View Full Version : Job/Career advice
Jamiebridges123
14-05-09, 04:56 AM
Halp me I'm a newbie in need :(
So uhm yeah... I'm having a tough time jobwise.. I'm on an E2E course atm which is a load of bowwocks... Basically you have to work "at least" 16 hours a week, of which I've been doing 31, and you are rewarded with an awesome £30 a week. :smt119 (Plus a £5 bonus occasionally but I never get it) Travel costs are covered but again I rarely get it.
Like holy shiznit batman that's a lot of money! Basically I do the same job as a paid employee yet I get no money for it.. It's gotten me down and I was supposed to work Tuesday and yesterday, but I called in sick.. I've lost motivation frankly.
Later today after my half a days training thing (part of this course), I'll pop in and talk to the Manager.. (fairly nice guy) and explain to him my problem and I'll also be telling him I won't be going in anymore.. I just can't keep doing it. I've lost motivation. It's a genuine struggle waking up in the morning. I'm not a lazy kid, I work my backside off and would happily do so but I'm sick of seeing a load of 0's in my bank account.
Which leads me on to the next issue.. I'm 18 in a week and will obviously sign onto the job centre plus thing which is like £96 every 2 weeks. However I'd then fall into my own stereotypical hatred of benefit claimers and would love to avoid this... I'm keeping my eyes peeled for jobs but that's not the big problem I have...
Basically, guys, my Mum thinks I should go to College or something (I have C grades across the board.. No revision + having taken an overdose at the time = bad bad bad), but I can't really cope in a classroom environment..I've never learnt much sat looking through books.. even more so not only would I have to go to College from say, 9-4, but I'd also be stuck with hours of coursework for projects and the like back at home, so basically it would be a 9-4 and then 6-10 job...
I'd personally rather get a job that gives you training (I don't really mind what..customer services, IT (pretty nifty at that) etc etc) so I can work and then get some qualifications while getting paid..
But yeah.. I'm stuck in a hole. Should I stick it out with the job hunting or should I enroll in college?
Sorry for the longish post but I'm out of ideas.
MiniMatt
14-05-09, 05:57 AM
College.
(a) Delays the decision
(b) Most everyone there will be as poor as you so it won't matter
(c) More education in whatever subject always helps further down the line - there's a huge benefit both as a person and as a CV filler in education simply for the sake of education
Longer term, IT still ain't a bad move, just don't believe all the adverts for "average salary of £37k". Depends what area I guess, but basic education is still put to heavy use, I spend most of my time counting to 1, 16 or 256 - none of that was taught at school but school/college did teach a basic level of comfort in working with numbers that's put to use later on.
Now is not the time to be getting out of education. What is an E2E course is that some kind of apprencticeship?
Seriously do not jack it in. In this climate you need to really stick at it and once the course is complete you will be in a much better situation. Or try and fine another apprenticship although this is very hard to do at the moment and at your age which is why I'm saying stick at it.
Stick with what you have at the moment and see if there is scope to improve the situation a little bit whilst you look at alternative jobs. You clearly have some good written and PC skills which puts you ahead of a lot of people. Look at the service industries for more work perhaps in the evenings which will free your days up to train more or look at a better day job. Take it in steps but the most important thing is not to leave yourself unemployed for any period of time. If a new employer can see you are already working it is easier to get another job than if you are not working - it means you are more stable/ambitous, and clearly looking to move upwards and onwards.
gettin2dizzy
14-05-09, 09:37 AM
Exams, training and classrooms suck. Everyone hates it, but you've just got to grin and bear it.
How long have you left?
If you dont think you can go through college then dont, im at college doing ICT end in June horrah and i am very poor at stciking to deadlines on assignments, ive now decided as well i dont want to do ict and i am currently looking for a mechanic aprenticeship, it may be harder than you think but you need to find what you enjoy and then stick at that.
SoulKiss
14-05-09, 11:06 AM
Righty-ho time to get stuck into these young whipper-snappers...........
To the OP
"I cant be bothered/get motivated" just wont cut it, drop out of your course and you are putting a black mark againest yourself. You are in a different situation to those you work with that are earning more, so you cannot realistically look at them and compare what they get with what you dont.
So, my advice to you, stick out the E2E, THEN once you have completed THAT challenge, then look around, but from a position of strength (completed the training).
Avoid College - sounds like you would be just as unhappy there as you are at the moment.
To Holdup
"I dont do deadlines", What do you think you will face everyday in your working life?
To Holdup
"I dont do deadlines", What do you think you will face everyday in your working life?
I didnt say that...
