for those who didnt go to university

[Gina]

what are you doing now? are you working and if so, doing what? are you happy with the choice you made to not go to university
and what made you decide to not go

[buttons]

well i went to uni but i may as well not have as i work and have worked in jobs that never required a degree

[Gina]

well i went to uni but i may as well not have as i work and have worked in jobs that never required a degree

what do u do now and what did u do that hasnt involved
what has been ur fave

[Samantha]

I believe I knew in college (maybe high school) that I didn't want to go to university. I'm not entirely sure why I didn't want to go, I just didn't. I remember in college my form tutor asked me what my plans were after college and I literally said to her "I'm going to work at Home Bargains" I also said that to one of my classmates as well. Sure enough, I left college in May 2012 and starting working for Home Bargains in August 2012; that classmate actually saw me in McDonald's (the one near my old work) and asked me if I ended up working there and I said yes!

I stayed at Home Bargains for 6 years and 4 months (starting looking for a new job 9 months prior to me leaving) and I finally got the chance to leave in December last year (weirdly enough, I messaged someone who used to work at Home Bargains with me and she told me there were some jobs coming up at ASDA, so I applied when they did and just had a really good feeling about it). I now work at ASDA and it was such a good move to make. I'm much better thought of, and I actually get told that I'm doing a good job. The way my old job worked was that I'd only get told if I did something wrong, which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes you need that reassurance that you are doing a good job (and to be thanked for working/coming in on a day off is something that was near enough unheard of in my old job). Although I don't work at Home Bargains anymore and have no plan to go back, it has been a good company to start my working life on, and I'll be forever grateful for the experience I received! Anyway, I believe I made the right choice not going to university, I don't know if I'd have been able to stick by it or handle being away from home for long periods of time. The only thing I'd have done differently is choose different options for my GCSEs (we were very limited in our school of what we could choose). However, I'd have probably taken French and Music given the opportunity again.

[scottish]

I believe I knew in college (maybe high school) that I didn't want to go to university. I'm not entirely sure why I didn't want to go, I just didn't. I remember in college my form tutor asked me what my plans were after college and I literally said to her "I'm going to work at Home Bargains" I also said that to one of my classmates as well. Sure enough, I left college in May 2012 and starting working for Home Bargains in August 2012; that classmate actually saw me in McDonald's (the one near my old work) and asked me if I ended up working there and I said yes!

I stayed at Home Bargains for 6 years and 4 months (starting looking for a new job 9 months prior to me leaving) and I finally got the chance to leave in December last year (weirdly enough, I messaged someone who used to work at Home Bargains with me and she told me there were some jobs coming up at ASDA, so I applied when they did and just had a really good feeling about it). I now work at ASDA and it was such a good move to make. I'm much better thought of, and I actually get told that I'm doing a good job. The way my old job worked was that I'd only get told if I did something wrong, which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes you need that reassurance that you are doing a good job (and to be thanked for working/coming in on a day off is something that was near enough unheard of in my old job). Although I don't work at Home Bargains anymore and have no plan to go back, it has been a good company to start my working life on, and I'll be forever grateful for the experience I received! Anyway, I believe I made the right choice not going to university, I don't know if I'd have been able to stick by it or handle being away from home for long periods of time. The only thing I'd have done differently is choose different options for my GCSEs (we were very limited in our school of what we could choose). However, I'd have probably taken French and Music given the opportunity again.

do you work full time now?
why did you want to work in home bargains? no offence but it's a pretty low ambition, so was it just no interest in pursuing something else? do you just see the job as a way to earn money to live life?

[Samantha]

do you work full time now?
why did you want to work in home bargains? no offence but it's a pretty low ambition, so was it just no interest in pursuing something else? do you just see the job as a way to earn money to live life?

I had family who worked for the company (they don't anymore), so I knew I'd be able to get a job there if nothing else came up. Yeah I think it was no interest, I didn't really know what I wanted to do if anything so when the opportunity came I took it! It helped my confidence tremendously which I'm so glad about.

