Introverts, how is your day?

[Pseudonym]

I had a horrible dream involving a spider-mushroom hybrid.

I also have an odd single curl sticking up straight from the top of my head making me look like a teletubby. 

[Arcadia]

So, normal day, then.

[Pseudonym]

Yup. 

[Van Buren Supernova]

Gah! 

Teletubbies belong to the same category with Chucky. Why do they have all these creepy kiddy characters.

[Arcadia]

To creep out the kids?

[Pseudonym]

Isn't it weird when someone you didn't realise knew your name suddenly calls you by it? And a shortened version too. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yup indeedy.

When I was in high school, the grade school got a new principal.  I knew who she was of course, but had no dealings with her, and rarely even saw her.

One day I had business in the grade-school building and happened to pass her in the corridor.  I smiled, and she said "Hi, Carol!"  Weirded me out a bit.

[J.P.]

Had exactly the same experience in my high school. For someone who cannot tell her co-workers apart for years this is something from the realm of supernatural.

[Pseudonym]

[Van Buren Supernova]

I don't understand why some think hanging out with our pets is not a valid reason.

Have they seen those angry furry faces and faced the consequences?

[Pseudonym]

I'm debating going back to uni. Well, Open University, so studying mostly from home. I know it'll stress me out, but do I really want to be stuck in dead end jobs for the next 30 or 40 years?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Any idea what you'd study?

[Pseudonym]

Natural sciences with a specialism in either biology or environmental science. With the eventual aim of going into conservation.  

[Carol the Dabbler]

Cool!  Be sure to check first with the sort of places where you'd like to work, and find out what sort of educational background they're looking for in job applicants.  My brother had to practically start over because he had believed what the school told him.

[Pseudonym]

That's pretty bad what happened to your brother! Do you mean what his high school told him or his uni?

I've been doing pretend job hunting looking at qualifications wanted and they aren't really that specific - just a relevant degree, and the OU course specs have conservation in their list of careers for that degree so... I'm just not sure about the stress, plus the fact I'll have to do it part time means it'll take forever. Decisions, decisions. 

I'm going to end up like my eldest brother, he did a degree, then a PHD, then another degree. But he earns a fortune now so it was clearly worth it. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

59 minutes ago, Pseudonym said:

That's pretty bad what happened to your brother! Do you mean what his high school told him or his uni?

As I recall, it was a technical school that offered certificates in computer repair, but when he checked with some potential employers, they all required college degrees.  So he did some computer-science college courses, but then he checked into what sort of salary he could expect, and went back to driving a truck -- which was what he really wanted to do anyhow.  He loves trucks, always has.

Anyhow, the more you can find out ahead of time, the better.  Has your pretend job hunting extended to actually talking with potential employers?

[Pseudonym]

No, they all list what they want so I don't really want to be bothering people by emailing them questions when they'll likely say exactly what's in the ad if they do answer - just that a relevant degree is required. It's the getting experience that'll be really hard - you can't work, volunteer and study without cloning yourself!

I have the feeling it'll likely require moving to wherever the job is, but that'll be way off in the future so no point stressing about that yet. 

When I was doing my GCSE's (about 16yo) I wanted to go into SFX and computer animation and wrote to loads of companies to see exactly what qualifications they required. Only one bothered to answer, ILM, who sent me a list of all their jobs and the qualifications they required for each, I was pretty impressed. It wasn't anything personalised but it was still interesting. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

11 minutes ago, Pseudonym said:

... they all list what they want so I don't really want to be bothering people by emailing them questions when they'll likely say exactly what's in the ad if they do answer - just that a relevant degree is required.

Understandable.  But there are always hidden assumptions that you're likely not aware of. Maybe you could talk with someone who's already doing the sort of work you're aiming at.  They could give you some pointers and maybe save you a few stubbed toes, so to speak.

A friend of mine wanted to go into diplomatic service, so she did all the recommended studies, even got a master's degree from Harvard, where her thesis advisor was a highly respected former ambassador.

Then she applied for a job and was told they didn't hire women for anything except secretarial positions.  Clearly that was a few decades ago -- but it's just one example of the things that an insider could have warned her about.

[Carol the Dabbler]

8 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

... it was a technical school that offered certificates in computer repair, but when he checked with some potential employers, they all required college degrees.  

Lest anyone is thinking well of course they'd want their employees well trained, let me point out that this was a bona fide technical school, not one of those places that advertise in the back of magazines.

It seems like nowadays employers all want their applicants to have college degrees, even for jobs that don't involve any skills that aren't taught in high schools or tech schools.  So colleges are overcrowded, and those who don't see the point of going can't get good jobs that they're fully qualified for.

End of rant!

 

[Pseudonym]

I do feel it's a bit stupid the things you need a degree for these days. Do you really need an environmental science degree to be a ranger? Apparently. (Though I'd rather be a researcher/surveyor, more money, less dealing with the public.) If it were up to me I'd go back to the good ole days or being able to work your way up by learning the ropes on the job rather than paying thousands to a uni. I think they should bring back apprenticeships and promote those over uni courses - you get paid, you're out in the real world, you're learning genuine skills. Unfortunately the world doesn't work like that anymore. Sure, there are a few apprenticeships about, but I think a lot of those are more down to luck and who you know. 

I also think they should make a point of limiting applications on courses you're unlikely to get a job with. You leave school, wide-eyed and bushy tailed, and are supposed to immediately decide what you want to do with your life. You pick something, assuming you can get a career in it, but very few people do. Sure, I use my illustration skills a bit in my current job, but I like painting and creating characters, I always wanted to do kids books, which is so over saturated just trying to get your foot in the door is a laugh.

If you have the guts for it the services are probably the best way of gaining transferable skills whilst being paid. My dad got his skills courtesy of the Royal Navy.

[T.o.b.y]

They still have the apprenticeship system in Germany for many trades such as carpentry for example , but also for some office jobs and for nursing (yup, that's right, it will probably change soon, though). But there's definitely a trend towards academic vs practical training. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

1 hour ago, T.o.b.y said:

... there's definitely a trend towards academic vs practical training. 

That's a shame.  I think a lot of HR departments prefer academic training vs on-the-job training simply because it results in something specific that they can understand, a degree.

One computer job I applied for, they actually made me bring in my master's diploma so they could photocopy it -- even though the degree was in math, not computer science, and I had twenty-some years' recent job experience in the latter.  To them, the diploma "proved" that I deserved a somewhat higher salary.

[Van Buren Supernova]

It's very true. 'Dumb' company prefers that you dig out the academic qualification over work experience.

Regarding getting a degree to get better job; I thought of that when I got my second degree. And although I don't regret the experience I do regret spending money on that. Because I don't end up changing profession like I originally wanted. There was a chance if I had wanted to take it, but starting from scratch again was difficult. And just like any academic experience, they never give you enough. I wouldn't say it's waste of time but it is a waste of hard-earned money, those are basically years of saving gone. There are millions of things I could do.

[Van Buren Supernova]

 

Only introverts understand introvert's invention.

[Carol the Dabbler]

3 minutes ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

Only introverts understand introvert's invention.

Guess I'm officially an introvert then. Though I wouldn't want one of those get-ups -- too clautrophobic!