Apparently…..it isn’t a job

[Paul S]

18 minutes ago, mikel said:

A friend of mine has a daughter who wanted to be a vet, really wanted to be a vet, from the age of 10. She did a work experience at 16 in the local vets practice, and hated it. Boy was he relieved, saved him 3 or 4 years of extra University bills. How we laughed. 

 

My story was quite similar except for going further along the blind alley.  I decided aged 12 I wanted to be a pharmacist.  I had a cousin who was a pharmacist and he seemed to be doing ok.  So, cheerfully guided in that direction by the careers officer at school, I took the right Os and As, went to University,   Did some work experience in my holidays, retail in Boots one year, in a hospital pharmacy dept the next.  Hated it.  Seemed to me, at the time, that 99.9% of the job was sprinkling tablets from a large bottle into a tablet counter then printing the label which didn't really seem interesting or challenging.  I dropped out just before sitting my final exams, having completely lost interest.  Not a popular decision at home

[neepheid]

59 minutes ago, Tim2291 said:

I was hoping to join the airforce as a pilot, until I found out I was very colour blind and wouldn't be allowed to fly a plane. What's the point in being in the Air Force and not being able to fly the plane?

 

Pilots got to eat, pilots got to be told where to fly?

[neepheid]

Stoopid double post

Edited October 5, 2022 by neepheid

[Tim2291]

19 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Pilots got to eat, pilots got to be told where to fly?

Very true... but the chefs and logistics guys don't get to do barrell rolls and loop the loops all days which at the time was what I thought being a pilot would be!

In reality, it's probably closer to my daily commute 99.9% of the time, sit in the chair, get it in the sky, hit "cruise control" and let it take you wherever you're going!

 

[mikel]

36 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Pilots got to eat, pilots got to be told where to fly?

Pilot has to be able to trust the functioning of his aircraft, completely. Trust the mechanics or technicians. 

[neepheid]

2 minutes ago, mikel said:

Pilot has to be able to trust the functioning of his aircraft, completely. Trust the mechanics or technicians. 

 

It wasn't meant to be an exhaustive list of all non-flying personnel in the RAF

 

[Grimalkin]

“Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f***ing big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of f***ing fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the f*** you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing f***ing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, f***ed up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life… But why would I want to do a thing like that?"

 

Irvine Welsh - Trainspotting.

[Tim2291]

6 minutes ago, mikel said:

Pilot has to be able to trust the functioning of his aircraft, completely. Trust the mechanics or technicians. 

Having known technicians in the RAF... the planes are held together by a terrifying amount of duck tape!

[BigRedX]

23 minutes ago, Grimalkin said:

“Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f***ing big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of f***ing fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the f*** you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing f***ing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, f***ed up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life… But why would I want to do a thing like that?"

 

Irvine Welsh - Trainspotting.

 

Please don't ruin this thread as well by posting quotes.

 

If you have something to say, then say something that you have come up with yourself.

 

Anyone can post a quote. It requires no real thought, and although it looks "intellectual" it's no better than posting a meme.

 

So if you have an actual opinion of your own, then lets hear it. 

[ARGH]

23 hours ago, Mike Brooks said:

Bizarre...because it paid off my half of a £400k mortgage...they're right, it can't be a real job

 

Idiots!

Within 11 months, It paid 40% of the down payment for the Mortgage for the house I sit in now...

[Grimalkin]

1 minute ago, BigRedX said:

 

Please don't ruin this thread as well by posting quotes.

 

If you have something to say, then say something that you have come up with yourself.

 

Anyone can post a quote. It requires no real thought, and although it looks "intellectual" it's no better than posting a meme.

 

So if you have an actual opinion of your own, then lets hear it. 

 

I agree with every word of the quotes I have posted, and I don't always quote here. Should I rearrange them and claim them as my own, they're a lot smarter than I am... What is the problem with quotes around here? If you don't like them, don't read them.

 

Find a cloud you can yell at.

[Grimalkin]

My nuanced, expansive and exhaustive opinion hath guided me to this conclusion thus:

 

Don't listen to people who have no idea of what they are talking about.

 

[lowdown]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

 

 

 

So if you have an actual opinion of your own, then lets hear it. 

 

Blimey, BRX...That's a big ask..!

[msb]

Here in Halifax , NS it’s a tough old go being a full time musician , and yet a surprising number manage. We have a few that even manage a good living , but for most it’s tenuous at best. But those that are going to do it are going to do it. 

Never a big star , I was (and still am) a simple blue collar musician playing the local bars. No regrets. For some years we ratted around the local circuit but I got tired of constantly driving around and opted to just stay in town, managed a day job and played locally a lot. Late nights , early mornings. 
Now retired I can say I’m surprised to find myself still playing in bars. Enjoy that more than ever. 
… utterly shameless at this point.

So I tell people to follow what they love. There’s no shortage of misery going about and if you can find a path without a direct subscription … go for it.

I’d make one heck of a Guidance Councelor.

[mikel]

6 hours ago, Tim2291 said:

Having known technicians in the RAF... the planes are held together by a terrifying amount of duck tape!

It's Duct tape. 

[Dad3353]

1 minute ago, mikel said:

It's Duct tape. 

 

Sometimes. 

 

[jimmyb625]

8 hours ago, Tim2291 said:

I know the feeling! Other than a musician (which people put me off of at every opportunity obviously), I never had a clue what I wanted. Ended up stumbling into a sales engineering role, and whilst there found that I did enjoy engineering a lot so went for the degree. Hoping to move forward into more of an actual engineering role once I get my results back, with any luck I will actually enjoy it haha! 

I'm 31 now so still have plenty of time left to work sadly! I'd love to get music back to a point that it's more of a job for me, but in my stupidity I let contacts and networks slip away over the last few years!

Did you do all of your course through the OU? Fair play, a lot of people don't realise how much work is involved in it.

[Nail Soup]

Just to offer a balancing point or two to the "my career teacher tried to kill my dreams" posts.

Firstly, the comments from successful Musicians, footballers, astronauts who were told they couldn't do it etc suffer from selection bias. Those people are maybe more likely to comment.

Second, I think it is OK for a careers advisor, along with helping you to find the route to your desired career, to also give you information about success rates and so on. All part of making an informed choice.

 

Personally, I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do, but eventually drifted into what suited me.

[Dan Dare]

I went to an old-fashioned grammar school, where it was assumed everyone would go to uni'. By the age of 18, I had had enough of being a broke student and wanted to go out and earn some money. Didn't have any desire to do x or y and had already started doing the occasional gig for beer money, so told the careers advisor (aka the maths teacher) that I fancied playing music. Once he accepted that I didn't want to go to uni' (I think I was one of only 5 from that year's sixth form who didn't), he was actually quite reasonable - told me how precarious it was, etc and suggested I have a backup plan in case it didn't work out. Gave me all the usual suggestions - the City, Civil Service, Forces and so on. All clean hands stuff - the school was one of those where you learned Latin and ancient Greek (very useful in the 20th/21st century...) and doing anything hands on, save for things like medicine, was regarded as being a bit infra dig. A common and very short sighted attitude back then (early 1970s), especially as the economy is always crying out for engineers, technicians and skilled people.

 

I did actually apply to the Civil Service and found it to be full of interesting and often talented misfits - people who had no burning ambition to be any particular thing, but who wanted to do something socially worthwhile in convivial company. I felt quite at home. One of my first bosses was a sax player. He was blind and did all his work on a braille typewriter. He would sometimes bring his sax to work and practice during his lunch hour and we would occasionally play together. I left several times over the next forty odd years and had spells of playing music for a living (as well as doing various, sometimes grim, odd jobs when the phone wasn't ringing), before going back to working for the government.

 

Had some good times, ended up with a reasonable pension and can't complain how life has turned out. It's only now that I appreciate how fortunate I've been, considering how little I planned and how I drifted into whatever seemed a good idea at the time.

 

 

[msb]

I was originally doing photographic work , and making some large 20x30 display prints for a theatre when the phone rang and a friend wanted to talk. It must have been two in the morning when we met and he explained that a touring band he knew was about to audition for a new bass player. I was the only one that showed up for the audition , we jammed for a couple of hours and I got the job. Immediately traded a Nikon camera for a fairly new 72 Pbass , made arrangements to buy a well used Marshall amp on time and I was on the bus. Well actually one of the ratty old cars that made up our entourage… I’ve been a working musician ever since , and did manage to balance that with various photographic jobs later.

