Yet another 'career advice' topic...*sigh*

[instigator]

I'll get straight to the point as it's hard enough to ask for advice on this when a month ago I was so sure I knew what I was going to do...

The details:

- I'm 21
- Just graduated from a good University.
- Got a BENG in Mechanical engineering (failed the last year so didn't get the Honours)
- Dumped my comfy sponsorship deal with a construction company.

I initially figured I'd just go and get an apprenticeship and do plumbing as it's something I wanted to do since I've started University. But a lack of those about and me consulting my finances means I probably won't be able to live the life I want on those crummy wages. Can survive on crap wages for a while but not 4 years which is what a plumbing apprnticeship takes to complete

What I want from a job:

- Got to use my degree to it's advantage. (otherwise I won't earn what I want to)
- Needs to have some sort of physical side to it. I.e not just office shit.
- Near enough £20k a year (last job was £23k+ but was office based)
- I do like the thought of workign in different plaes/areas i.e not just the same old place, day in, day out.

Money really isn't what I'm after, it's job satisfaction. But I do want to be able to move out. Location can be anywhere except London, preferably abroad (America or Canada....mmmmm)

My weakness is that I want this now and am not willing to get another job in the meantime, hence why I dumped my job. Not a great attitude to have I know but if I can survive financially then

Penny for your thoughts?

[Itchy]

theres an old saying ,

when looking for a horse , its ok to keep walking,

hence you should have stayed for a bit (6-12 months at the least) , the get experience money (and hence security) so that if you plans fail (which has a nasty habit of happening best laid plans and all that hoo har) , you lose nothing.

With an ok job if you are prepared to sacrifice your nights you can study and work (what I did)
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[msgander]

[Ork12]

Stick gimme 5 Years and I'll be your mechanical engineer

[cqueen]

Got any contacts in the engineering scene? It's not what you know, it's who you know!

[colin1]

im similar to instigator
mech eng at a good uni
failed a year and got a pass (not honours)
however im 30 and never had a clue how to find an engineering place that wd have me

i know i shd have tried harder

i am currently trying to get back into the call centre stuff i have done for years

i have only academic knowledge which is probably pretty faded now
i have no grass roots stuff

if anyone knows what job wd be good to get experience to help my cv so that one day i could get a job for mechanical engineers, that would be good.

wd it be handy if i tried to learn to weld and get a job as a welder ? sounds fun
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[instigator]

[TOM M]

[Itchy]

[Itchy]

I didn't mean it to sound like a talking down to I hate that myself but my general gist was that it is normally a situation or a facsmilie to this:

its put up with a bad thing to get greater rewards in the future or to avoid other unpleasant things,

(work crap job for money , women who don't want an arguement and hence let their BFs grind away their lust on them even though they aren't in the mood),


but apprenticeships are not the only way, in my last months of university when jobs did not seem too forthcoming , I looked into a few plumbing colleges , some were private the most expensive ones were about £8K and were 9-12 months long 9-6 weekdays, after that you'd have to hook up with a company to get experience and a good rep.

Thing is plumbing isn't so $$$ anymore , Polish blokes will work for alot less these days.
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.