What if you're not a "career" person?

tea_lover

I only know a handful of people who have degrees that are directly related to their work (a doctor and a couple of nurses). My degree is in Geography and I work in the engineering sector, my two closest colleagues have English and History degrees.

My uni friends from my course have gone into all kinds of jobs - teaching, business, accounting, self-employment, etc. Of the ones I'm still in touch with, I'd be surprised if anyone was on NMW - I don't know their salaries of course but they all seem to be slightly off the bottom of the ladder.

Personally I've found a 'general' degree has always been a bonus when looking for work, and has opened doors rather than limiting me. Plus I absolutely loved the subject and studied it purely for enjoyment.

theoretica

Changing careers is often faster than starting from scratch because a lot of skills transfer, you know how to learn and can work out what is most important. A doctor turned farmer would be well equiped to deal with understanding the scientific part of farming - deciding how much fertiliser to use where and that sort of thing. If they were a GP and ran a surgery the business aspects might relate.

hcb42

I dont think there is any such thing as making a decision at a young age you are stuck with.

I am 46, still don't know "what I want to do", but I have had a very satisfying career and travelled the world, worked in Europe, Australasia, America and Africa, and worked in three core industry segments. Didnt get a degree until I was 35+ either! (although that was an MBA)

the main thing is you don't let your skills ever go stale. Difference between building a career and having a job.

On the other hand, to answer the opening title, if you are not a career person, and want to earn the same (ish) wage for doing a similar job day to day, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that (as long as you dont find yourself down a one way alley in 30 years with out of date skills...or even worse, out of date excuses)

Armorica

I’m not sure what is ‘narrow minded’ about it. There are plenty of good jobs that are diverse in their own right - working for different clients, or a combination of management alongside other functions (selling, operations, strategy etc.)

If your particular angle is at university level, then just pick subjects that are timelessly good for employment - maths, languages, history etc.

Incidentally, studying business at uni absolutely isn’t necessary to work in business or finance. Nor is studying law (at undergraduate level) to be a lawyer.

For the skilled jobs, yes I’d quite like my doctor to have studied medicine at uni instead of farming

The University I went to (Keele) offered diverse subjects - essentially you pick one or two subjects, but almost everyone does additional modules in the first and sometimes second year. My two main subjects were Maths and French. My additional subjects were astronomy and computer programming. Maths included aspects of programming too alongside pure/stats/mechanics/and a little economics. French include history, culture, literature as well as just the narrower language/translation/grammar subjects. I never got bored

Education is only limiting if you want it to be.

Elfbert

kingslayer wrote: »

The thought of a career is a little narrow minded. I mean yes, having a regular job is important to earn money, but on the other hand, spending every day/week/month/year in the same kind of work is, in my opinion, unsatisfying.

Having to choose just one (or if a minor/major, then two at most) course at university/college to pursue is limiting a person of other options for work or "career."

My colleagues are engineers, artists, architects, painters and degree-less.

I did a degree in 3Dimensional design in woods, metals, ceramics and plastics. Yesterday at work I fixed a router issue with our computers/server, I fixed a phone system fault, I bought £200 of model aeroplanes, I removed some steelwork from a model and fixed 15 model cablecars.

Tomorrow I'll be fixing a motor and making a piece of brass sculpture...

A career doesn't have to be boring, the same day-in, day-out, and a degree doesn't have to put you on a certain path.

I left my last job because, after 4 years I found it boring, but many of the skills I had were transferable, and since starting my new job I've learnt hundreds of new skills.

I do hope you find something you enjoy one day.

AubreyMac

I didn't go uni as I didn't know what I wanted to do and now that I'm in my early 30's, I still don't.

Best jobs I've ever had was when I was doing receptionist work. I loved interacting with people very briefly and all different types of people in all roles and levels. It's also quiet when not much is going on. I would be happy to do reception work forever but in any organisation, it's one of the lowest paid roles.

Now I work in social services, the pay is better and work is easy to come by. But I don't like it. It's too overwhelming, too bureaucratic and I hate the hierarchy of it all. But I need the salary and stability.

It is my ambition that when I can affort to, I will go back to doing reception work.

jezebel

Who says you can only have one career?

Portfolio "careers" where people have a number of roles have never been more popular - people do more than one job to pay the bills.

Some people do a job and have a career alongside it - people like entrepreneurs who set up on e-bay , crafty people sell at Christmas markets or on etsy, coaches and counsellors who work part time - these are all things that i know people do as a "career" on top of their day jobs.

And you can re-train, or switch careers whenever you like - yes it's not easy but if you are determined you can do it.

The only narrow-minded people are those that say you can only have one career!

Gavin83

I work in IT. Hard to say if this is a hobby or not (I'd probably dabble if I did some other career) but I certainly find certain aspects of IT interesting and on the most part I enjoy my job. There are of course elements I don't enjoy and days I wake up and wish I didn't have to go to work but I do mostly find my job interesting. It also helps that I'm well paid as it allows me to live in a nice flat in London and do the things I want to outside of work.

Saying that, if I were to win £20m on the lottery I would likely leave my job and fill my life with hobbies instead totally on my own terms.

trailingspouse

Well, I'm on my third career.

Started off as a paper-pusher (yes, it was all paper back then) in the insurance industry, aged 18, and progressed to claims negotiator with a major broker.

Had kids and re-trained as a teacher when I was 37. Added skills (TEFL, Train the Trainer).

I'm now a company director with a pharmaceutical consultancy.

Some skills are totally transferable - negotiating, getting along with people, knowing how to learn, being organised. And my knowledge of the insurance industry, albeit a bit dated now, has helped enormously with my work as a finance director.

wiogs

kingslayer wrote: »

What i mean is, most people study for, or work their way up towards a specific job/career. For example, if you go to university or college, you have to pick a specific course, e.g. Art & design if you want to go into art; business studies if you want to go into business/finance; science if you want to go into a scientific/medical career etc.

Most people only have a specific set of skills applicable to a certain job. If a doctor wanted to turn his/her hand to farming, they wouldn't be able to as he/she hasn't learnt the skills applicable to farming and vice versa, or if a nurse wanted to turn her/his hand to graphic design, they likely wouldn't be able to as they've studied/used specific skills only applicable to nursing, or a plumber wanted to turn his hand to being an actor and vice versa.

I just feel it's limiting to only work one specific job during your life. What if a person wanted to become an artist; an actor; a musician; a salesman; an electrician; a graphic designer; own a business; a physiotherapist; a personal trainer; a speech therapist all in one. If someone had interest in all those areas, but could only choose one (or at the most two) option to pursue and focus on 100%, it's limiting someone, don't you think?

Many people have transferable skills, although they may not realise it.

There is no reason to limit yourself to one type of job or indeed one sector.