I don't work full time - I work 3 days a week and my contracted hours are just over what they were at Home Bargains (20). However, I'm regularly doing more and this month alone I've worked 2 extra days every week so it's like I do full time more often than not. Also it's better pay than Home Bargains, my boyfriend is a Lead Sales Assistant (so the lower management) at HB and I get paid more than him now.

[scottish]

Ah fair enough, do you actually enjoy your job then or do you find it a grind?

[Gina]

aww fair enough sam, do u see yourself staying in retail? and do you plan on wanting to move up in the company maybe up to a manager one day or do you feel content as you are

[Samantha]

Ah fair enough, do you actually enjoy your job then or do you find it a grind?

I do really like the job, but I did worry about it for a few months because it was stressing me out so much. I had so much to do and I struggled to get it all done in time, which made me panic and stress; then I'd get the work done and then wonder why I'd stressed so much. Now I actually talk to the people more, and can do the job by the time I leave it's a lot better and I feel a lot better for it too.

No two days are the same as I work on the fresh section and sometimes something else needs to take priority over another job I may need to do. All the managers are lovely though and just tell me to ask if I need help, and they all tell me not to worry if I don't get it all done. It's sort of a more relaxing experience, but not at the same time! I'm one who you'll never see doing nothing, I always have something to do and I think being busy helps me enjoy it more. I think actually knowing I'm doing well at the job and being appreciated helps me do better too. The other day one of the managers said how "they struggled to find someone to do fresh afternoons until I came along" and I thought that was such a nice thing to say and I think stuff like that really does make it so much better.

Gina; I think I'll stay in it for the foreseeable at least! I'd love to move up, there's a job coming up where I work now, but I know I'm not ready yet. Maybe in a few years :P.

[scottish]

yeah being appreciated would make a huge difference I'd imagine!!

[Zak]

My partner went to university and now she's a swim teacher. She wishes she hadn't bothered with university.

On the flip side a degree has been a prerequisite for every job I've had/applied for after university. I'd be nowhere without it.

[-:Undertaker:-]

my job required degree sooooo yeah. plus the people i met and stuff we've done together made it worth it alone

had i stayed in Liverpool i'd be a completely different person

[Nick]

went to uni for a year to study IT, dropped out, worked in hospitality for a year then got a job in IT with no degree

weird flex but ok

[Zak]

went to uni for a year to study IT, dropped out, worked in hospitality for a year then got a job in IT with no degree

weird flex but ok

Increasingly I'm seeing companies break the mould when it comes to IT. Qualifications are becoming less important, with portfolios starting to take centre stage. Wouldn't you agree?

[scottish]

Increasingly I'm seeing companies break the mould when it comes to IT. Qualifications are becoming less important, with portfolios starting to take centre stage. Wouldn't you agree?

It would hugely depend what field you want to go into within IT, for example if you want to get into helpdesk, network, etc then portfolio isn't going to be any use. If you're more interested in the likes of web design then portfolio would probably be more useful.

[Zak]

It would hugely depend what field you want to go into within IT, for example if you want to get into helpdesk, network, etc then portfolio isn't going to be any use. If you're more interested in the likes of web design then portfolio would probably be more useful.

Yeah that's true. Although project work could help you get into networking. Help desk is probably an exception.

[Nick]

Increasingly I'm seeing companies break the mould when it comes to IT. Qualifications are becoming less important, with portfolios starting to take centre stage. Wouldn't you agree?

yeah for sure im in field services so i drive around all day to different sites and replace a motherboard or battery etc so simple for someone to pick up. I still dont know alot of stuff and its a lot of figuring it out for yourself which is the best way to learn.

[IceNineKills]

I never really focused in school so uni never crossed my mind. Failed all my gcses but I have a little nvq in travel and tourism. I'm a scaffolder now.

[Jarkie]

Despite being at University, at current times I don't actually need a degree - if I didn't bother with uni I will no doubt have joined the Army. To this day I have always wondered where my life would be if I went down that path.