scottyp1989
Member
Registered: 29th Jul 07
Location: Warley, West Midlands
User status: Offline
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I wanted to be an electrician since i was about 14, lect school and did my level 2 nvq in it but couldnt find an aprenticeship in it, did a few random jobs after that. Got offerd an aprenticeship when i was 19 so managed to finish my electrics, have been working since then basicall as an electrical maintenance engineer for a company that does saws/presses etc to make roof trusses and love it. Wouldnt mind going into fabrication or see about the position thats just come up in tool making at our place
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mannion
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 11
Location: Leicestershire
User status: Offline
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left school thinking I could find a job easily, 2 years later I couldn't find one, times changed as my grandad passed away and thought I'd do something to make him happy so went to college to study Electrical Installation, really enjoyed it but after the first year they wanted me to pay £1500 a year for the course as I couldn't get funded and couldn't afford it as I was doing college in the morning/day and working at a kebab takeaway shop at night doing the deliveries but at £4 an hour it wasn't enough to get me into college, now working for an agency in a warehouse packing games and books into packaging but unfortunately the job ends at the end of the year so looking into getting into van driving as I've always wanted to try HGV as my dad does it and used to let me sit in his lorry when I was a youngster..
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Mike
Organiser: North West and North Wales
Premium Member
Registered: 20th May 06
Location: nr. Skipton, North Yorkshire
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Through school I never had a clue until I did my work experience which was in a garage. Loved it, so decided I was going to be a mechanic, got an apprenticeship then 2 1/2 years later, got bored of it, left and started working for my Dad delivering pies and cakes then from the way his business progressed, ending up setting up another business with him in the vending game. 4 years into that now and still enjoying most of it.
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harrybanks
Member
Registered: 30th May 08
Location: Basingstoke
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Left school in June 2007 aged 16, had an apprenticeship lined up at the local vauxhall dealer, started there in september 2007, still there now, silver qualified vauxhall technician, level 3 nvq, ata award, done my air con training (have to be qualified to work on air con systems on cars now) going to luton in a week or so for a day of training which will give me my gold vauxhall qualification, got some other certificates that i cant think what they are off the top of my head. Got my MOT course in 3 weeks time so hopefully all will go well with that.
I only turned 21 at the beginning of october, work pays for all my training etc and will have to go on future courses for the new ampera etc
Christ knows what I would be doing if I didnt get my apprenticeship, probs part time at college and have some sort of clothes shop job.
Aim is to run my own business in the future, no rush at the mo 
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shaunmods
Premium Member
Registered: 12th Mar 07
Location: Glascote, Staffordshire
User status: Offline
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Always thought I new what I wanted to do when I was younger, selling cars. So I left school at 16 and did a business apprenticeship for Fiat and quickly got into sales but it turned out it wasnt for me. I completed my course, got took on full time but later handed my notice in and went back into education. Since then ive done done a BTEC diploma in Business and Law and now in my second year of my business degree. 20 years old now and still not 100% sure what I want to do when I finish tbh. Would love to run my own company though Working in retail P/T atm and I can safely say I wont be doing it for a career 
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
User status: Offline
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I always wanted to be a software developer - since programming a bbc basic as a kid and reading about their salaries in america in a magazine in the 90s.
The software job I ended up with didn't really tick any of the boxes which got me interested, not particularly creative, rewarding or as well paid as it could be (especially if you compare to US or Finance jobs), but I realized the financial side was a false goal (as I don't think you'll ever have enough and will always increase your spending habits as you get more).
These days I'd love to do something that I feel makes a difference to the world in some way, create something people love using and eventually get myself financially independent enough to do anything or live anywhere in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=zngeSzH3cFk
- we're a lost generation with no real purpose... we're searching for a reason to survive, and some people try to fill that hole with jobs, luxuries, materialistic things, holidays, religion, drink, drugs, etc.
