Phwoaarr, didn’t expect this much advice!

My brother did the same stuff as me and ended up doing MEng at Strathclyde, and loves it. I think I’d prefer to stay in Scotland for uni, and probably aim in a Glasgow direction, but that preference could change with time.

Got a career interview set up through school which should give me some more ideas.

Ending up working with bikes is a backup plan, I love building/fixing bikes so it’s something I’d almost certainly enjoy.

Keep ’em coming 😀

I love building/fixing bikes so it’s something I’d almost certainly enjoy.

Seek bike shop clarification on that one 😆

Oil and gas industy?

When I graduated with a Beng 20 years ago we were told the oil industry was on it’s knees and there was no future in it… it’s still here and still crying out for good engineers.

Consider Petroleum Engineering and if you like travel and hands-on problem solving consider Drilling and Completions rather than the boffining that is Geologist/Reservoir/Petroleum Technologist.

Drilling/Completions is crying out for real engineers. Look at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) website for ideas.

I’d suggest a Mechanical Engineering Degree, from the best university you can get into.. This will give you a strong foundation to build on – you can always change direction when you’ve done it.

Glasgow would be a good place to study.

Don’t listen to those people who reckon a degree makes no difference – they’ll never know if it would have made any difference to them, but it opens doors when you are younger.. and as others have said, a lot of jobs want one as a standard of education, rather than for the specific knowledge it gives you.
Oh, and study hard at Uni – a 2-1 or first is worth a lot more than a Desmond or a Thora…

What I want:
-CAD/CAG content
-Not monotonous – new challenges constantly arising

I suspect these two contradict each other after the first couple of years 24/7!

-Not always indoors, and not a typical office job

I’m not sure what a typical office job is, but almost certainly anything that involves you doing the computer design work is going to be mostly indoors. If you start spending time on site you probably get someone else to do the CAD work.

-Use of brain every so often
-Decent pay

be aware that using your brain creatively or academically is not always correlated with good pay.

-Not necessarily much teamwork – I always seem to end up clearing up other people’s mistakes which annoys me

As an employer this worries me. I can’t think of many jobs where some degree of teamwork / collaboration is not required at least some of the time. What I am hoping (?) is that this is because you are a level above your peers and so either they can slack knowing you will do it or you have higher standards/expectations than your peers. If so you need to learn some new skills to coach and get your peers up to your level – although I appreciate in many schools that attitude is likely to get you a beating rather than respect! If you pick the right uni you will find the technical abilities of your new peers is much closer matched. When you find a good team who deliver it is very rewarding.

In terms of salary here are two things which nobody explained to me (properly) at 16/17… (i) £25k a year sounds like a lot of money, but when you are 30 and many of your peers are earning 50+% more it suddenly seems not to be, especially if you spent 5 yrs training and look at others on the same pay who can earn that with no quals… Bear in mind that salaries are determined by market forces so when demand is greater than supply they go up. Any “popular” job to train in is likely to be over supplied. (ii) pensions are important. You will hear of people striking over them but as its 3-4x your lifetime away it probably all seems a bit insignificant. If you are going to do a job that doesn’t make you rich in the short term think about (a) job security (b) pension, retirement age etc.

So here are a couple of ideas that you might not have considered that seem to fit with your mix…

(i) How about teaching? You are probably too young to be sure about that unless you are convinced but Heriot Watt (and therefore possibly others) used to do Maths with Education and Physics with Education courses. You still get a physics / maths degree (and I think can bail out mid course onto mainstream phys/maths if you suddenly decide not to go there – but many of the skills you learn on the education bit would be transferable to the real world). Its reasonably paid rather than well paid but those are important, shortage subjects so plenty of demand and job security and pensions etc will be better than most others. Its not an office job per se, whilst there is some team work its not the main part of the job, and there are options to make it challenging, career progression, etc…

(ii) Software development? There is a shortage, and I pay 30 yr old developers £40k+ a year, which most people would say is well paid. Using CAD/CAM/CAG is fun for a little while but dull in the end. With your accademic ability you could be creating the tools for others to use rather than simply making pretty pictures. There may be teamwork involved, but some roles do allow you to geek out on your own. Team workers will earn more though. Team leaders more again! Outdoors would be unusual though!

