I'm in mid 20s, did arts degree became a teacher, don't like it, what else can I do?

Again, ceterus paribus is implied. Also, I doubt she choose Philosophy because she wanted to do Physiotherapy at 18 years of age, that's a very odd way of attributing motivations. She probably decided on that later.

Not to take this the wrong way, because I have understood from very early on some of the points you've raised, but people like you is why I dropped Economics after my first year at uni.

I did not understand why the people I saw were happy and motivated not just in their social life but career preparations, I was dying inside. I never aspired to any job in particular, obviously I knew I had to get a job sometime in life as I do not have a trust fund. I didn't get how someone would just know they want to work in corporate tax for PwC. I realised the value of internships and soft experiences and joined AIESEC, a very career orientated student society amongst in my first month at uni. I was to play a leading role in a project we were doing, I can't remember now what, but I went to meetings, conferences weekends at other unis etc. I also took a booklet from PwC recruitment called the 10 key personal competencies, which I still have kept to this day. I looked around me and I did not feel like I was like the others. How could a person who's never had a birthday party and a complete **** up be able to network in the City of London and be that happy driven successful person.

So I withdrew from almost everything after 6 months at uni until I left, only working annoymously in a ****ty restaurant for spare pocket money. I also dropped Economics and switched to Philosophy, which my parents were furious about because I clearly had the intellectual potential as well as the actual subject interest to do well. I got 550/600 at A-Level and 75 in Economics Theory modules in 1st year uni.

Nothing's really changed much after these years, except now I have a piece of paper that says I'm Qualified to do something I don't like.

I just don't understand the people throwing £6,000 at a Masters in History or whatever. That is a car. That is money for a deposit on a flat. Priorities change a bit once you leave education.

My dream is (was?) to work in public affairs for a charity. I’ve got to the point where I’ve accepted it probably won’t happen. I’ve been rejected from two unpaid internships for cancer charities which was a fairly humbling experience. There is a Charity graduate scheme I’m looking at the moment. Hopefully being the C.A.B. will help for that. You have to pass silly maths tests which is a bit of pain though...I'm a humanities grad..

I find the Prince’s Trust is more geared towards non-graduates. I volunteer alongside someone on a Prince’s Trust scheme at the moment. His real barrier to getting into work is dreadful GCSEs – below C in English and Maths. A good worker actually but who takes a chance these days?

I assume then that he self-taught himself business stuff and IT stuff?

x

I would discourage it (I'm a Philosophy grad, see my other post).

Edit, I'm going to expand on that since I have an affinity for Philosophy and don't want to give the impression that it's not worth studying per se.

Philosophy itself is fascinating and a subject well worth reading into. But I'd advise that if you really want to study it, unless you plan to teach afterwards (at whatever level e.g. doing a PGCE or pursue a PhD) or as I say above, use your degree simply as means to get into generic grad roles/the armed forces etc then there isn't much point in studying a degree in it.

If Philosophy really interests you, you could explore the subject in your spare time or take an Open University/Edx course etc. A degree will shape your future or at least affect it to a large extent - so, personally, if I could give my younger self advice it would be:

Study something that leads to a job (i.e. something vocational) and use your spare time to pursue your interests. You have your whole life to learn about Philosophy, or History or English Literature or whatever - you don't have you whole life to become qualified for a decently paid job that will cover bills/food/transport/rent etc.

Life becomes pretty 'real' once you graduate and your reality will be pleasant or unpleasant largely based on your ability to find employment .
I would advise studying something employable.

I think one problem I have is that I took a “survival” job in retail during the peak of the recession. I did this as a) any gap in employment is not acceptable to hiring managers b) There is dignity in any work compared to visiting my local job centre c) There was unemployment at 2.5m and frankly any job was an achievement. People have short memories - employers were dropping like flies at one point.

Problem comes when you come to interview with a manager whose only experience of the recession has been reading about it in the Telegraph. I've had a couple of interviews where my decision to take the retail job has been called into question. Was I not committed to the industry enough? Yet if you do not take such a job you run the risk of a job centre sanction or being called a "job snob"... #rantover.

No no no no no no no....
It's not that she studied Philosophy. Remember that 50% of graduate level jobs don't specify a degree subject. It's that she thought a 2.1 in Phil would be enough.

Had she already knew what she wanted to do at the beginning of uni, got relevant work experience and extracurriculars, she would be have thrived.

Basically, it's not arts degrees that are the problem, it's (most) of the people doing them!

x

I've always wanted to do a BA in Philosophy; this is discouraging

I would discourage it (I'm a Philosophy grad, see my other post).

I've always wanted to do a BA in Philosophy; this is discouraging

I've always wanted to do a BA in Philosophy; this is discouraging