Sports star. Pilot. Scientist. Lawyer. Astronaut. According to a survey conducted last year, these are a few of the jobs that children most covet when they’re growing up. With the exception of lawyer (and perhaps scientist), these dream jobs are pretty unrealistic for all but a lucky few. Despite this, children earnestly believe that their ambitions are not only achievable, but inevitable. For many, that belief sticks with us for a long time. Sure, the career path might change a bit, but we tend to believe that if we try hard at school and go to University then our dreams will come true.
At the age of twenty five I sometimes feel burnt out, like I’ve stopped dreaming. And I’m not alone in this — it’s a running joke that most young people who live in London work too hard, have zero disposable income and will be sharing flats with strangers long into their 30s. Worse still, it’s a joke that they will tell you when you talk to them, as if they’ve simply accepted a lifetime of unfulfillment.
Three problems Careers Services can’t solve…
The Careers Service at my University was truly top notch. It was well staffed, had tons of books for loan and was housed in a brand new building that looks like something from one of the new Star Trek movies. But, unsurprisingly, it stopped servicing me once I left University and entered the real world, which means that if you find yourself thinking you entered the wrong job a couple of years down the line, you’re pretty much on your own.
I spend an inordinate amount of time wondering what my life would be like if I dropped everything and bought a farm or taught windsurfing or started a homemade chili business. What stops me doing any of these things?
1. Lack of knowledge — the internet is great at answering offbeat questions about almost everything, but it’s difficult to find in-depth knowledge about the specifics of a particular career path…unless one happens to be doing an AMA on Reddit that day.
2. Inexperience — Sort of an extension of point 1; I already know I make kickass chili, but I don’t know how to market a chili business, whether I’d be better off setting up a restaurant or a food van etc etc.
3. Fear — Despite being told as children to ‘reach for the stars’ and ‘chase our dreams’, it’s considered irresponsible to change careers frequently and throw away what people see as good opportunities in an unsteady economic climate.
So what’s the solution?
Recent years have seen more and more funding opportunities for tech startups. However, that’s not much help if your idea isn’t tech focused — it probably won’t bring in the $$$ that investors would like to see down the line, which means it’s more unlikely that you’ll be able to snag any investment. A bank loan is a possibility, but a) you may not be able to get one and b) the idea you have may not be dependent on a lump sum of cash; you also need to address the 3 points I’ve outlined above.
There must be a chili maker out there somewhere who needs a hand and can afford to pay an apprentice level wage that could be matched by contributions from the government (it’s got to be cheaper than doling out unemployment payments, right?). Something similar already happens with farmhands in the USA – they receive a fairly low wage but are provided with food, accommodation etc, albeit by the farmer and not the government. Because work experience and internships are often taken at such a young age, they simply don’t offer true insight into what a job actually entails – why not offer real world advice about career changes and encourage people to move around and try their dream jobs without risking financial ruin?
And if they hate it and go back to being a community manager living in a box apartment? Well, at least they won’t be haunted by ‘what if’s.