In late 20's with no career prospects - help please?

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With electrician/plumber I think theres already so many people doing that on top of the fact that im not really that much of a handyman. Like I would prefer an office kind of job. I want to have the achievement of going to uni but just not sure what path to take if that makes sense?

What do you do

Reply 41

Clip

Original post by the mezzil

No he really wouldnt. There are plenty of asians in the Armed Forces. In fact there is an entire Brigade made up of just Asians. Many Asian parents even push their child down that route in my experience.

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http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showpost.php?p=47362639&postcount=27

Reply 42

Quady

Original post by cswizard

I work in IT in a non-technical role, doing business cases and requirements gathering mostly.

Well they get paid more than IT engineers...
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/article-2269520/Best-paid-jobs-2012-Official-figures-national-average-UK-salaries-400-occupations.html

I also suggested accountant :smile:

Reply 43

cswizard

Im not guna give up work still. I can do taxis on the side, my dads got his own taxi and makes around 900 a week after expenses which is decent. I can do ttaxispart time and study too. Just thinking what my best options are.
You know your IT job, did you get a degree for that?

Reply 44

Quady

Original post by cswizard

Yes, at the time the fact I had a chemistry degree mattered as you needed an IT, physical science, business or librarianship degree to get on the grad scheme.

However, thats been lifted now, just need a 2.i in any discipline. And pass the online tests, assessment centre and final selection board.

Reply 45

410rn

Hi Jay,

We share similar situations. I am also about to turn 29 and have not as yet commenced any meaningful career. I am also looking to study Computer Science (in Birmingham, too! Are you me?)

Firstly, I would tell you to put out of your mind any concepts of competition with your peers. Life is meandering and different for each one of us - you will have 40ish years of a career ahead of you if you remain strong and follow through on your current plans. You have already taken steps to take control of your life and it is in doing this that you will earn your own self-respect.

Graduating at 33 is perfectly acceptable. You will find throughout life that many people change paths and directions. Comparing your own life with others is fruitless, because you are not them, and you will never understand their motives and purpose. All you must do is understand yourself and take control of your own destiny.

Regarding Comp Sci;

You should get in touch with the provider of the Access Course to ascertain whether your current grades will be sufficient to gain a place on the program (my understanding is that an Access Course is by its nature designed to provide access, not deter you from progression. A little research can't hurt and will put your mind at ease.)

I have already undertaken an undergraduate degree in a tangentially related field and will be going on to study the MSci at Birmingham 2014/15. Whilst there is talk of offshoring within the Computer Science industry, if you are canny and observant of skillsgaps within the UK market (given that this is where you look to build your career) it will be entirely possible of achieving a salary anywhere between 30,000 and 60,000 (or more if you're lucky?) by the time you are 35. The industry is vast and continually expanding in new directions and it is up to you to research and determine which area you would seek to be employed within, the usual rules of networking and visibility (attending meetups/publishing to public repos/working on open source projects) applies as in any industry.

Finally, you should not look at your current path as your 'last chance of hope'. You have a lot of negative messages in your head, and whilst they might have helped you to formulate your energy and determination, you should seek to replace these ideas of being a late-starter etc with an understanding that you have taken the time you needed to fully understand yourself and will now enter into a career with the energy and passion of a man of conviction who seeks to prove himself, for himself. Not for parents, family, friends or society. This is a wider comment regarding life, but being happy in yourself is a keystone of contentment.

If you have any other questions, just ask :-)

Reply 46

Rascacielos

My advice would be to stop looking at what you have/haven't done and what you could have done better. That time is gone now; but 28 is still young and you have time to focus on your future. You just need the determination and drive to do it.

If you're interested in computer science, then you have to find ways to facilitate that. Okay, so you may not have great academics and you may have dropped out of university, but you need to stop dwelling on that and underestimating yourself. It seems as though the only person holding yourself back is you.

The point of an access course is to facilitate entry onto great things (a degree, for example) and I don't think you usually need in-depth expert knowledge of the subject. I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult to find out the particular requirements for that course. If you find you are underqualified, then you have the opportunity to sit Computer Science A-level as an independent candidate.

The important thing is to be proactive rather than wishing for something to happen. Realise that it will be tough and it's not ideal, but if you have the determination to do something then it is never too late to do so.

Reply 47

goldfairy

Hi,

You could always try open university? As there are no requirements to get in but they brush you up at level 1 i think and by the time you reach level 2, you are at university level and its a big jump though between level 1 and level 2 . However, it requires a lot of motivation and determination to do well as at the end of the day you are learning from home and probably not surrounded by students like you are from a brick university.

