not sure if im going for the career i want

mengele

i was always pushed to be a teacher all my life and for a long time I began to believe it for myself. my situation is a bit complex. I come from a farming background.

anyway did a B.A in languages and never really liked it. Now im staring into a two year course to become a post primary teacher. the thing is that im not really sure I want to do this for the rest of my life. I feel I have blown my undergraduate chance and if I was back again I would do a different one. I am now not left with many options with my degree only pursue the teaching.

as I said I come from a farming background (wont be getting the farm so that is out). What I love doing is the driving side/mechanical side. I love the maintenance of the machinery/ cars etc. what I really would love to start off now is in an apprenticeship to become a car mechanic. It would be a total change of career. I want to be more hands on. I was nearly really sure if I was very academic but tried hard and got through. I love in the holidays working outdoors and with a hands on approach.

I am afraid to change because I know its such a jump and everybody is expecting me to be the teacher and the apprenticeship would be the other side of the spectrum.

I am almost 23 and its either two years to become a qualified teacher or a 4 years to become a qualified mechanic.

what do I do

Windorah

It's seems very obvious to me!
You want to be a mechanic. You do not want to be a teacher. Go be a mechanic!

It's four years to be a mechanic as opposed to two for teaching but you can be almost certain if you train as a teacher it will be at least another two years before you are on any "decent" contract.

Do what you want to do.

Big Nasty

Maybe mechanical engineering to give yourself better options and a better salary.

If I could go back in time and give myself one piece of advice it would be follow your dreams.

mengele

I don't want to do another degree as such. really the only options are do the masters in education to become the teacher (which I am having doubts about) or go away and start an apprenticeship. Money is a factor here as I am now 23 and realistically want to be earning a living in the next four years.

spurious

Be a mechanic - it's clear from your post that that is what you wanted to do and still want to do. The job situation for teachers, in all subjects, is dire. It costs a fortune to do the PME and then you can't get work.

mengele

spurious wrote: »

Be a mechanic - it's clear from your post that that is what you wanted to do and still want to do. The job situation for teachers, in all subjects, is dire. It costs a fortune to do the PME and then you can't get work.

there are no guarantees that there is work there either for the mechanics and even to get an apprenticeship could prove to be extremely difficult when they look at a person with a cv that has a BA in languages and all of a sudden wants to become a mechanic.

spurious

If it's what you want to do, you have to follow it.

Do you have the 12 grand for the PME? Full time jobs are long gone in teaching. You could be on less than the dole as some of my colleagues are, waiting 6 to 8 years before getting a contract for 14-18 hours. You could get the PME and be asking this exact same question in two more years.

If you were anyone related to me I would be screaming at you to follow what you really want to do.

MouseTail

Like Spurious, if you were related to me, I would scream in unison not to pursue the expensive course with dire prospects that you really don't want to do anyway.

Do research though, don't dismiss mechanical engineering, mechatronics or other similar trades in high demand such as toolmaking.

playedalive

I have a B.A. in Languages too and I know what you're going through. You feel that because you studied what you studied, you need to follow a certain path. Of course, the obvious choice from our degree is Teaching (which is expensive to train in, has little job opportunities unless you go to the UK) and Translation (mainly computer based). But you don't have to do that.

If you want to be a mechanic, do it. Don't let people make you feel odd for doing a degree and then working with your hands. (I suspect this in your case for some reason). I had the same when I worked in Retail (after a failed attempt to work in English Teaching), people kept judging for working in a shop.

okiss

I know that you don't want to tell your parents that you have no interest in this course but at this stage your an adult and it is time to show this.
You need to tell them that there are no teaching jobs in Ireland so even after doing this course you it could take you years to get work in Ireland.

At this stage I would tell them that you want to become a mechanic or do a course in this area. The reality is that long term it would be better for you to do another degree.
With languages and another degree in the right area you could work aboard to get experience & move up the career ladder.

If you leave your present course I would get some type of work and start to research on the courses open to you.

One of the last posts here mentioned mechatronics.
You can do a -Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics at AIT - look up the full time courses at www.ait.ie.
I would also look up course in Dcu or UL as some of them offer a period of work experience.

You are in a very good position to do what you want to do a lot better that most, because of your farming background you will know the contractors and who services the machinery, so you all ready have a contact that could put in word for you re getting an apprentice. Now is the time to do this before you have any financial commitment and you are young enough.

Stheno

I'd look at this differently, because I work in IT in service management and in a role where I constantly battle to get what I need done, done

What do you really love.

I honest to god love what I do, I might go home with a headache being overloaded a few days a week, but I love what I do, and that's damn strange in IT

I literally fell into it by accident 15 years ago, turns out I've a knack for my field and hey presto

I enjoy driving home and reviewing the day and figuring out what can be better, and working on that. I even enjoy when the **** hits the fan and i've to sort it out.

And I'm religious about not letting work interfere with mylife (which is why I'm an IT Contractor)

I've found a profession I enjoy immensely, get considerable personal enjoyment from, that allows me to have a life.

I could have been an engineer or an accountant, but no.

Follow your heart.