What careers can I do with my A-Level options?

First time posting here! ❤︎
I'm a Year 12 student, currently studying English Literature, Criminology and Sociology and I'm trying to decide what career I want to do.

I want to do something that helps people and I've always been passionate for English but I'm not sure what career I could do that is economically sustainable.

I've thought about journalism but I don't know if I want to spend my life sat at a desk and since I live in a poor area, I don't know if it's my best option. So I'm honestly willing to look at all avenues.

Any help would be appreciated! ❤︎❤︎

Reply 1

hotpud

If you are willing, the area you come from shouldn't influence what you aspire to being. You might need to accept that you need to move out of that area though. Rather than look at what you have and see what you have available to you, you need to think the other way around. What do you want to achieve and what to you need to to in order to achieve that? Additional qualifications can always be gained and coming from a poorer area is to your advantage because funding is often available for additional learning and training.

How do you know what you want to do? Take a punt. Get a job. Give it a go. What do you enjoy about that job. What do you not. Then refine your search focussing on what you are good at and what you enjoy.

Good luck!

Reply 2

s3r3nn

Hi!!

While I'm not doing any of your subjects, as a current Year 13 I had the exact same struggle, so I know what it's like!

One thing that really helped me was the UCAS careers quiz (https://www.ucas.com/explore/career-quiz). You do need to sign up to do it, but it gives you a really good insight into what might be right for you! From your results you can then look at what type of degrees/other courses you would need to do to get that job, then see what A-Levels they are looking for.

I also recommend talking to the adults in your life, especially your teachers. For a while I had no clue what I was interested in, until I spoke to my Biology teacher who told me to look into Biochemistry, and after doing some digging I realised that it was basically every single niche part of Biology that I found really cool! Again, while the subjects I'm doing aren't exactly applicable, talking to people who have more experience is very helpful. Some schools/colleges do have specific careers advisors who you can talk to as well.

Definitely try to get some work experience in fields you think might be of interest. Summer is probably the best time for this. Some universities offer courses and workshops too, although these are quite competitive - still worth a try!

There's also online courses, which allow you to get a feel for the type of job you are looking for. Some of them do cost money, but there are also a load of free ones. One website I recommend is Forage, which acts as a job simulator, providing you with a "day in the life" experience of what it would be like to have a certain position at a certain company. There are other websites similar to this, just search "free online courses". Some of them are also a lot less specific, which you might prefer at first. These are also good for CVs, as often times you will get a certificate at the end of the course as proof that you have done it. Especially the Forage ones - I know people who have been offered jobs/apprenticeships just because they showed that extra bit of interest towards the company, and gained some extra skills along the way.

Above all, try not to overthink it! I know that's not very helpful to hear if you are stressed, but most people (including adults with jobs!) still don't know what they want to do. Often times, you won't know what job you want exactly, but you know what you're interested in doing, so you know how to get to what you want to do (if that makes sense?). For example, I know I'm interested in Biochemistry, so I'm going to study Biochemistry at University, even though I don't really know what job I'll have at the end of it. Additionally, don't be worried if it changes! For a while I was 100% sure I wanted to be a pharmacist. It was only until I did a week of work experience at a pharmacy, which I absolutely hated, that I realised it wasn't for me. While at the time I felt completely lost and upset that I wasn't interested in my "dream job", I'm now grateful that I dodged a bullet, and realised I didn't like pharmacy before I started studying a degree in it!

It is really good that you are thinking about careers this early! Just try not to get bogged down by certain ideas, try to keep an open mind. While the whole point of jobs are to provide you with a good salary, definitely do keep in mind the fact that you will be doing that job for quite a lot of your time, so you do need to enjoy it, or atleast feel satisfied with your job.

Finally, it is never too late to change your mind. I know sometimes it may feel like the decisions you make are going to have really massive consequences and will effect the course of your life forever, you can always go back, and do something else!

Sorry for the long winded post, I just wish I had heard all of that a year ago, as that all really helped me

Wishing you the best of luck!! <3

Reply 3

Kingston Jenifer

Official Rep

Original post by PhePhe16

First time posting here! ❤︎
I'm a Year 12 student, currently studying English Literature, Criminology and Sociology and I'm trying to decide what career I want to do.
I want to do something that helps people and I've always been passionate for English but I'm not sure what career I could do that is economically sustainable.
I've thought about journalism but I don't know if I want to spend my life sat at a desk and since I live in a poor area, I don't know if it's my best option. So I'm honestly willing to look at all avenues.
Any help would be appreciated! ❤︎❤︎

Good Morning,

it is great you are considering your future and A-Level options. Firstly, it would be a good idea to write down a list of industries you are interested in. As you like English, a career as a writer or teacher may be of interests. Remember to tap into hidden job markets! For example, as a writer you can perhaps work in the Pharmaceutical industry, translating technical reports into readable, easier-to-digest documents. Further, with a degree in English you can go into social media management, law, marketing, public relations, consulting or HR. I would strongly advise asking your careers advisor and also doing some networking if you have LinkedIn. There are some free networking events for students in which you can join, and they can inform you of careers with english degrees.

Hope this helped! Let me know if you have any more questions.

Kind regards, Jenifer (Kingston rep)