[tauzero]

13 hours ago, mikel said:

A friend of mine has a daughter who wanted to be a vet, really wanted to be a vet, from the age of 10. She did a work experience at 16 in the local vets practice, and hated it. Boy was he relieved, saved him 3 or 4 years of extra University bills. How we laughed. 

 

I went to the Royal Veterinary College (it's on Royal College Street, which Bass Gallery visitors might recognise) for very nearly a whole year. Got far more interested in playing in a band with other residents at the hall of residence I was in, dropped out, and finished up programming. 45 years later, I still am. I think I've enjoyed myself for about 50% of that, but there are days when I think wistfully that I could have been in the middle of a field with my arm up a cow's ārse.

[Acebassmusic]

1 hour ago, tauzero said:

 

.......there are days when I think wistfully that I could have been in the middle of a field with my arm up a cow's ārse.

 But you still can.......as long as you've got a good excuse for the farmer when he catches you! 🤣🤣

 

The careers advisor at my school usually guided people into the local manufacturing companies or if he could, would align your desires with a job in the forces. "You like meeting people?" thats the Police for you then. "You like swimming?".... suitable material for the Navy I think. I said I liked music and wanted to follow that pathway......"Army bands for you my lad!"

 

I did apply for the army bands and managed to get 2 weeks work experience in the real army (it was something they did at the time) firing guns, push ups, night excercises, push ups, marching, push ups, assault course, more push ups etc. I was quite warming to the idea until I spoke with some of the regulars who informed me that as a bandsman you have to have 2 roles 1) the musician / ceremonial side and 2) first aider. Fine I thought, until they asked me where first aiders work..... usually front line with no weapons and only a little red cross on your arm to protect you (or double as a target! ) It was at this point I decided to re-evaluate my career options 🤣

[Tim2291]

12 hours ago, jimmyb625 said:

Did you do all of your course through the OU? Fair play, a lot of people don't realise how much work is involved in it.

Yeah! I did the first 2 years part time and then decided I like punishment so did the rest full time! It is a lot of work, I have spoken to a few other engineers who have done degrees at "traditional" unis, and they have all said that the OU degree goes way further into the subjects as well! Only downside is the lack of practical work!

[mikel]

1 hour ago, Tim2291 said:

Yeah! I did the first 2 years part time and then decided I like punishment so did the rest full time! It is a lot of work, I have spoken to a few other engineers who have done degrees at "traditional" unis, and they have all said that the OU degree goes way further into the subjects as well! Only downside is the lack of practical work!

Respect to you. My brother did an OU degree, and masters, while working full time in quite a demanding job. He did it for "Fun" as he has always loved History. Traveling on the train to a meeting or in a hotel he would get his study stuff out and work at it, and every weekend. I was well impressed. I asked how he could work full time and study and he said "I can focus". I think he is on the autistic spectrum somewhere. 

[Nicko]

57 minutes ago, Tim2291 said:

Yeah! I did the first 2 years part time and then decided I like punishment so did the rest full time! It is a lot of work, I have spoken to a few other engineers who have done degrees at "traditional" unis, and they have all said that the OU degree goes way further into the subjects as well! Only downside is the lack of practical work!

I also did an engineering degree through the OU, got credit for my HNC which reduced the number of modules I had to do (I think 300 points after the credit).  I think the only time I struggled with workload was when I did 2 x 30 point credits in the same year which seemed a lot more work than 1 x 60 in a year. To be honest I managed to do most of the learning work and exercises in my lunch hour - only working at home on assignments.

 

My intention was to become chartered but they wanted me to do another 120 points so that didn't happen.  I got my chartership later through career learning and a few selected academic courses outside of the OU. Most of the engineers I worked with came directly out of uni into a mentored development programme and the entry requirement was a Masters.  I think they worked harder at Uni than I did at the OU, but they also had a great time doing it whereas the OU seems to be all work and no play.

 

I'm not sure whether the OU goes into greater depth - most of the graduates could run rings around me in some areas - but because it's modular I found I'd taken modules in areas that traditional programmes leave out so they all knew the same stuff as each other but not the same stuff as me.  I ended up doing some quite unconventional engineering roles because of that.