How do people decide their job

emmany

Besides this epidemic that's destroying everyone's lives anyway.
Pretty much everyone I've met falls into two categories:
1. They knew a friend or relative
2. It was the only thing at the time
Does anybody actually choose their career path or does it choose them? 

cgk1

emmany said:

Besides this epidemic that's destroying everyone's lives anyway.
Pretty much everyone I've met falls into two categories:
1. They knew a friend or relative
2. It was the only thing at the time
Does anybody actually choose their career path or does it choose them? 

I'm currently an academic - I decided to become an academic - neither 1 nor 2 applies to me. 

avoidtheupsidedownbottles

Very competent people really can choose their career - e.g. Oxbridge graduates have companies falling over themselves to recruit them - and often in very different fields from the candidate's degree subject.  For the rest of us, there is some scope for moving career, perhaps after 1) or 2).  Really there's never been a better time to learn a new subject. 

emmany

cgk1 said:

I'm currently an academic - I decided to become an academic - neither 1 nor 2 applies to me. 

What were your other choices at the time if you don't mind me asking?

avoidtheupsidedownbottles said:

Very competent people really can choose their career - e.g. Oxbridge graduates have companies falling over themselves to recruit them - and often in very different fields from the candidate's degree subject.  For the rest of us, there is some scope for moving career, perhaps after 1) or 2).  Really there's never been a better time to learn a new subject. 

I'd definitely like to learn a new field, but once you factor in how much you need connections, special talents, a degree, etc. it becomes a bit of a nightmare to land on anything vocationally specific. I could learn mandarin, how to install a radiator, cloud formation types, the biology of a turtle... can't decide where to start.

[Deleted User]

I picked my job out of 2 offers in January 2020 I can’t describe the wait to hear I’d got the job at 3.30pm on a Friday with the other offer the afternoon before, a moment not forgotten. At the moment I’m more outbound calls (telesales to drum up new customers) then doing the normal day to day stuff but suppose it’s got to be done in a small business and fortunately I have had the experience before. I can do this type of work so it’s more repeated behaviour of what’s worked well in past for me! at the moment.

avoidtheupsidedownbottles

emmany said:

I'd definitely like to learn a new field, but once you factor in how much you need connections, special talents, a degree, etc. it becomes a bit of a nightmare to land on anything vocationally specific. I could learn mandarin, how to install a radiator, cloud formation types, the biology of a turtle... can't decide where to start.

Yes I know what you mean.  One thing that can help is a visit to a career consultant (perhaps they'd be called a life coach these days) where they run you through aptitude, preference and personality tests, and then put together a report tailored to you giving a range of recommendations to consider.  Edit - there are a few books out there that aim to do the same thing, but without the personalised recommendations.

middleclassbutpoor

My tip would be to buy a book from amazon called strengthsfinder 2.0.  (about £10 last time I looked)
There is a code in there which will give you access to an online survey which will give you your top 5 strengths. 
The premise is that as long as the job/career that you choose allows you to use these strengths, you should thrive in it.  Completely opened my eyes and helped me understand why I am naturally better at certain things in my role than other things. 

Dox

emmany said:

Besides this epidemic that's destroying everyone's lives anyway.
Pretty much everyone I've met falls into two categories:
1. They knew a friend or relative
2. It was the only thing at the time
Does anybody actually choose their career path or does it choose them? 

Perhaps you need to meet a broader cross section of people? Plenty of us choose a career path after doing the necessary research and then train appropriately.

John_

emmany said:

Besides this epidemic that's destroying everyone's lives anyway.
Pretty much everyone I've met falls into two categories:
1. They knew a friend or relative
2. It was the only thing at the time
Does anybody actually choose their career path or does it choose them? 

I chose mine, after trying a couple of other careers first.

i joined the civil service after my degree, but left after a year when it was clear that time served was more important than ability when it came to advancement. I then did a doctorate in physics, and started working in that, but didn’t like being only one person in a collaboration of 800, so looked round again, and liked the sound of trading in a bank, so did some research, fired off some application forms, and two decades later am still doing it.

It’s a challenging job, and can be very high stress, but I love it.

amandacat

I’ve changed careers several times in my life. Once I found what I enjoyed I stayed put. I’m fortunate to be quite academic so I’ve been able to pursue qualifications to allow me to enter the career I wanted. My husband on the other hand left school with no qualifications and struggles with study so would find it hard to complete a qualification (by his own admission). He has always done manual work- whatever he has been able to get. But he’s happy with this and has no desire to learn anything in order to get a more skilled job. 

Johnmcl7

 I have a personal interest in computers and technology so applied for and was able to get jobs of that type.