(iii) Law. My schooling wasn’t that different to yours and nothing would have been further from my mind than law (probably because my only experience of it was on TV). I now spend a lot of time working with lawyers and find it fascinating / challenging, and covers a much wider area of work than I ever appreciated. Not saying it is your dream job (or even mine) but beware that some of your ‘career stereotypes’ are probably totally wrong.

My lesson has been; whatever you choose, do what you genuinely want to do, not what you think you should. We can convince ourselves quite strongly and fixate on a narrow goal, but I think a broader direction close to your real interests has more mileage.

You’ll only end up making the preferred choice after the wasted time, it’s the life equivalent of buying the cheap bike part, realising it’s a bit crap and having to get the thing you originally wanted anyway!

Study something you love with options, not something you like a bit with a specific goal. Hopefully as you learn you’ll find out new things (that’s the whole point right?) and there will be new opportunities available you are not currently aware of. Your grades suggest you have the potential and discipline for further study, learn as much as you can.

Take a gap year, gain some additional life experience, contact the sort of people you’d like to work for and ask them directly what they would want.

A strong sentiment in your first post is one of autonomy, working with others who are independently strong at what they do and the capacity to be creative with your problem solving. This will come when you are in the minority of holding knowledge about something and once you’ve found you’re specialism. This is unlikely to be clarified soon, but is a good thing to keep in mind.

Maybe ask Hope if you can do a work placement? Go and stay in/near Barnoldswick for a bit, ride your legs off and play with CNC milling machines 🙂

Take a gap year, gain some additional life experience.

This. I can’t believe it got to the second page before someone suggested it!

Doesn’t really matter if you spend it working or shagging your way around Asia, it’ll help you put things into perspective to get off the “educational conveyor belt” for a while, give you a maturity your peers won’t have, and can be a helluva lotta fun!

It seems a big deal to lose a year at this stage, but believe me its not ‘lost’, and will pay back in time. In fact, I’ve taken three “gap years” at various times in my life (the last one was re-named a mid-life crisis 🙂 ), when I’ve been in a bit of a rut and needed to step back and take stock of things, and have never regretted it!

+1 for the gap year/traveling. Even just 3 months by myself in a different country made me grow up (a bit) more than 3 years at uni did. Gave me so much more confidence as well.

OP – good for you, that you are asking sensible questions. But my advice would be don’t panic and don’t rush. I would recommend staying in the excellent Scottish system as Unis give you greater flexibility in the first two years FWIW, I only chose my career in my final (4th) year at a Scottish Uni but the four years gave me plenty of time to learn, experiment and to have a good time. Some people have a clear view re vocations at your age. Others don’t. Take your time and do enjoy youself before life gets really serious!

You’re pretty much describing my job 🙂 Design Engineer for an oil service company working on downhole tools for the oil industry.

Get to work outside / in a big workshop building stuff occassionally when it goes on test. Design new innovative (hopefully) tools. Mobile – can be done anywhere in the world. Lots of jobs right now etc etc. You basically need to do a Mechanical Engineering degree for it or start as a drafter and work up (that’s what I did with my employer sponsoring to do my degree). Graduate’s start at about £30k pa sometimes with a signing-on bonus if you negotiate.

Where are you based? If you’re anywhere near Aberdeen I could sort out a week or more of some work experience to see what you think.

Oli.

As an employer this worries me. I can’t think of many jobs where some degree of teamwork / collaboration is not required at least some of the time. What I am hoping (?) is that this is because you are a level above your peers and so either they can slack knowing you will do it or you have higher standards/expectations than your peers. If so you need to learn some new skills to coach and get your peers up to your level – although I appreciate in many schools that attitude is likely to get you a beating rather than respect! If you pick the right uni you will find the technical abilities of your new peers is much closer matched. When you find a good team who deliver it is very rewarding.

