The Student Room Group

My parents are annoyed at me for leaving an apprenticeship without a job lined up

Long story short - I dropped out of college and thought 'might not be a bad idea to get into a trade, maybe electrician'
Luckily the week after I left I had an interview for an electrician apprenticeship.

Two months on and I've handed in my notice it's not what I wanted.. it's 90% metal work, cutting tray and trunking, carrying ladder rack, carrying massive ladders up and down stairs, dealing with d*ckheads and earning next to nothing.

I don't have a job lined up but I am applying for a number of positions and what not that interest me, anything from cabin crew to the police.

I just know I don't want to work out on a building site in the cold and the rain, I don't want to sleep for 10 hours and still struggle to keep my eyes open while I'm driving.
It's not for me I know that much.

I know ideally I should have had a job lined up but I don't.. I didn't want to wait to leave, but I wanted to leave on good terms so I gave in my 2 weeks instead of just walking away.
But I don't want to be there for any longer than I have to.

What do you think?
Reply 1
You're going to be doing the B1tch jobs as an apprentice whatever the field.

I'd definitely consider going back to college, the apprenticeships many big companies offer post A level are fantastic (i'm the product of one myself). You earn nearly as much as a graduate, some places send you off to do a degree and after 3 years you're a pay grade or two above grads who have just left uni.
Original post by Anonymous
Long story short - I dropped out of college and thought 'might not be a bad idea to get into a trade, maybe electrician'
Luckily the week after I left I had an interview for an electrician apprenticeship.

Two months on and I've handed in my notice it's not what I wanted.. it's 90% metal work, cutting tray and trunking, carrying ladder rack, carrying massive ladders up and down stairs, dealing with d*ckheads and earning next to nothing.

I don't have a job lined up but I am applying for a number of positions and what not that interest me, anything from cabin crew to the police.

I just know I don't want to work out on a building site in the cold and the rain, I don't want to sleep for 10 hours and still struggle to keep my eyes open while I'm driving.
It's not for me I know that much.

I know ideally I should have had a job lined up but I don't.. I didn't want to wait to leave, but I wanted to leave on good terms so I gave in my 2 weeks instead of just walking away.
But I don't want to be there for any longer than I have to.

What do you think?


It's only two months in, still a recent start. I think it is still normal to do the menial tasks and when you get more settled in, they will start to teach you more complex things. However, if you are still not happy with the apprenticeship that is another thing. Work your notice and then leave.

I can understand where your parents are coming from - they are just worried about your future. Keep up with the job hunt or if needed, consider going back into education. What career do you actually want to go into?
Reply 3
Original post by cheesecakelove
It's only two months in, still a recent start. I think it is still normal to do the menial tasks and when you get more settled in, they will start to teach you more complex things. However, if you are still not happy with the apprenticeship that is another thing. Work your notice and then leave.

I can understand where your parents are coming from - they are just worried about your future. Keep up with the job hunt or if needed, consider going back into education. What career do you actually want to go into?


I don't mind sweeping the floor or emptying the bins, but when I see what the qualified guys are at.. I just know I don't want to do that.
The jobs I mentioned are done by both apprentices and qualified guys, but the qualified guys get the trickier stuff..

They're now going around with the presumption I'll be reverting my notice, 'okay so when you go in and say you're staying put' even though I don't want to.
I'm 21, this is ridiculous.
I think you need a reality check. If you haven't stuck at anything how do you think you'll get positions as cabin crew or in the police? Those are competitive and will require references and for you to show skills + reliability.

You need to have a serious think about what you want and how to get there and then prepare yourself to do some boring grunt work. Everyone starts somewhere.

Also accept you might not love your job, many don't and it's fine. But you need to do something rather than just rely on your mum and dad.
Original post by doodle_333
I think you need a reality check. If you haven't stuck at anything how do you think you'll get positions as cabin crew or in the police? Those are competitive and will require references and for you to show skills + reliability.


Joining Police Scotland is a piece of cake, they just ask if you've got your own cudgel and are willing to paint some orange stripes down the side of your car.
Reply 6
Original post by doodle_333
I think you need a reality check. If you haven't stuck at anything how do you think you'll get positions as cabin crew or in the police? Those are competitive and will require references and for you to show skills + reliability.

You need to have a serious think about what you want and how to get there and then prepare yourself to do some boring grunt work. Everyone starts somewhere.

Also accept you might not love your job, many don't and it's fine. But you need to do something rather than just rely on your mum and dad.


Thanks for the over reaching opinion.
Mum and dad pay for nothing, if I was going back to college it would be on my own back (no student loans here).

So I should just stand in **** while smiling for a photo because it'll look better even though you know you're standing on a pile of ****?

I don't mind doing boring grunt work, but I have zero intention of being an electrician.
I don't see how electrical work will at all translate to cabin crew, other than with some mental gymnastics 'oh he pulled cable, well we push trolleys and he would have no problems with that so that would look good and so yeah, he's hired' - it's not relevant.
So I can't leave an apprenticeship because I decided to give it a go?

I'll tell them the truth, I didn't enjoy college, I lost all interest and decided it was better for me to cut my losses, I thought I might like electrical work, that an apprenticeship was a good starting point for someone leaving college without a qualification, but it was not what I thought it was and it was not what I saw myself doing as a career, but cabin crew is.
Original post by Anonymous
I don't mind sweeping the floor or emptying the bins, but when I see what the qualified guys are at.. I just know I don't want to do that.
The jobs I mentioned are done by both apprentices and qualified guys, but the qualified guys get the trickier stuff..

They're now going around with the presumption I'll be reverting my notice, 'okay so when you go in and say you're staying put' even though I don't want to.
I'm 21, this is ridiculous.


If you are definitely sure that you don't want to stay in your current role, then so be it. Just work your notice and then you can leave. Focus on what you do want to do and make a plan. This will keep you motivated to work towards your goal, as well as making your parents worry less if they can see that you know what you want to do and how to get there.
So you live alone and pay your bills/food etc?

Yes. Sometimes at work you have to stand in **** and smile cos you know you have to pay your rent. That's life.

I'm just saying I would look at you and say you've never shown any commitment or reliability. You say you want to be cabin crew but you also said at some point you wanted to be an electrician and gave up on that quickly and at some point said you wanted to do a levels and gave that up. So why should anyone believe these ambitions are more meaningful without evidence?

Idk if you've held a steady job between your a levels and apprenticeship, if so then you'll find a job easier. If not then you need to realise life isn't a bed of roses and sometimes you need to knuckle down and get on with it.
Original post by Anonymous
Thanks for the over reaching opinion.
Mum and dad pay for nothing, if I was going back to college it would be on my own back (no student loans here).

So I should just stand in **** while smiling for a photo because it'll look better even though you know you're standing on a pile of ****?

I don't mind doing boring grunt work, but I have zero intention of being an electrician.
I don't see how electrical work will at all translate to cabin crew, other than with some mental gymnastics 'oh he pulled cable, well we push trolleys and he would have no problems with that so that would look good and so yeah, he's hired' - it's not relevant.
So I can't leave an apprenticeship because I decided to give it a go?

I'll tell them the truth, I didn't enjoy college, I lost all interest and decided it was better for me to cut my losses, I thought I might like electrical work, that an apprenticeship was a good starting point for someone leaving college without a qualification, but it was not what I thought it was and it was not what I saw myself doing as a career, but cabin crew is.

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending