We all know that university isn’t for everyone. But, knowing what’s not right for you isn’t the same as knowing what is. How do you go about getting your dream job? According to research released last year, people in Britain have lower levels of job satisfaction than in most other European countries. This made me really sad. You’ll be working for the next 40 years at the very least, so it’s so important to enjoy what you’re doing. This doesn’t just make you happy; it makes businesses more successful and the whole economy thrive. But, that’s easier said than done. Where do you even start?
First, you also need to be inspired. Take the time to discover what’s out there. Parents, teachers and businesses can all give you an idea or spark of inspiration that might set you on the right path. Then it’s important to get hold of as much information as possible. Think about where you want to end up and how you can get there. Find someone you really admire and work out how they did it. I love browsing the biography section at W H Smith for that exact reason. And to find why McFly really split up, of course. There are also sites like LifeSkills, for which I am an Ambassador. This can help you identify your strengths and the careers that are likely to suit you.
You may already have an idea of what you want to do. In which case, you need to know how to get your foot in the door. In my opinion, a good starting place is work experience. Aim big. Email or call the best business in your area and ask about work experience. Even if they don’t offer it, you might be able to arrange a coffee with someone from the company. These types of meetings give you both contacts and first-hand advice about how to break into your chosen field.
Training will also form a big part of getting you to where you want to be. Vocational courses are linked directly to the job you’ll have at the end so not only do you get qualifications and maybe even a wage, you also get invaluable first-hand experience of what you’ll be doing for the rest of your life. There are loads of places you can look into courses, but your local college is a good place to start.
But mostly, stay positive; there are loads of amazing opportunities out there for you. I’ll be using these blogs to try and give some useful tips and share my own experiences. In the meantime, check out the video I made recently with the winners of LifeSkills Work Experience of a Lifetime competition where I share some trade secrets from the world of radio presenting.