As it’s school, a lot of people tend to have a “that’ll do” attitude to teamwork, which really annoys me. I am usually the really sad one that wants it to be perfect.. I do some sports coaching and have a leadership role in the school so often I do find it’s possible to get some enthusiasm going, but it’s awful hard work when people are constantly not bothering cause it’s not cool, etc.

Software development?

I have a cousin who’s very successful at this – hadn’t even considered asking him about it! I’ll look into it, thanks.

Take a gap year, gain some additional life experience

A gap year is something I’ve always wanted to take, but as I’m the sort of person who practically forgets how to write his own name after 6 weeks off for summer, I’m not sure if it’s worth it for the time I might take to get back into it. Having said that, I could come back completely fresh and raring to go, filled with enthusiasm from my amazing experiences, I just don’t know.

I would recommend staying in the excellent Scottish system

That’s another thing, I think Scottish Unis are free for me but others aren’t? I’m more likely to sway towards something that’s free..

You’re pretty much describing my job Design Engineer for an oil service company working on downhole tools for the oil industry.

Get to work outside / in a big workshop building stuff occassionally when it goes on test. Design new innovative (hopefully) tools. Mobile – can be done anywhere in the world. Lots of jobs right now etc etc. You basically need to do a Mechanical Engineering degree for it or start as a drafter and work up (that’s what I did with my employer sponsoring to do my degree). Graduate’s start at about £30k pa sometimes with a signing-on bonus if you negotiate.

Where are you based? If you’re anywhere near Aberdeen I could sort out a week or more of some work experience to see what you think.

Sounds great! I’m down in Dundee, so not too far off. Can you email me with any more details please? Possibility a short placement in Summer might be helpful. Email: poltheball AT hotmail DOT com

I think I’m also going to look into Civil Engineering, it seems to combine most of the things I enjoy. I know I’m not going to find a job that fits all of the points in my initial description, and the teamwork one was a bit of an exaggeration (made me sound like a right grumpy hermit), but they were just to help describe a bit of what I’m like to an audience of unknown people.

Again, thanks for all suggestions, some of these have been really helpful!

Any further advice greatly appreciated.

Just an example of one of many opportunities out there…

http://www.totaljobs.com/JobSearch/JobDetails.aspx?JobId=54931995&Keywords=&CompanyId=615%2c387

Sounds ok to me.

Take a year off before going to Uni. Try as many different jobs in as many different places as you can. You’ll work out how to live independently and what work you like and what you do t like.

Basically, explore and try as much as you can.

From you A levels and interests it does sound like you should be looking at Engineering courses. Do you have a careers department who you could get advice from?

Failing that then start googling and read some prospectuses (or prospecti?)

If you do a Science/Engineering degree at uni you should be ok to get a job as you will have useful transferable skills. You should pick you degree based on something you enjoy. As someone said near the start, if you enjoy it then you will do well. Your degree does not choose you future career prospects. There are plenty of employers out there who take all degrees and then retrain them in specific roles. This is very typical of “graduate roles”. I did chemistry and my first job was production efficiency improvement with a fruit juice company. My wife did biochemistry and now works in IT.

A gap year could be some good advice – make it worthwhile though. Either travel (working visa to somewhere like Australia or Newzealand) or get an internship to experiment with a career choice and get some valuable experience.

http://www.rolls-royce.com/careers/what_can_do/graduates/apprenticeships/index.jsp

http://www.woodgroup.com/our-people/students-graduates/uk-apprenticeship-opportunities/pages/default.aspx

http://www.woodgroup.com/our-people/students-graduates/uk-graduate-faqs/pages/default.aspx

http://www.weir.co.uk/Careers/WorkingatWeir/Ajourneytoexcellence.aspx

http://www.baesystems.com/article/BAES_052313/apprenticeships-naval-ships?_afrLoop=4387625570133000&_afrWindowMode=0&_afrWindowId=null&baeSessionId=4chnQ0npJV7LFnwlWQnryr383xYNzbVG717Cdkj2KB5pjgTsqvL0!791695071#%40%3F_afrWindowId%3Dnull%26baeSessionId%3D4chnQ0npJV7LFnwlWQnryr383xYNzbVG717Cdkj2KB5pjgTsqvL0%2521791695071%26_afrLoop%3D4387625570133000%26_afrWindowMode%3D0%26_adf.ctrl-state%3D143njnql0q_4

http://www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com/apprentices/be-part-of-it/?sType=071010

