# If you could have any career...?



## Tom (7 Dec 2010)

...What would it be?

I am at a complete loss of what I want to do!! I'm 20, and have 2 National Diplomas at triple distinction level (6 A at A level equivalent), but subject-wise I'm finding them fairly irrelevant. I qualified in Fish Management at Sparsholt and went to work in aquatic retail. This didn't work out, but at least I've learned one thing I don't want to do!! It was a dead-end job on minimum wage, and could never be a long term thing. Locally, retail is the only aquatic option on the cards at the moment. 

From there, I went back to college and joined a photography course in the 2nd year as I had already been doing some freelance work for various companies, including PFK. Through doing this course, I realized how irrelevant it was for any real-word photography work unless you plan on specialising in wishy-washy fine art rubbish (might get myself in trouble there!). The benefit though was an awesome trip to NYC. But anyway, I finished that in summer this year, and started again with freelance work. I got quite a bit of work to start with which was good, but I have very low confidence and the work is beginning to dry up. It doesn't help that people try to worm out of paying for anything at the moment, and I'm not able to charge enough to make profit. 

Anyway that's the frustrations out of the way so the question is, if you could completely restart everything and do whatever you liked, what career would you pick? Or did you get it right first time? I'm determined to do something I will enjoy!!!

Tom


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## Mark Evans (7 Dec 2010)

I learnt a 'trade' at a very early age. Roofing, and now specialist roofing. This gave me something to 'fall back on' 

I've since in my life, travelled the world with a band, played on records, interviews, radio, played festivals.

semi pro photography. I'm looking for advancement's in the aquascaping world, but what allowed me to do all of this was the roofing! i relied on that for income whilst chasing dreams.

If i had the choice?....A spaceman! 

I've met many people along the way, who are qualified to the nines, with no job and no common sense. IMO they mean nothing. Architects are the classic! think they know it all on their 100K+ a year job, and yet they still ask me how to do something


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## nry (7 Dec 2010)

I want to work for myself or at least be the person in charge of others - I'm better at that than doing my own work on occasion


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## waj8 (7 Dec 2010)

Stationary engineer. Kind of like operating an aquarium but with fewer moments of terror. Pays very well and there is a lot of demand right now.


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## foxfish (7 Dec 2010)

I left school at 14 (37 years ago) while my class mates stayed on to do Os & As. 
Some of them have done very well in finance, some even better in the property market but, I am not sure in any of these guys are happy, contented or satisfied?
My best mate went on to be a chiropractor & he remains a good friend, I think that sort of career would of suited me.
So I would say if I had another chance then I fancy the satisfaction of healing folk & the money that goes with it. However that would be another 4 year degree course for you!
Myself, well I am semi retired working freelance about 15-20 hours a week so I guess it all worked out for me anyway.
I was just in the right place at the right time, I live in a tax haven environment surrounded by folk with plenty of money to spare. 
I got into garden design & then specialist koi pond construction, my business grew & I invested in koi farming.
This happened in the mid 80s-90s when there was a huge demand for a new & growing hobby in the UK.
One thing I would say is if you want to work for yourself then you will probably need to employ people to get anywhere & that takes a certain kind of personality!
Dealing with people as staff is not always easy, every body wants top skilled staff but those types are one in a million, more often you get good guys but not brilliant! People make mistakes, dont turn up, get sick & always want a pay rise!
Anyway be lucky & think hard...


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## chrisfraser05 (7 Dec 2010)

if you are interested in photography have you thought about the military?

We have a few photographers and they get to see EVERYTHING. Be it taking pasport type photos for ID cards, attending events like airshows/tatoos, parades, acident scenes and battlefield photography.

Also quite a few do weddings/events on the side to add to an already pretty reasonable wage and to top that off if you do some competitions etc within and outwith the forces you can leave with a pretty impressive portfolio.

I kind of wish I'd joined to do that instead of being an electrician but either way the RAF has been kind to me.