When im at college or at home meant to be doin college work i get distracted (like now)
When im at work (either of my jobs) 1 of them cleaning i have 3 hours to clean and i always get it done unless asked to cover / help out else where
My other job im shop staff / bike washer and when a customer ask me something on the phone (old part etc) i will say ill ring you back in x amount of time as i cant look it up on the computer and its micro fiche jobey and i will always do it.
I think that is my problem all theory and no pratical at college and home and makes me bored so i do other stuff and miss deadlines whereas pratical i am much more likely to do it within the time given.
Sorry to take over your thread Jamie :)
Dave20046
14-05-09, 11:29 AM
Not sure what I'd advise you to do but your about my age so I'll tell you what happened with me.
Finished my gcses with 11 Bs (might have been 10 I forget), got pushed into 6th form because I half wanted to go to uni and the school wanted the kids that'd get em good grades in... so they pretty much just told me to join and not consider anything else.
Got kicked out of 6th form after a couple of months and worked in a garage until I found an apprenticeship in ICT did that for a bit got some poxy qualification then got bored of being paid less than I was worth so went for my current job using the experience I'd gained from the past 8 months as an apprentice. Now been in my current job for just over a year; pays ok(ish...kind of) for my age and it's reasonably good work and when I get off my įrse I should have the opportunity to do a degree.
If you want to be doing something real and making some money/ getting qualifications then I recommend it - but it is hard work.
That said I half wish I'd gone to college/uni just for the experience, I get the horrid feeling I've grown up too fast doing it this way (some will argue :razz:...still retained my immaturity) but I'm already fed up, cynical and hate people.:smt011
If you dont think you can go through college then dont, im at college doing ICT end in June horrah and i am very poor at stciking to deadlines on assignments, ive now decided as well i dont want to do ict and i am currently looking for a mechanic aprenticeship, it may be harder than you think but you need to find what you enjoy and then stick at that.
even mechanics have deadlines matey, it's not all drinking tea ripping off middleclass women in 4x4s and teararsing up and down the road on customers' bikes.
SoulKiss
14-05-09, 11:29 AM
Sorry to take other your thread Jamie :)
Well I guess I also owe you an apology for misunderstanding your meaning :)
Well I guess I also owe you an apology for misunderstanding your meaning :)
Thats ok, you wouldnt be the first, looking at my first post i didnt explain it very well :rolleyes:
custard
14-05-09, 11:31 AM
as soulkiss said. stick out the E2E, if an employer sees it on your CV they should, if they know that you are doing the work for minimal money etc, see you as someone committed to working and employers (public sector excluded) generally like to employ those sorts of people.
Jamiebridges123
14-05-09, 07:36 PM
I've read through all of your points and posts everyone and appreciate them all. :)
As of now I've stopped going to this free labour thing but I'm still on the course at the moment, I just go in more often instead of going to work.
As just a few points of clarification for those that don't know what the E2E thing is -
The E2E course is basically you gain "work experience" by working for £30 a week for a minimum of 16 hours (normally though this is a minimum, suggested is 30). After a few weeks you invariably learn exactly what you're doing and do it unguided, doing the same job as everyone else.. You're not learning anything else and you work just as hard (if not harder) than the employees that are getting paid. You go into the center one day a week normally, and it's nothing I don't already know. Nets of shape, English skills and the like. I find it insulting to my intelligence personally. I get no formal qualifications from doing it and I only have gotten a health and safety thing (big wow)
I've been on it since July last year. I found an apprenticeship in a motorcycle dealership but that didn't work out and I went back on it.
Anyway, ideally I'd like a job in the motorcycle industry (obviously) or in the IT sector. But whatever I do I'd love to be able to get training to NVQ levels etc.
To soulkiss, seriously I am not a lazy worker and it's not I can't be bothered.. :/
I am physically tired of working and yet receiving no reward. I can't go out much with my friends and I can't buy anything I want/need.
I hope there can be other points brought forward to give me something else to think about.
My only other thought with the E2E thing is use it for what it is = learning. If you arent learning anything its a waste of time hanging about there.
You are a mere whipper snapper,
Experience is considerably more valuable than money.
Take what you will from that......in 5 years time you may have stuck at it, got a skill, and become very good at what you do and may be able to demand a high price for what you do.....you may even be able to start your own company and take on essentially free labour and train people like yourself while making a fortune.
Or in 5 years time you may still be quiting every job after about a week because your fed up and bored, you will be on minimum wage or worse still claiming job seekers.
You have 2 choices and you need to make up which way you want your life to go, no one else can do that for you.