Deep down though, we all are looking a purpose in life, some people find this in having house / wife / children, some people dedicate their life to charity, some people dedicate their life to their career, some people start a business to try to take control of their lives... ultimately though, you have to do whatever in life you enjoy doing - as otherwise before you know it, it'll have passed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERbvKrH-GC4 (remember life is not just about your career)
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Christopher
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Registered: 14th Oct 10
Location: Eastbourne
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^^ Deep but right! The only thing i really care about is my girlfriend! Not being gay or anything but thats it! I have no ambitions in life and dont really care what i work as as long as i have enough funds for the car :/
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jacko198
Member
Registered: 1st Mar 07
Location: Buckinghamshire
User status: Offline
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In high school i wanted to be a pilot in the RAF or just a comercial airline pilot.
When it came round to choosing uni courses etc i decided that it probably was not for me, and that i would enjoy doing sound more.
So i didnt do uni and then went to the School Of Audio Engineering. Did that course and worked in a local bike shop part time to get some £££.
Finished the course and finding jobs was impossible! My dad happened to know someone who works in broadcasting so i contacted him, had an interview and got the job.
So now i am a technical assistant, training to be a sound assistant, sound guaranty and then sound supervisor.
Out of all of my group of mates, i think everyone (including me) thought i would be the last to get a job, and it wouldnt be that good. But i just worked at what I wanted to do and got there eventually. Now im on my way to earning £400+ a day on a job i love doing!
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IvIarkgraham
Premium Member
Registered: 27th Mar 04
Location: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
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was out of work at 18ish was told of a job in a factory
applied, got it, worked my way to supervisor
nearly left to do an engineering apprenticeship but they fucked me around.
studied PE and biology in school
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Paul_J
Member
Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by jacko198
Finished the course and finding jobs was impossible! My dad happened to know someone who works in broadcasting so i contacted him, had an interview and got the job.
...
Out of all of my group of mates, i think everyone (including me) thought i would be the last to get a job, and it wouldnt be that good. But i just worked at what I wanted to do and got there eventually. Now im on my way to earning £400+ a day on a job i love doing!
No offence, but this isn't a great story to tell.
it's an example of 'who you know' not 'what you know' / 'how hard you work'.
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Fro
Member
Registered: 20th Jun 06
Location: Rainham, Essex Drives: A3 2.0TDi Sport
User status: Offline
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How did you guys get all your jobs?
Worked for Capita whilst doing work experience at school, impressed the managers and was offered a job when i wasn't enjoying college so jacked that in and have been here nearly 7 years.
Did you want to do what your working as now?
No, i wanted to work as a pilot or something IT related.
Have any of you had late inclings later on as of what you want to do?
Keep thinking about changing career and going into IT, but have decided i'm better off finishing my studies as work a paying, then move into financial software side of things.
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Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
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How did you guys get all your jobs?
Got made redundant from old place, signed up to few agencies, got an interview and got the job.
Did you want to do what your working as now?
Nope never really aimed for anything enjoyed maths as sad as it sounds at school, hated it at college but enjoyed accounting/business...
Have any of you had late inclings later on as of what you want to do?
All the time wish i could change to a more exciting job... but i dont know what i want to do still  and im sick of studying as it is so no chance of me moving out of finance really... saying that i do enjoy working where i am at the moment
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Rob E
Member
Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
User status: Offline
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How did you guys get all your jobs?
I managed to get my apprenticeship through a neighbour who knew everyone in the motortrade. After I finished and went to Uni, I worked in a family friends garage when home from Uni. I then had to do a work placement for my Uni course (in a place specialising in classic car restoration and motorsport prep). I just worked very hard over the course of my work experience and got offered a job for the summer. Last summer I worked for a company called Euroclad, my mrs' mum put out the word in the company that I was looking for work and managed to get a job
Did you want to do what your working as now?
Well I'm in my final year of Uni now. Although people on here say my degree is a complete waste of time, I'm not even finished yet and it has already opened up the doors to opportunities in the motorsport and automotive industry.
Have any of you had late inclings later on as of what you want to do?
I originally thought I would be happy working on the spanners. However, after I did my basics (NVQ L3) I was promised further training through Vauxhall right upto degree level if I wished.....18 months after I got my NVQ, it never materialised and I got fed up of doing the same old shit for peanuts so I ended up just enquiring about engineering courses and was offered an unconditional offer to study Motorsport Engineering
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jacko198
Member
Registered: 1st Mar 07
Location: Buckinghamshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Paul_J
quote:
Originally posted by jacko198
Finished the course and finding jobs was impossible! My dad happened to know someone who works in broadcasting so i contacted him, had an interview and got the job.
