Thora
Differently Ethical
Thanks, I hadn't thought about accountancy but actually it looks like you can do a level 2 certificate by distance learning which is GCSE level, so that might be a good one to try to see if he likes it.
Careers advice for young people
- Thread starter Thora
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Thora
Differently Ethical
He's interested in starting an environmental management GCSE next year, so I wonder if that's a good basis towards engineering.
Silas Loom
Man with glasses
Nobody will trust non-coders to prompt the AI to generate professional code, or to integrate it. Not even on supposedly no-code or low-code platforms. There will absolutely always be work for competent coders.
Offshoring is a greater threat than machine intelligence to well-paid UK gigs, and that has been a factor for the last thirty years, so isn’t going to suddenly disrupt the FTE or contract markets.
skyscraper101
0891 50 50 50
TBH I'm not convinced AI is going to replace everything to the extent people worry about. Sure it will change a lot. But I think there's going to be plenty of opportunity to work with AI if you can get in on the processes involved. It's not sentient to the extent that humans don't need to be involved at numerous levels, yet.
Kind of like how spreadsheets and word processors didn't replace manual accounting and typists. It just meant people needed to reskill to operate the tech to its maximum potential. The next generation enetering the workforce will be the first to have grown up with AI, and just like how I was lucky to have only been 14 when Windows 95 came out and the internet was emerging, I felt lucky that these tools were second nature by the time I was applying for jobs. I think of AI a bit like this. The younger generation will be a lot more adept at using it and so will be a lot more employable while those operational skillsets are still required.
Kind of like how spreadsheets and word processors didn't replace manual accounting and typists. It just meant people needed to reskill to operate the tech to its maximum potential. The next generation enetering the workforce will be the first to have grown up with AI, and just like how I was lucky to have only been 14 when Windows 95 came out and the internet was emerging, I felt lucky that these tools were second nature by the time I was applying for jobs. I think of AI a bit like this. The younger generation will be a lot more adept at using it and so will be a lot more employable while those operational skillsets are still required.
Year 6?? Good lord, at 10 years of age, he still hasn't even been through all the stages of cognitive development, let alone learnt anything at all about who he is, what other people are or how society fits together. How on earth is he going to comprehend the complexity of what a career looks like in areas of social endeavor that literally make no sense to him at this point in his development? A classic sign of this is his statement that he wants to do "something interesting". But he has no idea what "interesting" might be. That's because he still understands the world in terms of concrete physical operations, rather than in abstract social. So to him, "interesting" is a concrete "thing" that can be identified and achieved, rather than a lifelong process of self-development.
My 100% best advice for him would be to try to notice what it is that makes him feel content and focused when he is doing it, and pursue that for as long as it continues to make him feel content and focused. That's it for now. The career can take care of itself when its time comes. But you can't work out what you want to do in the future if you don't even know what it is you like to do in the present and, in my experience, most people don't.
My 100% best advice for him would be to try to notice what it is that makes him feel content and focused when he is doing it, and pursue that for as long as it continues to make him feel content and focused. That's it for now. The career can take care of itself when its time comes. But you can't work out what you want to do in the future if you don't even know what it is you like to do in the present and, in my experience, most people don't.
Regardless if what we think, it sounds as though this is coming from him and following the child's thoughts and interests is part of home ed.
I've changed loads over my life and not changed at all. The social complexities of adult life are to be avoided if possible, I spent a lot of time trying to understand it to conclude that it's not worth it. I envy B his clarity
I've changed loads over my life and not changed at all. The social complexities of adult life are to be avoided if possible, I spent a lot of time trying to understand it to conclude that it's not worth it. I envy B his clarity
Thora
Differently Ethical
I think if they are old enough to ask a question they're old enough to get a proper answer, so I'm not going to tell him he's too young to know about careers 
Anyway, I wouldn't have thought about or suggested engineering or accountancy really so the thread has been useful.
Anyway, I wouldn't have thought about or suggested engineering or accountancy really so the thread has been useful.
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
I think if they are old enough to ask a question they're old enough to get a proper answer, so I'm not going to tell him he's too young to know about careers
Anyway, I wouldn't have thought about or suggested engineering or accountancy really so the thread has been useful.
Yeah, I think it's fine to ask about options if it's because the kid themselves is asking about them. It's not like any decisions are being made or pressure applied, it's just getting some input.
I’m all for giving answers to questions and exploring ideas with your ten year old. That’s great! But there are frameworks for exploring and there are frameworks for exploring, I would suggest. A question about life in the adult world of working doesn’t necessarily need a careers advice consultation. It could instead be talking about the nature of jobs and work and society.
I think he has to be realistic about the WFH thing. I mean I'm 45, highly experienced, work at a senior level but I'm expected to go in three times a week.
He has to start at the bottom. Supermarket, fast food joint etc and get what it is to have a job. Then get your CV together. Only speaking from personal experience.
He has to start at the bottom. Supermarket, fast food joint etc and get what it is to have a job. Then get your CV together. Only speaking from personal experience.
A fine pep talk for a 10 year-old
Soz, didn't see the kid's age in the OP (coz its not there).
But the advice would stand.