Dave20046
14-05-09, 08:40 PM
I've read through all of your points and posts everyone and appreciate them all. :)
As of now I've stopped going to this free labour thing but I'm still on the course at the moment, I just go in more often instead of going to work.
As just a few points of clarification for those that don't know what the E2E thing is -
The E2E course is basically you gain "work experience" by working for £30 a week for a minimum of 16 hours (normally though this is a minimum, suggested is 30). After a few weeks you invariably learn exactly what you're doing and do it unguided, doing the same job as everyone else.. You're not learning anything else and you work just as hard (if not harder) than the employees that are getting paid. You go into the center one day a week normally, and it's nothing I don't already know. Nets of shape, English skills and the like. I find it insulting to my intelligence personally. I get no formal qualifications from doing it and I only have gotten a health and safety thing (big wow)
I've been on it since July last year. I found an apprenticeship in a motorcycle dealership but that didn't work out and I went back on it.
Anyway, ideally I'd like a job in the motorcycle industry (obviously) or in the IT sector. But whatever I do I'd love to be able to get training to NVQ levels etc.
To soulkiss, seriously I am not a lazy worker and it's not I can't be bothered.. :/
I am physically tired of working and yet receiving no reward. I can't go out much with my friends and I can't buy anything I want/need.
I hope there can be other points brought forward to give me something else to think about.
sounds all too familiar.
Go with your gut feeling, not a whim, and don't put up with **** and false hopes from employers. I'm very wary of companies offering the slave labour/nvq trade off.
Jamiebridges123
14-05-09, 09:57 PM
Yeah Dave frankly I'm only going to do at the most a week or two or "work experience" again, and likely that'd be only on a trial period..
As long as I get paid I don't mind working like a slave. But the money has to be there, even if it's £5 per hour..
You are a mere whipper snapper,
Experience is considerably more valuable than money.
I do agree and see where you're coming from. :smt010
Or in 5 years time you may still be quiting every job after about a week because your fed up and bored, you will be on minimum wage or worse still claiming job seekers.
To be fair I've been with the company I've just left since January. Before that I worked at Halfrauds bikehut under the same scheme for 3 and a half months. :pale:
You have 2 choices and you need to make up which way you want your life to go, no one else can do that for you.
At the moment I just want enough so I can get some parts for my bike (wavey disks new hugger etc) and then in a couple of years upgrade to a Street Triple with everything on it.. I don't have a problem doing any job so long as I'm paid for it.. if I was offered a place in a Supermarket for christ sakes I'd do it.
As said I'd like a job that gives me some sort of career progression, or at the very least allows me to take training as part of it, eg a weeks course for an NVQ in whatever.. I can't be picky at the moment, money is money. :-k
I was applying for a job before but literally as I was coming home from my friends house after having updated my CV and written a covering letter, I then had my nasty accident on my Z750. I'm 95% sure I would have gotten that job as well... But that's life unfortunately. Right time wrong place as they say. I've rang up a couple of places in the paper and the positions have already been filled.. I'll keep doing that till I find something I guess. But yeah I'm looking for something a bit more long term..
metalmonkey
14-05-09, 10:28 PM
Dude I understand what saying, however its easier to find work when your working, thats from my experince....
I'm not a huge classroom person I hate being talked at (I sat in meeing being talked at for 3 hours, I was bored stiff), so maybe a more pratical career sounds like you? Look at doing a courses around what works for you, I managed to get a degree but mine was based alot round pratical work and research.
So get yourself a sheet of paper, write down likes and dislikes on either on side. Then write down on either side what you like doing, or not doing then start thinking what jobs would work with that. Then build up your education and expereince around that.
You need to work to your strenghs play on them and make your weakness a strengh. I will never beable to do maths no matter what I see the dam numbers backwards!
I wouldn't worry about putting bling on yer bike, I have never owned a new car, I was 27 before I could afford a new bike.
Look at this way, your young it make take a few years to work where you want to be, just don't get stuck in a trap doing a job just for money, the benfits ect.
As for deadlines ect, dependng on what you do for a job there are loads of em, mine is ruled by that. Then you have to make you loan and bills payments, I can't say err I forgot to pay the bike loan this month, cause they may decided to take it back if I don't pay for it.
As my more wiser friends have said, expereince is something you gain, you can't buy it!
In the end its your life, we can only make suggestions based on our own experinces. You only get one go at this, so make yourself happy and go for it:cool: Your clealy an intelligent person, believe in yourself.
jamesterror
14-05-09, 10:31 PM
College mate, I considered getting a job (I got offered one full time with the DWP 24k a year) but I decided college instead, qualifications may get you a bit further and better pay hopefully.