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/business-consumer/new-bp-oil-field-deal-1533576

http://careers.slb.com/recruit_train/recruit.aspx

http://www.exxonmobil.co.uk/UK-English/HR/jobs_EMEC.aspx

http://www.babcockinternational.com/careers/apprentices/

Thanks Macavity!

Either travel (working visa to somewhere like Australia or Newzealand)

That’s the part of the world I’d be aiming for if I did take a gap year, as I know quite a few people over there (and I’ve heard the biking in NZ is pretty awesome..)

Do you have a careers department who you could get advice from?

Failing that then start googling and read some prospectuses (or prospecti?)

Yes, I’ve got an interview set up which should be helpful. I’ve read a few prospect(i?) but I don’t really know what I’m looking for. I’ll be going to a few uni open days as well to see which atmospheres are good and suchlike stuff.

I completed a 4 year apprenticeship, followed by a BEng at University in automotive engineering

I’m now 37 and have been in an executive engineering role within a small aerospace company for 5 years. Stated 10 years ago and worked my way up

initially, i knew zero about planes, but i quickly learnt a lot and i’m still passionate and love getting up for work in the morning

What would i have done differently – i would have studied Mechanical Engineering, i would have done a year in industry and maybe not partied quite as hard at Uni

Also – teamwork – get used to it if you want to make money

Good luck mate!

Year out, travel the world, take your time deciding. And remember that you don’t have to stick with one job/career for life.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pth0t
“Prof Robert Mair
Availability:over a year left to listen
Duration: 28 minutes
First broadcast:Tuesday 15 January 2013Jim Al-Khalili talks to Robert Mair, professor of Civil engineering at Cambridge University about his life as an engineer in academia and industry and his expertise on finding innovative solutions to the problems of building tunnels under already congested cities.

He talks about his innovative technique of ‘compensation grouting’ which prevented Big Ben from tilting and even cracking and coming away from the Houses of Parliament during Jubilee line extension.
Crossrail is one of the biggest engineering projects in Europe and involves constructing 26 miles of new tunnels underneath London’s busy streets and under the existing tube network. Robert talks the latest tunnelling technology being used and the huge drilling machines with names like ‘Ada’ and Phyliss’ which use high pressure to minimise ground movements as they drill and even have a kitchen and bathroom facilities on board.
He also talks about his latest work on how smart sensors which can harvest their own energy. And when built into buildings, roads, tunnels they could make sure the engineering projects of the future will be able to continuously monitor and report on their own safety.”

When you find the answer let me know please.

29, Software Developer, hate it. Not been to uni, haven’t got a clue what I want to do.

It’s better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb than half way up one you don’t. Just need to find the right ladder.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/engineering/8722836/Profile-Jim-McColl.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9283188/Jim-McColl-One-in-five-school-leavers-not-ready-for-work.html

http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/options/study/undergraduate/sponsorship/epsdegrees/

http://www.strath.ac.uk/na-me/undergraduatestudies/scholarshipssponsorships/

http://www.fnc.co.uk/Careers/StudentSponsorship/tabid/87/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

http://www.aggreko.com/careers/

http://www.jobsite.co.uk/job/uk-development-manager-onshore-wind-945020150?src=search

http://www.jobsite.co.uk/job/project-manager-christchurch-new-zealand-945073026?src=search

Take a gap year, gain some additional life experience.

That’s another thing, I think Scottish Unis are free for me but others aren’t? I’m more likely to sway towards something that’s free..

Look at european courses. LOADS of free ones, including free ones taught in English. You’re scottish, scotland has free tuition for EU nationals aswell as scots, the same free tuition often applies in europe. Look at german engineering courses! It’s just the English which have a crumby deal with uni.