How do you get to do that job....?

TheCatWoman said:

I could just imagine the look that says 'you're not taking this seriously, so we'll put you down for shop work'.

Exactly! I remember our useless 1970's 'careers' advisor at my Cof E Comprehensive - one visit [considered adequate], astonished looks as if to say, 'why do you think you can do [x]?' I hope kids get a better service now; after all, this is the point of education, not just passing exams. I'm glad apprenticeships and crafts are now taken seriously, considered the same level as 'professions'. Do you remembered the snobbishness at what was considered appropriate for the, 'working class.'

Looking back, I would have liked something practical  - decorating, gardening, book-binding, conservation, museum work. Though they knew my love for such things, no one explained how you might achieve a career in any of these areas. As to the sensory-based careers you mention, I've no idea. Do people fall into them after a Degree? I would imagine the paint colour designer and perfumier would need a science degree, maybe chemistry. I would be interested to know.

Marianne72 said:

I remember our useless 1970's 'careers' advisor at my Cof E Comprehensive - one visit [considered adequate]

I scraped into our local Grammar School and our careers advice was just as bad - go to university (any subject) or, if you're not good enough for that, train to be a teacher.

Alexa said:

go to university

Unheard of in my school (when I first arrived).

We were the first year to study A levels.

Hopefully there are greater expectations these days.

I think a lot of it was chance, one school seemed to have much more ambition for all its pupils, I think it would be hard to find a school with lower ambitions than mine though.

Good grief! I think I fell into a different educational world by chance.

I don't think my school had anyone go to university, I remember it being announced in assembly when one girl got to college.

Alexa said:

That's awful! I had no idea there was a time limit. 

16 years.

B said:

I did a few courses on the understanding that it was 'lifetime' study but when I tried to pick back up on it I was out of time (over the time limit) and I had wasted a lot of money.

That's awful! I had no idea there was a time limit. 

B said:

I found it exhausting on top of work.

Studying was one of my special interests. It was a pain and I wouldn't be able to do it now, I think. It transformed into all the research I had to do for my books.

B said:

I did a few courses on the understanding that it was 'lifetime' study but when I tried to pick back up on it I was out of time (over the time limit) and I had wasted a lot of money.

That's awful! I had no idea there was a time limit. 

B said:

I found it exhausting on top of work.

Studying was one of my special interests. It was a pain and I wouldn't be able to do it now, I think. It transformed into all the research I had to do for my books.

Alexa said:

That's awful! I had no idea there was a time limit. 

16 years.