September is the month when everyone gets back to business – children go back to school and families get back into their regular routine.
But if you’re just coming out of education and aren’t sure of what to do next then September can be a daunting time, especially if you feel like everyone else around you has their plans sorted.
In reality – we all started our career somewhere, whether that was straight out of school or years down the line. Even our Dobson Welch recruiters didn’t start their current careers until they’d already been through multiple jobs.
So if you want to hear more about where our recruiters started and what their advice is for getting where you want to be, continue reading to find out…
Claire’s education and early career:
In school, Claire did her GCSEs and passed 7 including Maths and English. She then went on to sixth form and decided to do English, Sociology and British & American Politics alongside working a part-time job at KFC.
Claire achieved good grades in English and Sociology but didn’t get the grade she hoped for in British & American Politics. After moving to a job in M&S, Claire then began a 10-year career in banking.
Claire’s advice:
“In terms of going to University, I believe that students should go with an idea or passion of what they want to do as a career. I see far too many people graduating with no idea of what they want to do and ending up in a job that does not make them happy.”
Dominic’s education and early career:
Dominic started off leaving school with 2 O-Levels and 4 GCSEs when he managed to secure a place at college on a Graphic Design course. As someone who tended to be more suited to creative subjects at school such as art and technical drawing, he felt a creative role suited him best.
However, with his family home not being a high earning one, the call of the pay packet was more attractive to him so he went to work in the stained glass industry for homes, pubs and other establishments.
Dominic’s advice:
“Many of my peers, as well as myself, left school at 16 and went and got a job, however, the handful that went on to further education have generally been more successful. The ones with degrees, even more so.
I have a couple of friends who have been extremely successful and became millionaires before they were 30, both of which didn’t go on to further education but both say they wish they had. They feel that it would’ve added more to their arsenal and they may have gotten their success earlier.
In terms of fashion careers, education is key and there are very few people that haven’t studied who manage to build a career in it.”
Angela’s education and early career:
Angela’s journey started when she left school at 16 years old with no real qualifications and a part-time job working as a waitress. She then went on to live in Tenerife for three years and got her first full-time job working in sales for a timeshare resort.
Angela’s advice:
“I am a firm believer that you should only study subjects that you are passionate about but there are some subjects that are better suited to certain degrees.
For example, if you were going to do a law degree, an essay-based subject at A Level such as English or History with something like Economics or Politics would work well. As well as this, languages are always good to have under your belt if you are good at them.”