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## Garuf (7 Dec 2010)

In a dream world I'd like to re-wind the clocks 100 odd years and become a steam engineer but since that's unlikely to happen any time soon I'd like to go more and more in depth in my studies on landscape architecture and design the outcome ideally being to be the founder of a specialist practice for green design. One can only dream in the current climet however, all you can really do is read a lot, get your head down and be ever aware and see where it takes you.


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## Mortis (8 Dec 2010)

Billionaire playboy


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## Toulouse (9 Dec 2010)

Lol.  I would like to wind the clock back 100 years, make Unions illegal and then wind the clock back forward to 20 years ago.

Then we'd have loads of engineering and manufacturing companies able to compete because of the lower wages (All actual living costs of course would not have risen in line with this because their staff would also be on les money) and then I would still have the job I loved in the late 90s before all the engineering companies couldn't compete anymore.

AC


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## nry (9 Dec 2010)

Making unions illegal in itself prompts the needs for unions...paradox eh


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## a1Matt (9 Dec 2010)

Tom said:
			
		

> ...What would it be?
> 
> I am at a complete loss of what I want to do!! I'm 20, and have 2 National Diplomas at triple distinction level (6 A at A level equivalent), but subject-wise I'm finding them fairly irrelevant.


I also have two diplomas at distinction level (Broadcast systems engineering).  The courses were excellent and I have good transferable skills. I worked really hard, but even so, I count myself lucky.



			
				Tom said:
			
		

> so the question is, if you could completely restart everything and do whatever you liked, what career would you pick? Or did you get it right first time? I'm determined to do something I will enjoy!!!



I'm 34 now and still do not really know exactly what I want to do.  I doubt I ever will.  However I do know that it is important to me that what I do helps people.  So I work for charity and find it so rewarding that I no longer worry so much about what I want to do.
(If anyones interested, I've worked full time for the last 3 years establishing a registry for those in the UK with Cystic Fibrosis http://www.cftrust.org.uk/aboutus/what_ ... cfregistry ).


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## stevec (9 Dec 2010)

Toulouse said:
			
		

> Lol.  I would like to wind the clock back 100 years, make Unions illegal and then wind the clock back forward to 20 years ago.
> 
> Then we'd have loads of engineering and manufacturing companies able to compete because of the lower wages (All actual living costs of course would not have risen in line with this because their staff would also be on les money) and then I would still have the job I loved in the late 90s before all the engineering companies couldn't compete anymore.
> 
> AC



I have a small manual engineering company and we have never been so busy its the big cnc shops that are struggling


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## Nick16 (10 Dec 2010)

Big tme DJ. like the likes of van buuren and tiesto. (notice the better comes first) 

getting paid sh*t loads to essentially listen to and mix music.. 

or would love to be a pro race car driver... but im now 18 and have missed out on my chance really.. should have got into karting at a young age.


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## rawr (1 Jan 2011)

I got a job as a waiter in a hotel when I was 16, now two years later I've been promoted to food and beverage supervisor and am quite sure that I want to stay in the hotel industry. I have my doubts sometimes, like that's all I've known in terms of jobs but yeah for now that's what I'm aiming to progress in.


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## nayr88 (2 Jan 2011)

I left school 16 within the week was self employed and working with a friends family roofing business getting paid Â£20 a day picked up at 6am droped home at 6pm and I loved it but the work slowed down and I had to look else were

Worked with a platerer progressed over 3 years from Labrador haha to spread and I liked that but again work slowed down as we got priced out of work but won't go into that.

Now in college and working as an electricians mate and llooking to progress in this.

Realistic goal.    Build houses sell houses.
Unrealistic  goal.  Become patrick bateman...........


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## dazarooney (3 Jan 2011)

nry said:
			
		

> I want to work for myself or at least be the person in charge of others - I'm better at that than doing my own work on occasion



Couldn't agree more, I'm the same.


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## Anonymous (4 Jan 2011)

Well now I'm an web developer, this is what I'm good at but I like you mates I wish for a decent "job" outside the office like a diving instructor or a professional photographer or both, lots of free time and doing what I like.  Who knows, if I stick on it maybe this dream could come true.

