Alternative career ideas

The education systems of most developed countries dictate that at the age of about 16 we need to make a choice - continue in education or get a job. For those who opt to stay in education, the choice re-presents itself again around the age of 18. For those whom the options of a job, money and security are still not that appealing, there’s university. Half a liver, 3 years later (in some many more) and now most probably with considerable debt, the painful decision of work or further education once again re-appears. For most this is the point of breaking, but there are those who still cannot face responsibility. These people go deeper still into the education system simply to avoid real work, some ultimately becoming teachers and lecturers so as to retain months of annual holiday and remain in contact with adolescents for the remainder of their lives.

Inevitably, the majority of us do enter the working world at some stage and it is usually out of rushed necessity rather than casual free-will that we do. It is therefore not surprising that some end up regretting the choice they have made at some point down the line. Dream jobs turn out to be something completely different to what was printed on the tin, everyday duties become mundain and boredom can eventually turn in to resentment of management and the people around you. No matter how much money you are earning, you begin to despise what you do and even jumping ship to another company won’t revive your interest. You want a new challenge, a new career, a new life. But what? Here are a few suggestions of my own, with the pros and cons that I can think of for each…

[Please note I am only considering careers that allow you to make money relatively early on and do not require time to be spent at university obtaining a degree]

The armed forces

I don’t even know where to start on this one. How many other career paths can you join with no previous experience and start earning a half decent salary almost immediately? Not only that, you’ll learn some invaluable skills (which you can apply outside of the forces), make great friends (for life) and if you want you could also pick up some enviable qualifications and it won’t cost you a penny. Add to that list that you will also have unique stories to impart on others, which are certain to earn you respect, if representing your country was not enough to start with.

You want to travel the world? The guys and girls in the forces get to visit and integrate (don’t read that as ‘take over’) with some of the most interesting countries and cultures in the world, places you’d very unlikely get the chance to visit during your two-week summer holiday from your current job. Not only are there tours of duty overseas, but there are also exercises to be done abroad too. Most major western countries have bases in other countries - for instance the British train in Canada, Belize and Germany to name but a few locations. How about jumping out of a helicopter and abseiling onto the deck of a destroyer somewhere out in the middle of the Atlantic? Or perhaps learning to pilot a F/A-18 fighter jet, all for free? The list of coolest jobs imaginable goes on when you consider the armed forces.

There are usually age limits on new entrants into the forces, so do check before you get your hopes up. On top of that there are strict medicals to pass.

Living away from family was always one negative I associated with the armed forces, but now that I am living in Australia and not seeing family in the UK for long periods of time, I don’t see it as such a big deal, particularly if you are young.

I can’t not mention the negative that by joining the forces you are increasing your risk of being killed premature of your natural expiration date, but with the increase in gun and knife crime these days, there’s probably not much difference between fighting in Iraq and living in London anyway. In my opinion naval and air personnel do not see as much direct combat as those in the army though, so that’s always an option for those considering this career path.

And remember, if full-time isn’t for you, maybe becoming a weekend warrior is just what you are looking for with most services requiring some form of retained personnel. You get to do some of the cool stuff, get paid but still get to sleep in your own bed (most of the time).

Trade apprenticeships

Several years ago I remember watching a show on TV about the mass exodus of high-flying city folk to trades such as plumbing. Working in an office, for all its benefits (the Christmas party, photocopying your backside, having an affair with the manager etc) can sometimes not be all they are cracked up to be. The same working environment day-in, day-out, the same tools of the trade (a computer and, errr, a pen & note pad) and the same dismal commute can eventually wear a bit thin. Introducing the life of a tradie. Generally more physically demanding, you are less likely to develop a hunch-back from slouching in your office chair all day. Carpenters, plumbers, electricians and the like can look forward to a regular change of work venue as each job eventually has to end and a new one, in a new location begins.

Depending on your country of residence, there may or may not be restrictions on age for those wanting to take up an apprenticeship. In the UK positions are generally open to 16 to 25 year olds, but the Australian government openly encourages people of all ages to get involved.

Unfortunately, whilst a big attraction of an apprenticeship to teenagers is the fact they’ll be earning whilst they are learning, generally weekly take-home pay is only in the region of perhaps £150 in the UK or just under $300 in Australia. This of course does depend on how much the employer wishes to contribute to the basic government allowance, some can be quite generous whilst others resemble slave drivers only employing apprentices for the cheap labour. If you are considering taking up an apprenticeship once you are already living in the real world of a mortgage, a car, kids and a social life, it might be worth getting a few thousand in savings behind you first that you can use to supplement your paltry apprentice pay during the course of the apprenticeship (which can be roughly 3 years). Alternatively try sweet-talking your other half in to supporting you by paying all the bills. Remember also though, that once you start to gain experience you may also be able to top-up your income at weekends by carrying out a bit of casual labour on-the-side.

Photographer

I’ve not done any research into this, but I reckon photography could be one of the most popular hobbies in the world and with digital cameras being so cheap and integrated into the majority of mobile phones, it could be set to grow even bigger. The up-side to this is that talented individuals who perhaps once may not have been able to afford to persue such a hobby are now able to; the down-side is there’s more competition for the rarely publicised photographer jobs!

Thanks to the Internet, there is now a medium where almost any topic, no matter how niche you may think it is can be discussed and this in turn means photographed. The need for photos by publishers in the travel industry (for example) must be almost twice what it would have been a decade ago with not just magazines to fill, but websites too. Not only do the media use in-house photographers, but there are heaps of photo agencies and stock libraries out there that are constantly in need of fresh content.

One nice benefit of photography is that it is something you can do in your spare time, alone and without any formal training, but still make a bit of cash from. Gradually you can increase the amount of time you dedicate to it and earnings from it (one would hope) would be proportional. This should allow you to phase out your regular, mundane job as you pursue a career that will have you out and about all over the place, even around the world to some exciting and varied locations if you let it.

As mentioned above though, the main downside (depending on how you look at it and your level of ability) would have to be the competition for notoriety and unless you get commissioned by some big names, or score a permanent position with a leading publisher/agency, income may not be that high.

Conclusion

This post became longer than expected, so a few other ideas I have for alternative careers and jobs will have to wait for another day.

One thing that sticks in my mind when I consider the above ideas though is that each type of job, although overwhelmingly appealing for one reason or another, does have at least one draw-back to it. As with most things in life it usually comes down to money, but then you have to consider what you are getting in to it for in the first place - the pay-cheque, or the freedom, enjoyment and self-satisfaction it gives you to be doing something more than pushing paper clips.

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