To do computer science, most universities like to see an A in A level math as a requirement however i dont think math is as essential as they make it out to be ... logic thinking and problem solving is key in computer science and that is probably why they see math as a requirement... (I think not 100% sure to the reasoning)

i think you have 3 possible routes:

1. do A levels and then apply to university
2. go to open university
3. do a vocational course hnd(higher national dipolma) and then top up to make it into a degree by going into year 3 at university

Reply 48

H1981786

Hi
You can be in control of your destiny and only you can decide a make or break for your future. I had only achieved 2 GCSEs in english and maths and I passed English after a re take! I Then did a BTec intermediate in business and only got a pass grade. I got kicked out of the school and was told I would not be able to go to university! I then enrolled in the advanced Btec course for business and achieved a distinction. I went to university and worked hard and achieved an honours degree in business and computing with a 2:1 grade from a good university despite getting an E in business studies and an F for information systems at GCSE!!

I started off in employment after graduation in call centre work, which had no career prospects. I then embarked a career in local government and worked my way up and showing the powers above what I'm really made off. I am in a role where I manage up to 36 staff with 5 direct reports and earning nearly £36K a year, plus I own a 3 bedroom house worth £450k in London and gain rental income of other £16k a year on it with less than 6 years left on the mortgage.

Reality is success does require hard work and to make sacrifices, which I did. Believe me, the road to success is to get up and do it and be positive. Feeling sorry for yourself will hold you back. I had so many low points in my life, but that didn't stop me. It made me a stronger person mentally. You need to make a plan for where you want to be and stick to it no matter what!

Reply 49

Tloa

I am in just the right size shoes... 28 this year and was going to take computer science at uni this year in september but again my head kicks in and i change to product design...fine art. . Ect i never can make my mind but.. seems back because its not normal....people get a job work and then thats it for life?... narrr! Live life free earn money doing something you love to do and find the correct one. Try different backgrounds in all places. My friends all have careers

I'm sure I'm years late in replying. However please don't compare yourself to those living in London, everything about the cost of living is extortionate here, so wages have to be higher (people don't always end up better off). I don't think 40k is high or unachievable at all for anyone, it's all about getting qualifications whilst you work, you would need A levels. You can get A levels whilst working another job, they are able to be done very fast. In London you can start at the bottom and earn £25,000 starting salary if you search around and pick the correct jobs. In the (at least) 5 years your friend has put in you'd match that, with work and qualification progression. Honestly though, as long as you can live, money isn't as important as you think, I've had both lots and none. A friend of mine made money in an Internet start up and is retired at 30 with £37 million, he now does venture capitalism, he's Married to an average girl and has an almost average life. I wouldn't say his life is hugely better than others I know who have made great lives, if not financially. Having money for health and if you're lucky a little travel is a good life, and if you meet someone who will contribute 50/50 then things improve again.

Reply 52

Timb3r

@cswizard, what happened? where did you end up? did you make it? I hope so :smile:

Whilst some might look at your history as a lesson to those taking GCSE's today, there will be others in positions similar to your own, who might really benefit from a successful outcome to your story :smile:

Armed Forces.

Original post by Anika FX

Armed Forces.

Aren't they a bit old to be joining, now they are 34?

Reply 55

Nununu

Original post by Quady

You are no where near accamedically good enough to do Comp Sci.

If I were you I'd try and take up a trade, plumber, electrician or something. Yesterday I paid a guy £65 for an hour and a halfs work to fit a bathroom extractor fan. He had three more jobs that day.

How would you know?

He hasn't had the motivation for it in the past.

Original post by cswizard

Sorry to disagree with you but I applied to Aston University and nottingham and they both said that I can do the relevant access course with a number of distinctions in maths/cs modules. Also they have not asked for A level maths although I understand it would be extremely beneficial. So your incorrect in that. They said they teach everything from scratch but obviously I will have over a year to self teach or learn some basic programming.
And I have used Python actually and abit of visual basic so no im not completely in the dark with it!

Also you cant say you dont think somebody will get through it if there are probably examples on here of people who have actually gone on to complete CS after doing an access course

I am in an even worse situation than you.

As I am unemployed, 32 and living with my parents.

But I have decided to take the few credits I have from uni and transfer them to an open degree with the open uni. I am now starting an open degree and will focus on mainly computer science modules. Open university might be an option for you. Especially if you transfer some of your modules from previous study to your degree

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 56

Quady

Original post by Nununu

How would you know?

He hasn't had the motivation for it in the past.

With grade inflation perhaps they are up to it now.

This was the past.

Why has it taken you five years to contribute?

Reply 57

Distopia

The problem is these spoilt as **** 15 yr olds wearing mac and using their Iphone 11 pro max to comment and make you seem like a piece of dirt, maybe their mummys should make them take part time work to pay board (as i had to) so they see they won't have their ass wiped and understand we all haven't been brought up in an household where the only thing they've got to worry about is getting an A.Make the most of the time you have and go do the computer studies you want and don't take **** off folk. You sir need to hold your head high and do it, your 29 not 79.