Cheers,
Mike


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## Tom (4 Jan 2011)

> professional photographer or both, lots of free time and doing what I like



do photographer and lots of free time go in the same sentance?


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## BigTom (4 Jan 2011)

Tom said:
			
		

> > professional photographer or both, lots of free time and doing what I like
> 
> 
> 
> do photographer and lots of free time go in the same sentance?



Can do. I know a guy making good money as a food photographer in London who only shoots 2 days a week, although he does a bit more here and there.


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## Tom (4 Jan 2011)

If I shot 2 full days, I would reckon on 2 weeks of processing, to a high level


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## Anonymous (4 Jan 2011)

Tom I think more experience you have means less time consumed editing photos but of course depends what kind of photos are you taking, fashion and studio come with lots of time spent on editing others may not be that time consuming. Myself I'm found of (not good at ) nature and wildlife where editing is or should be minimal.

Cheers,
Mike


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## Tom (4 Jan 2011)

I was just saying my experiences in what I do


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## Anonymous (4 Jan 2011)

I know that Tom, anyway if you like/liked photography you should stick on that and develop your skills and try to experiment otherwise you'll get bored doing the same thing over and over again.
Don't be afraid to rise your financial demands in time, you should be able to do that in anything that you do as freelance otherwise you'll turn working like an employee not employer like me 

Cheers,


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## Tom (4 Jan 2011)

> try to experiment otherwise you'll get bored doing the same thing over and over again.



People don't pay you to experiment unfortunately! (saying that, people don't pay me for anything!!) I wouldn't mind getting hired for anything at all at the moment though to be honest!  Turning my hobby into a job has twice put me off my hobby completely, both fish and photography. The fish/aquascaping side of things is slowly recovering though. Very slowly. 

Trouble is, now if I ever actually get a shoot I can and do charge Â£400 per day of shooting (including processing - really not that expensive, as it can take days), it's not much incentive to get a part time minimum wage supplement (even if the photography isn't coming in, I can't make myself do it!!)


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## ghostsword (6 Jan 2011)

I always liked computers, since the spectrum days, in the mid 80's, but my family was very poor and education was not a priority, so I left school at 16 and joined the army at 17. 

Done one tour in Angola and one in Serbia, left the army after 5 years and came to London looking for a job. 

Done all sorts, from washing cars, working at Pizza Hut, and doing warehouse work. 

A colleague at Pizza Hut gave me the best advice ever, which I will pass on to you.

Study, get some sort of qualification on what you like to do, a degree even, and things will work out. Obviously this was before the school fees issue. 

I got into the OU and done a degree in Computer Science, and have now been working for a online gaming company for the past 8 years. 

I build and design Datacentres, and I am also a Security Manager, lots of travel, more computers that I can throw a stick at, and love coming to work every day. 

If you like photography and aquariums, then concentrate on that, figure out what you need to do to get better at that. 

There are for sure degrees in photography and apprenticeships, also there has to be some related aquarium courses you can take in the mean time. 

Look at Mr. Amano, aquariums and photography.  Need more?


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## George Farmer (6 Jan 2011)

I've considered pursuing a career in the aquatic industry and photography industry full-time many times, as these are my passions, like a few guys on here...

However, I have two main reservations.

1) By relying on your passion to earn you a living you may lose the enjoyment aspect.  It becomes too serious, and once what was a release from everyday stresses becomes the source of stress.  I have spoken with many photographers who have found this, and some folk in the aquatic industry also.

2) For me, my present career in the Armed Forces is secure and rewarding with lots of perks.  I have a young family to support and to potential jeapordise long-term financial security for a less secure career in aquatics/photography is too risky (gambling isn't my bag!)

So I have taken a middle-path and earn a little from some freelance writing/photography, but my main career will likely remain in the Armed Forces for the long-term.

All this said, I've always faniced being a paramedic helicopter pilot.


