h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's the same in IT. I've worked for many large companies in most sectors (Finance sector has eluded me, though - they're a bit exclusive)

Some claim this whole generation (the ones that bought housing when it were affordable etc) are parasites - living unsustainably - building up huge debts, to be passsed on to succeeding generations. The wisdom built up through the ages has largely been overturned and ignored for the purpose of the I want it here and now generation.

There's a school of thought that advocates learning to like your job, or at least some parts of it.

MARY POPPINS: In every job that must be done
There is an element of fun.
You find the fun, and *snap* the job's a game!

'...building up huge debts, to be passsed on to succeeding generations...'

Can't say that this happened where I live, so I wouldn't say it happend with this generation everywhere.

I enjoyed the Mary Poppins economics lesson, Paul

I confess this was one source I failed to consult when I last researched the employment market.

Living unsustainably and building up debts started thousands of years ago, sanctioned by governments then too I might add, so don't give me this wisdom of the ages crap.

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Can we have a translation of that please? I'm not sure I want anything shaken and meted into my bosom.

I think it is one of those fringe benefits.

I suppose there has to some benefits to having a fringe

When I was 14, I imagined that I would like to be an opera singer or a French chef when I grew up. Nothing remotely like that happened. The kiss of death for the opera career came in my first year of college, when I had voice lessons. The teacher made us sing from collections of arias from Italian operas. I developed a strong dislike for those arias, and especially for the Italian language. The teacher was always harping on my poor pronunciation/diction, which owed much to my having no idea how Italian was supposed to sound. I was fluent in English and French, but those languages were off-limits, of course.

I didn't become a total operaphobe, but I certainly understand what it's like to dislike a body of music. I've had about 40 years in which to mellow. I have about 100 "highlights" CDs of operas -- all periods, all languages that operas were written in. Most of the operas are in Italian -- the Italians started writing operas before 1600, and have kept on writing them. When my brother invited me to his 50th birthday part, one of the other guests found out that I sang, so he asked me for an aria from something by Puccini. Puccini doesn't impress me, so I sang "Non piu avrai" from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" instead. I probably screwed up a lot of the words, but the song goes by so fast that I hope nobody noticed.

So, that's my tale of misplaced career aspirations. People have their dreams. All too many of them will crash on the reefs of reality sooner or later.....

To hell with those reefs, I say.

But you're probably tired of hearing me interrupt. Go about your business.

My friend was an operatic buff until I realised I had misheard him say he sang opera in the buff. Or maybe it he sang opera on the bus, or was he in fact an operator of a bus ... Good g reef i must be losing my ear rings.

Anyway, what does a 14-year-old know about career choices? At the time, I mowed the lawn for the town library. In the winter, I shovelled the steps.

OMG I knew you later became a librarian and
have in your 60s recently retired from that.
But I am amazed that your library connection
started that young!?
Truly amazing.
There's a classic novel in your life story.

~jwf~

Hoo>>"I could happily live in a universe without opera..."

And yet you like Queen?

I think in general terms, good advice would be to keep an open mind, look for opportunities, and get transferable skills.

An open mind because there are lots of jobs that most people don't know exist, or which people know must exist when prompted, but would never have thought of. Also there are times when temporary/Saturday/vacation work leads to more than people bargained for. I have a friend who got a temporary job in a bookshop.... now he manages one. Another who took a temporary job labouring on a building site... now he works in construction management. Neither was expecting anything other than paid employment while looking for something else.

Looking for opportunities takes many forms... reading job ads when looking for work (obviously) but also a bit of curiosity... finding out from family friends about their work, friends' parents, and so on.

Transferable skills because we don't know for sure what skills will be required in the future. But it's unlikely that literacy, numeracy, and people skills will ever become redundant.

This is not an inconsistent position. Yes, I like Queen. I liked the soundtrack to "Excalibur". I enjoyed playing the level of "Hitman: Blood Money" that was set during a rehearsal for "Tosca". It's possible for me to enjoy things influenced by, referring to or based upon themes from operas. There are some good tunes.

But all of that said, I don't think I could sit through ten minutes of an actual opera, much less a whole one - and it's just about the only form of art I think I could say that about.

What is it about it you don't like, out of interest? I know this is drifting well off-topic, but it's interesting.

I've done quite a few jobs over my years, but not one of them was what a careers advisor suggested.

We had those stupid tests where you tick boxes for preferences, most people I was at school with were automatically told "factory worker" whereas I was told "statistician". Now, I like looking at statistics, but there's no way you'll catch me doing it for a living.

People will say "go for the money", I believe it's been said in this thread a few times. But I disagree to a point. We're usually at work for at least 7 hours a day, 5 days a week potentially for 40 to 50 years. Sod the money, make sure you're going to enjoy 84,000 hours at work. A decent salary with a happy working day is *far* better than a good salary where you hate every single minute that you're at work. I know, I've done both.

I'd say it's got to be something they enjoy, but it has to be something they *really* enjoy, because otherwise they'll get fed up with it very quickly when it turns into a chore.

I know someone's said about dreams being dashed etc, but you have to *really* work hard at things if you want to be successful at time. It goes without saying, especially in this global economic climate, that there's a lot of people looking for the few jobs, so you have to be good at it.

So my advice, find something related to what they really enjoy, and go talk to people who do that job. They're the ones with the experience and knowledge of what it's really like, and they may very well help them on their way.