There are other posts in the thread
Silas Loom
Man with glasses
Is there work any more for thirteen and fourteen year olds? Paper rounds and milk rounds are presumably no longer extant.
Thora
Differently Ethical
His question was about careers
Thora
Differently Ethical
Random but cool you felt you could share.
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Made some on BBBY, that was a nice one. Then had a 5 bagger elsewhere and held it to break even by leaving it over a weekend....
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Depends a lot on the person, I did 3 years of accountancy training and at the end, got 4 months work then went sideways into another role where it was a useful thing to have, then into procurement. Have attended a workplace on 3 occasions in 5 years, once to remove stuff from the locker as removing the building, once to pickup kit and meet people then our monthly meeting. Do have to go in once a month now but its public sector, mostly everything wants to be recorded in writing where you can and no one ever thinks of it as a career. Everyone falls into it. Not having A-levels/a degree is almost unimportant, CIPS 4 in a year and you can be started on more than the average for that amount of experience. Our trainee is on 33k.
I'd look into apprenticeships, whats nearby? Are they likely to stay there? Procurement admin/logistics type roles with a qualification attached and your golden for at least getting the average salary and every place buys stuff. Nothing is in person really, client teams deal with that side. Also useful if maths and physics turn into data analysis. Thats another field on its own that goes well.
I'd look into apprenticeships, whats nearby? Are they likely to stay there? Procurement admin/logistics type roles with a qualification attached and your golden for at least getting the average salary and every place buys stuff. Nothing is in person really, client teams deal with that side. Also useful if maths and physics turn into data analysis. Thats another field on its own that goes well.
wtfftw
melting like a toastie
This is definitely not aimed at ten year olds but is a reasonable resource.
nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
You'll know if it's any use to him. I would have found perusing jobs useful I think.
Careers advice - job profiles, information and resources | National Careers Service
You'll know if it's any use to him. I would have found perusing jobs useful I think.
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
Not just copywriting, but news writing is also increasingly being impacted by AI. Even mainstream newspaper publishers are advertising roles for 'AI assisted reporters' where journalists work with AI to produce content.
How Newsquest and its seven AI-assisted reporters are using ChatGPT
Newsquest is now employing seven AI-assisted reporters across the UK, up from only one as recently as June.
pressgazette.co.uk
Additionally, while there are more wfh/hybrid roles in journalism since the pandemic, many of those who wfh are freelance journalists, and it's tricky to succeed to a level where someone can achieve financial independence - many have a partner who works in a more stable job, perhaps they come from more affluent backgrounds, have more resources, can rely on the bank of mum and dad, especially when starting out. Pay rates have stagnated over the past couple of decades, and also not just stagnated, some pay rates are lower now than they used to be.
As a result, lots of journalists have increasingly been diversifying and developing 'portfolio careers' because they didn't earn enough from journalism alone, so they also did copywriting, perhaps corporate or for charities/non-profits, and also PR and marketing. Some have commented recently how AI is already making inroads into copywriting. Those kinds of opportunities aren't quite drying up, but they're not as reliable a source of income as they used to be, seem to be fewer opportunities.
(Also, with the increase in HE, more young people going to university, there's more competition for journalism jobs in general, more graduates than opportunities available, so there are more journalists chasing the work, so demand-supply means publishers are in a buyer's market and there's downwards pressure on rates, as mentioned, and that's also impact by reduced advertising revenues online versus print, etc.)
Some people are making a little bit of money by publishing via Substack, mostly it's pocket money rather than a liveable income. Many use it as a means of publishing articles that they couldn't find a home for or to get something off their chest, for branding purposes. Some people are more financially successful on this platform, but they're relatively rare. It's better if someone has a niche, some expertise or a particular interest, to help build an audience. And obviously people need to be able to write in an engaging, informative, and entertaining way, which not everyone can do.
Thora Rather than output, like copywriting, blogging, reporting/journalism. It might be better to focus on input and working in the AI sector itself, rather than working in roles that use AI as a tool. That might be a way of future-proofing against AI taking a job, if their job is developing, creating, and improving those AI tools, instead of using them.
Thora
Differently Ethical
To be fair it was only a few boring old men who felt they had to make their voices heard
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Also Thora it's good for him to have two lists, things he likes doing and things he hates doing. Sometimes it's easier to start with the second one.
Also Yr 6 is not too early to start thinking about what he might like to start a career in. As Poot says, it should be encouraged. Also get him used to the idea that a career is not a fixed thing and by building the right skills it opens up a lot of opportunities.
For example, with a physics background he could do an apprenticeship in medical device management.With engineering qualifications he could work in many branches of engineering from transport to energy to software, or even transition into accountancy. There's apprenticeships and degrees and A levels. There's trades, such as carpentry and furniture making. Lots of artisan stuff these days.
Also Yr 6 is not too early to start thinking about what he might like to start a career in. As Poot says, it should be encouraged. Also get him used to the idea that a career is not a fixed thing and by building the right skills it opens up a lot of opportunities.
For example, with a physics background he could do an apprenticeship in medical device management.With engineering qualifications he could work in many branches of engineering from transport to energy to software, or even transition into accountancy. There's apprenticeships and degrees and A levels. There's trades, such as carpentry and furniture making. Lots of artisan stuff these days.