...
Out of all of my group of mates, i think everyone (including me) thought i would be the last to get a job, and it wouldnt be that good. But i just worked at what I wanted to do and got there eventually. Now im on my way to earning £400+ a day on a job i love doing!
No offence, but this isn't a great story to tell.
it's an example of 'who you know' not 'what you know' / 'how hard you work'.
Kinda true.
I went for an interview the 1st time and didnt get the job, someone with a masters in broadcasting got it instead. So when they were interviewing a year later, they had my name on the top of the list as they said i would be perfect for the job.
My dad just found out in conversation with the guy, and said "Oh ill let jack know, he might want to apply" and that was all.
So it was abit of both to be honest!
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Lynny
Member
Registered: 3rd Jan 03
Location: oop north! Where people talk properly
User status: Offline
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I finished school and went on to do A-levels, at the time was a straight A student and thusly was offered a scholarship to study law at Cambridge through a friend of my deputy headteacher. Always had a keen interest in law. Whilst studying I got a part find job at 16 as a pot wash in a restaurant. Within a year I was kitchen manager/head chef (trained on the job) and working 80 hour weeks, studies took second place. I enjoyed working and having a wage, so concentrated on that rather than education.
After 2 years in the job, I moved to a busy pub chain and quickly worked up to front of house manager, was here for 4 years before I finally started in the police.
After 2 years in the police, it didn't work out so I returned to my old job. Felt horrific being back and applied for a bar job in a local hotel at the equestrian centre where I learnt to ride as a child. The boss (my old riding instructor) offered me a job as yard manager for the stables which I love. Never dreamed I'd be doing this.
So I'm now back to working every hour god sends, studying for my BHS exams, and doing a OU degree in science to get me onto my vets degree in 2 years!
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Marc
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Registered: 11th Aug 02
Location: York
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I still don't know what I want to do! Left school at 16 and spent almost a year as a bum before getting an apprenticeship as a welder. Enjoyed the day release but hated the company/people I worked for and dreamed of the day where I could work for a good engineering firm. Saw an advert for the biggest engineering firm in York and my paperwork essentially got me the job. After 4 years they decided I wasn't up to the job and they fired me! This was probably a blessing in disguise as I had recently had 6 weeks off with an injury and after that my heart wasn't really in it anymore.
Decided I wanted an office job and it was pretty hard with no office experience, being computer literate wasn't enough! I got took on by an architects in the drawing control department and stayed there for 1 year before realising it wasn't going to be a career.
My friends mainly worked at Norwich Union so I applied there. I was told about pay for performance - 6 monthly pay rises. Starting salary poor but the p4p sounded achievable. I was there 2 and a half years, broken promises and the fact it went from being admin to juggling admin and call centre so I took a risk and left.
De ja vu and struggled to find another job before an old NU friend said they had started at Gamestation's head office. Got myself a job there on a 3 month contract which ended up being 6 months before the company relocated. Probably my favourite job and another NU friend joined us too. Wasn't about the money, only job I've really had the passion for.
Bad 6 months after that then I went back to the agency who got me working at Nestle in delivery distribution. I had applied for another Nestle company, Nespresso before this so moved within the company after a month. Have been there over a year.
As you can see, no real set career pattern and I'm still not 100% sure of what I want to do. Still thinking of getting in to coaching in some capacity and recently got turned down for a Nestle role as others were more suitable! 
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baxter-staffs
Member
Registered: 15th Oct 11
Location: Dordon, Warwickshire
User status: Offline
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left school at 16 with nothing started my first job making pallets picking £170 a week up, not bad at 16 really,
managed to get into hgv mechanics, and still doing it 8 years later, with no paper work still picking up £400 a week
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Mike GSi
Member
Registered: 3rd Jan 07
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
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For most of my school life i wanted to be a motorsport mechanic.
Left school, got a job in the summer hols. Loved having money and didnt want the pay cut to go to collage.
wondered from job to job thinking this isnt for me for years.
I'm now a 'Health physics monitor' at a nuclear power station.