Your same age as me, as much as it sucks to be in education, and I will be for another 4 years, it'll be worth it in the end you have to keep telling yourself it.
Its difficult for me as I have a 2 close mates who earn 10x what I earn a month, its horrible haha.
metalmonkey
14-05-09, 10:40 PM
College mate, I considered getting a job (I got offered one full time with the DWP 24k a year) but I decided college instead, qualifications may get you a bit further and better pay hopefully.
Your same age as me, as much as it sucks to be in education, and I will be for another 4 years, it'll be worth it in the end you have to keep telling yourself it.
Its difficult for me as I have a 2 close mates who earn 10x what I earn a month, its horrible haha.
Not for everyone, some people do far better out of education, some people learn better on the job we are learn differntly. My mom doesn't have a degree but did good and is well paid. The key is finding is what is right for you and also what kind of life do you want lead?
jamesterror
14-05-09, 10:47 PM
Not for everyone, some people do far better out of education, some people learn better on the job we are learn differntly. My mom doesn't have a degree but did good and is well paid. The key is finding is what is right for you and also what kind of life do you want lead?
Yeh indeed I agree with you, education isn't for everybody and a lot of people are successful without the qualifications. I think what you said about a practical career for Jamie sounds more suiting too tbh.
First, a little background to me:
I was at school & was the kid that everyone predicted would get A* across all subjects. I personally feel that if those predictions hadn't been made, I'd of tried harder. As a result, I came out with an average of C's at GCSE level. It was at this point I started working in IT, as I was a pretty geeky kid (I still am really).
In college, I bunked off quite a lot if I'm honest. I was studying A-Levels in Computing, Maths (with Mechanics), Physics and Psychology. I came out with D's across the board.
At university, I stayed for 4 months & left.
So by some in this thread, I'm a good for nothing layabout, probably scrounging on the dole. Right?
The strange thing is, I've worked behind bars, I've been a restaurant manager (if you think you can do that job & be lazy you're having a laugh! 100hrs/week+ wasn't unusual). I've scrubbed public toilets, and worked as a binman. I've worked at various positions within the IT sector, including running my own consultancy business. That business enabled me, at the age of 24 in the middle of the housing boom, to buy a 3bedroom semi-detached house, so it was far from a money pit.
Recently, I've been giving it some serious consideration to emigrate to Australia, where I'm more than confident there's jobs I could walk into almost immediately.
The point, is as others have said, people learn & progress differently. My problem is that if I'm surrounded by people that tell me how well I'm doing, I don't progress. It has to be a challenge, otherwise I'm simply not interested (back at college chasing tail was more interesting than college work... :-dd). I'm certainly not afraid of the graft if I see it as a challenge.
Jamie, what I would advise you do, is decide on where you want to end up in say, 15 years time. Not necessarily what job you want to have, but what kind of work you'd like to be involved with.
Once you have that sorted, you can start thinking about how to achieve it. If college is the means to an end, then try it. If you "drop out" who cares so long as you keep trying to get to the destination you picked?
I remember a job a long time ago, where I stated that I planned to go off to uni etc. At the time, I was working with people that were earning 6-7figure salaries a year, and I was on 5 figures. They all laughed at me & said they'd never bothered, or that they'd dropped out early on.
Granted it doesn't always work out the way it has for me, or the people I just said about, but sometimes, with perseverance, it does.
Jamiebridges123
15-05-09, 03:16 AM
Well thanks for the last few responses, especially so to Baph. It's sort of clicked something.. I guess?
It at the very least reassured me that college isn't the way forward _for me_.
I've also narrowed down my career choices. (sort of) :
Motorcycle salesperson/mechanic sort of thing.
I was given an apprenticeship but having had no real mechanical experiences before, being thrown in and told to strip and rebuild an engine sort of swamped me.
I feel I could be a good salesperson obviously having gone through the process of buying several bikes, I know what people hate (being harassed and spoken to only as a potential customer) and what people like (friendly banter, friendly and "nothing is too much trouble" genuine salesman etc). But my age and having no experience would make this hard to realise.
Something in the IT industry. I can build computers from component parts all day and set them up without much of a problem. I can troubleshoot and fix most viruses, spyware and other problems without much issue (common sense really) and I can diagnose some basic hardware errors (thankfully I haven't had too many so not much experience)
Customer Service. Ok so I used to work in a supermarket, and being stuck behind a till was depressing. But there was something about making a customer smile and feel that they got a good service gave me a warm fuzzy glow... till some b*astard ask me to pack his bags. I believe that (to their face at least) I can be nice to a customer and get them sorted as I know myself what I'd want in the same situation.