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## Celestial (8 Jan 2011)

I would love to be 3 things:
1- Marine Biologist
2- Zooligist
3- Work in an aquarium

I have chose my subject options around these, as I really want to have a career involving aquatic life ect.


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## gregalon (4 Apr 2011)

Well I'd like to be a vet (which is surprisingly very competitive due to only 3 universities having a vet course in the UK, or so I've heard) or a marine biologist as I'm pretty keen in Biology but just in case I've chosen maths and economics because I wouldn't mind a nice chunky salary.  

I hope you find a job which you really enjoy.
regards,
greg.


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## niru (5 Apr 2011)

I would never want to have a job that gives me "money for nothin' and fish for free". As George rightly said mixing hobby with profession has its pitfalls, particularly if you dont have either a readymade setup available at hand, or theres loads of free cash to help you establish. Planted tanks for e.g. ARE costly hobbies, and need large investments (time/money/efforts) for long time before they start making even. If one is successful, theres nothing like it. But for most of us its upwards struggle.

Since childhood I was/am passionate about Astronomy, and got into the profession. But then a bright light spoke in my head, and I left it all...  So I recoved my love back. Thanks to my kid, I got into fish and upped it to planted tanks. I guess its best to separate hobbies/spare-time-activities and daily job. The later is meant to sustain a livelihood and security for future (job could be junk, but hey who cares so long as it gives you enough free money, time & mind to pursue your stuff). Having said that I am now a mathematician for a small company and am loving it. 

I have enough time to do photography, sky watching (at nights), attending my tanks and fish (evenings), and pondering over biology, natural sciences, and all those things armchair hobbists do in many fields...

Personally I find professions like photography too saturated, not worth exploring even! But thats just me.


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## John Starkey (6 Apr 2011)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> I've considered pursuing a career in the aquatic industry and photography industry full-time many times, as these are my passions, like a few guys on here...
> 
> However, I have two main reservations.
> 
> ...



I found this out and its very true,for a years i was quite a well respected match angler,when i took early retirement from royal mail i worked in my local angling centre,after 11 months i had become totally fed with fishing and i dont even go anymore,

john.


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## tyrophagus (6 Apr 2011)

I'd like to be an engineer perhaps working in something like flow dynamics or anything that might get me a job with a team in formula one racing!  Designing and building something with an almost unlimited budget.


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## a1Matt (6 Apr 2011)

I trained as a broadcast engineer and jobs in formula one were there for the taking (not many graduate broadcast engineers at the time, 1995).  The hours were too long for me so I let that job pass


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## nayr88 (6 Apr 2011)

I...would be...a porn star......in 'brazzers' 


Cmooon!!! Haha I know it's school boy talk but on the real...that's what I'd like
Other than that I'd like to be am ice cream man and eat all the ice cream.......
Lol sorry

I'd love to work on a beach in the sun teaching people how to surf(after learning myself)


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## Tom (6 Apr 2011)

Ryan, have you been on the bevvys again?


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## nayr88 (6 Apr 2011)

Mate, I'm just speaking the truth........


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## willow-puss (7 Apr 2011)

I always wanted to
1. be a vet or work with animals (big cats or horses), (got told by career adviser- not a chance "you live on a rough estate and you come from a single parent family, if your lucky you'll end up working in a factory..")  
2. work in a biscuit factory (one where i used to live and always smelt sooo good, and so i could eat as many as i wanted to.  ) 
3. be a pathologist- think CSI/ Abby in NCIS. 
4. work in a pub

What happened?
1. went to work for some of the best horse breeders in the world! (*sticking tounge out at advisor*)
2. worked for a big biscuit company, and yes i ate Loads of biscuits
3. Nothing on that front
4. worked in a family run pub,and a working mens club and loved every minute of them both and met my darling b/f in one and the rest is history.

bec


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## roadmaster (7 Apr 2011)

Since childhood, I always wanted to be a Locomotive  engineer. Spent nearly fifteen years building the track the trains run on and cleaning up Derailments all across the U.S.
Not once was I ever able to do more than sit in a Locomotive


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## nayr88 (7 Apr 2011)

roadmaster said:
			
		

> Since childhood, I always wanted to be a Locomotive  engineer. Spent nearly fifteen years building the track the trains run on and cleaning up Derailments all across the U.S.
> Not once was I ever able to do more than sit in a Locomotive



I've spoke about this to someone, it seems London underground drivers have a cushy little job driving those trains for 40k with pensions and they get really looked after through there working years. 