Never even knew what the said job was untill 2 years ago.
Done city & guilds stage 1,3 and 5. And will hopefully progress to an Accredited HPM.
It can be very boring at times but it can also be very interesting.
There is no reason why i shouldn't have a job for life now too, which is good.
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--DAN--
Member
Registered: 3rd Feb 03
Location: Bottesford. Drives;3 Series
User status: Offline
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Left school with no idea what I wanted to do, did my a-levels purely for something to do and because all my mates were doing it. Left college at 18 with the plan to go to Uni and study geography(no idea why?!), took a summer job for 8 weeks packing chicken and I'm still here 12 years later but I now I'm GM and oversee the whole site and employ 1200 people!! It's mega stressful but gives me and the family a comfortable home life. Currently doing a business studies degree as well. All of my mates who went to Uni and used to take the piss are now in about their 5th jobs and not going anywhere.
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Robbo
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Registered: 6th Aug 02
Location: London
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Chose my A-Levels on the basis of what soudned easiest and what paid well in the long term (ENglish, Business STudies and Accountancy) and got an A in Accy but not much else to shout about. Got a job at a local accounts firm and did well there whilst also gaining NVQ 3 and 4 in Accounts and joined AAT. Then left for a job as an Assistant Accountant in a medium size dlocal compay where i did everything from everything from banking, payroll, vat returns, invoicing etc.. After 2 years I left to join a bigger company doign somethign more specialised then 2 years after that I joined Vodafone UK doing somethign in commercial finance operations. I then qualified ACCA as a chartered and certified accountant and after 2 years moved to an analyst position in the head office company. did a secondment to our irish business for 4 months in the middle then after 2 and a half years moved to a bigger role base din our london office and now lookign at yet another move up.
pretty muich just fell into it all then worked with what i had. i didnt go to uni although i do have a degree and doing very well for myself at 30 () with plans to mvoe to new york for a few years and do soemthign simkilar out there.
Still dont really know what i want to do with my life but once im done with new york, i want to take 2 years out and spend 6 months being a beach bum leanrign to surf and working in a bar or soemthing and 6 motnhs doing liekwise at a ski resort, as well a spossiblty fitting in 6 months of travellign and ideally 6 months of volunteer work somewhere - how mcuh of that comes off is anyonmes guess
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Tom
Member
Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
User status: Offline
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I always wanted to work in some kind of Leisure/Tourism type industry, I had wanted to be a chef since quite young. I started a GNVQ in L&T and absolutely hated it, including work experience at the Crowne Plaza hotel and I subsequently left within 5/6 months. One of my best mates at the time went on to be a chef, and as much as I like the idea of it I never particularly fancied the unsociable hours and all the moving about if you want to get to the top.
I had 6 months off doing nothing/looking for a job and then did a sort of apprenticeship with a big insurance company, to get a level 3 NVQ in business admin. Got on really well with the people there and ended up with a full time job. In the 7/8 years I was there I moved from being a general dogs body, to dealing with complaints, and into their research function where I stayed for about 5/6 years and progressively moved up the food chain. It all went t*ts up when I went off the rails a bit and I lost my job and spent a further 6 months looking around for literally anything. Luckily one of my old bosses had set-up his own research agency and he took a bit of a punt on me, been here for about 4 years now and feel really settled. It's a different proposition working for a small company, but it's much more rewarding and I get treated pretty well. I am taking advantage of all of the training I can, and i've got a mentor from another company to push me with my development as much as possible. I think i'll stay in this area for life now, as it's all I know and i'm quite good at it. I definitely didn't dream of doing my current job, but it could have ended up worse so i'm happy.
[Edited on 08-11-2011 by Tom]
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BeetleGav
Member
Registered: 27th Jun 10
Location: lancashire, nelson
User status: Offline
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always wanted to be a plumber since i was about 14, left school and did a 1year intense course to get my level 1 and 2 in plumbing.
during this i had a part time job with whittard of chelsea, left college over 2year ago and still cant find a job plumbing. im still stuck with my part time job. cant find full time anywhere around me. so im completely stuck. im nearly 21 and its so degrading not being able to afford to do anything further with my life. id love to enjoy my work. but i fecking hate it
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