Career choices

[rodeo12]

How did you know what you wanted to do? How much did horses influence your career/job choice? I'm just about to enter the real world after uni and am not sure if I want to do my chosen career anymore. Trained to be a teacher, but then a lot of me just thinks (other than the good holidays) will I have a life to fit horses in after work? Then I get tempted by doing rubbish jobs such as a supermarket worker so that I can work the hours that suit me and have the pleasure of when you clock out the work stays at work. Whereas with teaching, you do your normal day, then have planning, staff meetings, marking to do in the evenings. So it isn't just 9-5 so to speak. I don't know if this will get better after my NQT year when I gain more freedom/have built up resources etc. but honestly, I am still so into my horses which everyone said that I'd grow out off that I'm a little lost as to what I want to do in life.

I never wanted to do teaching, but got made to apply to unis. I wanted to go get my stages and become a riding instructor. So anyway, I applied for teaching knowing that it was along the similar lines - working with kids, teaching etc. and decided in the holidays/evenings I could do some instructing and have money coming in to fund it all. But now I'm wondering whether doing a teaching degree was right for me. I just don't know what else is out there? Office work/business etc.? I also don't even know how I enter into another career line? So yea, just wondering what you do? What you had to do to get into that career/job, how much time you have for horses? What sort of hours you do?

Sorry it's a bit of a long topic but very confused right now.

Thanks

 

[Theocat]

First of all, IME teaching is one of the easiest jobs to fit a horse around. I also wouldn't choose a career on the basis of whether it lets you make the most of horses - your career is half your waking hours, for the next forty or fifty years - make sure it's something you enjoy, and you will find a way to fit the horses in. It will be a disaster if you choose a job because it suits the horses and you find you're stuck with something you hate.

WRT thinking about other options, is there anything else that appeals at all? Can you get placements or experience - or even talk to people already doing those jobs to find out what it's really like? How you get started will depend on what you decide you want to do.

There's no harm in spending a year or two as a teacher while you assess your options - at least you'll be paid! You can also work towards teaching qualifications in your spare time - you never know, if you have a flair for it maybe you could still go down that route once you're qualified

ETA I had no real idea what i wanted to do - I played to my strengths, tried lots and lots of things out through placements, and finally at the age of 35 I'm happy with what I want to do as a "career" Twelve months ago I still wasn't sure - so don't panic, there's plenty of time and as long as you work hard, be honest with yourself and take opportunities as they arise, everything will fall into place!

 

[JennBags]

Echo Theocat, you have to enjoy what you're doing, work takes up too much if your life.

Yes, you could go & get a job as a supermarket worker, but you will find that you won't be able to pick & choose your hours as you think. In 10 years time, you could still be working there for minimum wage, and trust me, that won't make you happy, however many extra hours you get to spend with your horses, and it won't be many if you want to pay the bills.

If you want to be an RI, then you need to just do it

 

[rodeo12]

It's why teaching scares me - I had such a bad end to my degree that I think what if I realise I'm not cut out for it so am considering not even giving it a go as a job. All I have to base whether I'll enjoy it or not is on my last placement. Leaving at 7am, doing a long drive, not leaving school till half 6 most nights, long drive home, dinner, then planning/marking etc until midnight/1/2 in the morning. I lost all social life. Weekends were spent preparing as well. I didn't get a chance to ride the whole placement. I can't help but think I don't want that as a career.

But then other people I've spoken to have said they've been out of school by half 4 every evening which would make me think I could have a life outside of work. My plan was to do teaching for a year to get my NQT. To live at home so rent is cheaper so I can save whilst working. Then go supply so that I could do the horses and still have a bit of an income.

But I see so many friends who do office jobs and they get to leave their responsibilities at work until the next day and it just seems so appealing. I've worked this summer in a supermarket working from 7-3.30 and some days till 5 and after my last placement I have really begun to appreciate being able to shut off from work and not having to worry. I know I wouldn't like a supermarket job. But because I was forced to apply for uni so close to the deadline, I never really considered what else is out there job wise for me to even consider whether I'd enjoy a job elsewhere.

I loved business when I did A level and came out with great results - people questioned why I was going into teaching when I did so well at business. But just shrugged off their comments.

I feel like I'm 16 again at that place where the world just seems to huge a place and I feel too young to make a decision that affects the rest of my life. I don't want to get it wrong

 

[Archina]

One of my friends is a teacher and she has 4 horses, manages them just fine and has fit the horses around her work.

Originally i wanted to be a vet but just didnt get chemistry at all, stupidly left school before getting any highers but went to college and studied equine tourism which is a pretty useless course job wise lol

Iam now 25 and am a freelance instructor, have my own small livery yard, do rug repairs, operate and own the SHBC, while also working a part time at a kennels and just manage to find time for my own horses