont know directly

I suggest talking to a career counsellor at the college/university. They are very helpful. I saw one about suggestion with courses and how and where to start. You could also talk to some tutors, to get an idea of what it's really like.