Help!!

[Shellywba]

I'm sixteen and I left sixth form after three weeks or so cos I hated it. My dad has his own business, so he gave me a job. I do a mixture - a bit of accounts and web-design. I'm not happy though. I don't like working in an office, 9-6. It bores me. I would love to be a police officer, but you have to be 18. I can join the Army and be a dog handler now, but I can't do it. I dont' wanna leave my parents, brother and my boyfriend (I also don't want to stop going to West Brom matches - I go home and away). Not many people employ sixteen year olds, as I have learnt. I would like to go back to college and study law cos I've always liked the idea of a defence laywer, but I haven't seen any things where it gives you what qualifications for a defence laywer. I really don't know what to do - can anyone help?

[Hermia]

Most local councils should provide some sort of careers counselling service which will give you some advice.

Also, your local library should have a copy of 'Occupations' which contains information on virtually every career you can think of.

[natalie_1982]

I'm sorry to put this so bluntly, but you should feel lucky with everything you have (family, boyfriend, home and away matches, etc).  You have had opportunities which is a lot more than most people do at your age. 

You can't just decide to be something and then forget it because you have to study, equally you can't just waltz into a Lawyers office with no qualifications and demand that they hire you.  Most people would love to have a straight 9-6 job, not working weekends, or shifts. 

16 year old's can get apprenticeships, college courses, anything you want to do.  It is so hard to get in with companies nowadays, I wish I had the opportunities you have when I was 16.  I am only just starting to study and train now and I have to pay, so I have to work to cover costs.

I appreciate nobody knows what they want to do at your age, but there's plenty of choice so get off your back and go out looking!  Do you want to travel?  Do you want to study at all?  What sort of courses would suit you?  What kind of job would suit you?  What qual's do you need for that job?  Do you even feel ready to go straight into work?  Why not get a cleaning, shelf stacking, checkout asst job for the mean time?  It means you have money coming in to pay your keep, plus any extra for shopping, etc and it'll give you time to think about what you really want to do.  Good luck!

[Shellywba]

True.

Sometimes I just get a bit confused in the head and then I don't know I wanna do.

I don't want to travel, and I do want to study. I just dunno. I'd love to go to uni and have all the studenty stuff, but I dunno what to do. I have no idea whatr would suit me. I'd love to do law.

Can you tell I'm a bit of a confused weirdo? :o)

Thanks both of ya.

[natalie_1982]

What were you studying that you gave up?  Is there a careers advisor at your school?  Pop in to your local college and ask if you can speak to someone there.  If you don't do something now you'll regret it!  Perhaps a more 'hands-on' approach to learning would suit you more than sat down reading and writing and copying and reading more, etc. as that drives me loopy!

[Miss Zippy]

You're not a confused wierdo! Deciding what career you want to train for isn't an easy decision at 16. Even many people on graduating from uni still do not know what career they want to enter. What did you hate about sixth form - was it the environment (e.g. a bit too much like school) or the subjects you were studying?  If the former, is there a further education college you could go to instead, where you might find the environment less school-like?  I didn't know what I wanted to do at your age either and took a business studies course straight from school so I could get a feel for a wide variety of subjects like accountancy, economics, IT and law (I found I loved law and went on to study that further).  It's best not to narrow your options at your age and choose to study subjects that you enjoy (that's the most important thing) and that are applicable in a wide range of careers.

[Mowbray]

Have a look at this website....

www.connexions-direct.com

Or perhaps give them a ring. Connexions are a careers guidance organisation who will be able to help you in your dilemma.

Good Luck

[Shellywba]

What was law like? Was it hard?

I hated sixth form and left because it was too much like school, and I'd just had enough of learning. I should have done what my heart told me and studied law at a college. I also wanted money. I don't like having to live off my parents, cos I believe it is unfair to. I'm high maintence and it's time they had some weight off their shoulders!

I'm gonna have a look at my local colleges and see what they do now. I did have a look a couple of weeks ago, but I think the most local didn't do law, so I gave up.

Thanks everyone! xx

[morg_monster]

Shelly if you actually want to be a lawyer, then you don't need to study law at college/ school, you just need decent a-levels - or some other qualifications such as IB.  If you wanted to work in law offices, then there may be other less traditional routes to take, for example more vocational courses.  BUt if you actually want to be a barrister then unfortunately you pretty much need a-levels - and pretty good ones at that.  try www.lcan.org.uk for more info on law as a career there is advice for people in school and upwards.  If you left 6th form just cos you hated it not cos it was beyond you then why not try another 6th form or college.  If you are a pretty able person then I would strongly suggest to stay in education a bit longer if you can find somewhere you are happy.  It gives you more options and more time to make decisions!  If you can't decide then just pick some not too specific a-levels or whatever based on what you're good at, and then hopefully whatever you decide you won't have cut off your options.

[Solarjunkie]

How about taking a few months or a year and doing something completely different? Community Service Volunteers http://www.csv.org.uk/ can give you a whole new insight into yourself and your future choices.

You do residential voluntary work in a choice of many different situation, unpaid but for pocket money. You not only get something very valuable to put on your CV but new skills, new experiences - it really can give you new ideas about directions you may never have even thought of.

Please go and view the website!

[Hgrove]

If you would like to study law straight from school you may consider becoming a legal executive: http://www.ilex.org.uk/

[undercovers]

when i was 16 i had no idea what i wanted to be... that was 10 years ago and i'm still mulling over all my options - in this time i've been a life guard, personal trainer, events organiser, degree student, receptionist all sorts of things really... i could at this point let you that its all been fun and it makes for an interesting life, but i'd be lying - its rubbish... um so there you have it, maybe, what was my point when i started... i'm confused - bye