Anyway Idk. *hides under a pillow*
I was given an apprenticeship but having had no real mechanical experiences before, being thrown in and told to strip and rebuild an engine sort of swamped me.
A lot of friends I went to school with went to do apprenticeships in various things at college, from building/joinery to mechanics etc. Not all courses throw you in at the deep end & expect you to swim. So there may still be something worth exploring for you there.
I feel I could be a good salesperson obviously having gone through the process of buying several bikes, I know what people hate (being harassed and spoken to only as a potential customer) and what people like (friendly banter, friendly and "nothing is too much trouble" genuine salesman etc). But my age and having no experience would make this hard to realise.
Getting into Sales isn't a big issue. But you have to be the right kind of person to do well within Sales. Everything is dictated by sales targets, and the wages can be pretty crappy if you aren't prepared to frankly, shaft some people along the way. I found Sales to be very back stabbing too (from fellow employees trying to meet targets), so I got out quickly.
Something in the IT industry. I can build computers from component parts all day and set them up without much of a problem. I can troubleshoot and fix most viruses, spyware and other problems without much issue (common sense really) and I can diagnose some basic hardware errors (thankfully I haven't had too many so not much experience)
This would lead me to point you towards some sort of support work. Either user support or desktop support (slight differences, but basically generic Operating System tasks - desktop support being more hardware oriented). From there, it's pretty easy to jump around a little, particular to go from desktop support, through application support & on to development.
Customer Service. ... there was something about making a customer smile and feel that they got a good service gave me a warm fuzzy glow... till some b*astard ask me to pack his bags. I believe that (to their face at least) I can be nice to a customer and get them sorted as I know myself what I'd want in the same situation.
Give it time, and the warm fuzzy feeling dies. Or at least it did for me. Customer Service is far far easier when you're not stood face to face with them. That way, they get irate for any reason, and you can hang up the phone instead of getting a slap around the chops.
Earlier, you said that your mum wants you to go to college. Speaking as a parent, I want my kids to too. But that's simply because I want the best for them, and you experience different things by going to college before jumping into work.
If you were to do your research properly into what you want to do, even with/without a basic "roadmap" of how it's going to get you to that destination I put about before, and then sat down with your parents & explained it; I'm sure they'd be more than happy for you. I know I would be for my kids, regardless of the direction they choose.
Just don't rule anything out completely until you're sure. :)
metalmonkey
15-05-09, 02:00 PM
For me its about what kind of life you want to lead and what you want out of it, thats should be whats important.
I left the film industry casue I got fed up of the constant job search, yes I did some amazing well paid jobs but the 6 weeks doing a really c*** job is it worth it?
To be good at sales is hard, its a very unforgiving job some of my family and best friends are involved in sales, yes they make more than me but there is a different type of grief attached to those jobs. Taking clients out on the:drink:gets weary after awhile.
You wanna work with the public? You need good interpersonel skills. e.g how would you deal with someone who has been robbed and doesn't speak english?
You need experince, so go do different things, go travel, expand your mind a bit and think out of the box.
Changing jobs changed my life, I'm not in a creative field but I can put those skill to good use.
I've also narrowed down my career choices. (sort of) :
Motorcycle salesperson/mechanic sort of thing.
I was given an apprenticeship but having had no real mechanical experiences before, being thrown in and told to strip and rebuild an engine sort of swamped me.
You should see it as a challange i would, and if you get stuck, ask some one, employees like to see that sort of thing rather than you going in and doing it yourself, i had a mock interview the other day at college for a job and the interviwer said that was one of my good points that i said i wouldnt ask if stuck instead of going at it not knowing what im doing, im caught up between whether to be a bike mechanic or car mechanic and i really dont know at the moment :(
metalmonkey
22-05-09, 09:18 AM
You should see it as a challange i would, and if you get stuck, ask some one, employees like to see that sort of thing rather than you going in and doing it yourself, i had a mock interview the other day at college for a job and the interviwer said that was one of my good points that i said i wouldnt ask if stuck instead of going at it not knowing what im doing, im caught up between whether to be a bike mechanic or car mechanic and i really dont know at the moment :(
So how is it going? Have you be able to figure anything out?
Nope just applying on car manufacture sites at suzuki and going to apply at honda, missed out at my work place :( kept forgetting to ask then they took an apprentice on, lesson learnt never leave things to last minute
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