Amount if times we have been call in for works to make life easier for the drivers, anyway how would you get into something like driving trains,


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## roadmaster (9 Apr 2011)

nayr88 said:
			
		

> roadmaster said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Here in U.S., Most often you are required to work your way to Engineer after being hired  by the railroad.
One often begins as trackmen,equipment operator,brakeman,and possibly engineer.
This can take a few years, perhaps less if you know someone, or have influential relative/friend employed with said railroad.
Have built track,repaired track, in places where ours were the only foot prints that had been left in decades.I would have loved to been able to ride the rails across some of the places I've seen while getting paid.


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## Zerocon (6 May 2011)

Be in the R.A.F , pilot/fighter pilot.
I have 20/20 vision and am not colour-blind.

I just don't have the Mathmatical/Technological brain for it, only got a C in my maths GCSE and I find Physics and Geography painstakingly boring in a Classroom, So I couldn't get my head around it.

Hopefully I'll find something worth while though


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## Morgan Freeman (6 May 2011)

I'd love to write satires or be involved in comedy, possibly some sort of writing anyway. Unfortunately I can't have a career due to ill health, but my brother seems to be doing well with his stand up so I can just live my dreams through him, like one of those dodgy pageant show parents.


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## idris (6 May 2011)

1 - sales assistant in a surf shop - no real responsibility and you'll *NEVER* have a strssed customer.
2 - vintage car restorer
3 - stone mason


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## fishkeeper (25 May 2011)

I would really love to become a weatherman (meteorologist) but I didn't do very well in my maths AS level.

So now, I'll be going to university to study Environmental Scientist and would like to work in pollution control, like atmospheric pollution or something. Hopefully it will all work out


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## sanj (25 May 2011)

I wanted to be a god of nature, then i could design and create my own animals, fish, plants...

Unfortunately that didnt happen for some reason.


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## idris (25 May 2011)

fishkeeper said:
			
		

> ...So now, I'll be going to university to study Environmental Scientist ...


Will you be studying Environmental Scientists, Environmental Science or to be an Environmental Scientist?
Do you think you'll get to do a foundation course in Grammar? 
(Sorry - couldn't resist - no offence!)


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## a1Matt (25 May 2011)




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## JEK (25 May 2011)

I'm in the middle of an education to something that would be called "nutrition assistent" in english if you translated it directly from danish. 
What you actually do is just cooking in canteen kitchens. I'm an apprentice in a kitchen were we produce food for the pensioners and nursing homes in the area. For the most part it's rather boring and unsatisfying because of the poor quality and it's more about aliquoting and distribution than cooking.

So when I'm finished with this education I'll take another. I'm thinking of biologist or maybe dietitian.


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## Drouthie (26 May 2011)

It's pretty cool finding out what everyone does, and what other careers there are out there. 

I also wanted to be a vet when I was younger but I couldn't get the work experience. Thought about medicine until I realised that I was just applying because it was a bit like vet. I'm glad I dodged that bullet! I'm a research scientist now. If I could have any career I'd like to continue with this one and end up running my own lab.

It's a fickle career path though, luck on your projects and who you know plays a big part of it, and you basically have to chose between career or family. Some people say you can have a family and a career in science but I think they tend to be exceptional superwomen!

If I don't make it my back up plans are teacher, police person (mounted or dog section) or clinical biochemist. It all depends on when I can't keep going in academia any more and what opportunities are out there if/when I have to leave. 

I'm currently trying to apply for my first postdoc, I have to leave the country so I'm pretty excited and scared!


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