Career Advice / Working Life

[LC]

My oldest is in their last year of school and they are thinking of doing teaching.

The long summer holidays seems to be thing that is attracting them which I think is the wrong way to look at it.

I hear from a few at work who are married to teachers who say the job gets worse by the year.

I want him to make his own mind up but at the same time I don't want him to do something he will regret in a few years. 

My parents just let me tear way whenever I was picking courses but that was 30 years ago and the landscape was completely different in terms of student debt, cost of living etc.  That being said I see recently if you are teaching a stem subject you get your fees covered.

[Tony Baloney]

My oldest is in their last year of school and they are thinking of doing teaching.

The long summer holidays seems to be thing that is attracting them which I think is the wrong way to look at it.

I hear from a few at work who are married to teachers who say the job gets worse by the year.

I want him to make his own mind up but at the same time I don't want him to do something he will regret in a few years. 

My parents just let me tear way whenever I was picking courses but that was 30 years ago and the landscape was completely different in terms of student debt, cost of living etc.  That being said I see recently if you are teaching a stem subject you get your fees covered.

Like any job there a lot of variables - in teaching you have subject taught, school they end up in, management team in said school etc.

My wife is a teacher in a school where she has zero bother with the kids, they get good results and little hassle from the Head. She has friends in schools where the Head is a cnut, cliques in the staff room etc. The one universal that seems to be across all schools is that the days of parents supporting teachers over little Johnny and Jemima are long gone. Worth bearing in mind that salaries are clear to see before he goes into it and unless he goes into management that's his ceiling. If he really wants to do it, society needs teachers, so let him at it. Just don't let him end up like these crying wankers who think teaching is like working down a mine.

[marty34]

My oldest is in their last year of school and they are thinking of doing teaching.

The long summer holidays seems to be thing that is attracting them which I think is the wrong way to look at it.

I hear from a few at work who are married to teachers who say the job gets worse by the year.

I want him to make his own mind up but at the same time I don't want him to do something he will regret in a few years. 

My parents just let me tear way whenever I was picking courses but that was 30 years ago and the landscape was completely different in terms of student debt, cost of living etc.  That being said I see recently if you are teaching a stem subject you get your fees covered.

Good discussion LC.


If unsure, tell him to defer a year and go and work on a site or Centra etc. No panic in rushing straight into uni.


Take a break, recharge the batteries and take the stress out of things. Then go to uni the following year a bit more wiser and a bit more experienced in my opinion.


For him, who cares what anyone else says at this juncture of his life. 

[Milltown Row2]

My wife would steer most people away from teaching, that said she been doing it 30 years, it fitted her at the time as having a family getting those term holidays are great for the likes of that, but, as been mentioned, its not the job it used to be, and its not everyone's cup of tea either, working in a school with a bunch of headers is tough and working in a school that demands good results can be stress tough too

The money is shite for the effort they put in, plus the abuse they take from kids/parents nowadays is crazy, I'd never have said anything about being told off by a teacher as I'd get a second thumping for brining it up!

[imtommygunn]

What job is what it used to be I would ask?  I work in software engineering and the shift in it is pretty seismic with your Claudes etc etc. It has also significantly opened up the world(more as there has always been a high proportion of bluffers) to the grifters who know buck all about what they are doing and then confidently present absolute waffle to everyone like it makes complete sense and is inspirational.

[Orior]

What job is what it used to be I would ask?  I work in software engineering and the shift in it is pretty seismic with your Claudes etc etc. It has also significantly opened up the world(more as there has always been a high proportion of bluffers) to the grifters who know buck all about what they are doing and then confidently present absolute waffle to everyone like it makes complete sense and is inspirational.

Every organisation needs sales people 😐

[imtommygunn]

Yeah in sales not in the rest of their organisation 

[Mourne Red]

My oldest is in their last year of school and they are thinking of doing teaching.

The long summer holidays seems to be thing that is attracting them which I think is the wrong way to look at it.

I hear from a few at work who are married to teachers who say the job gets worse by the year.

I want him to make his own mind up but at the same time I don't want him to do something he will regret in a few years. 

My parents just let me tear way whenever I was picking courses but that was 30 years ago and the landscape was completely different in terms of student debt, cost of living etc.  That being said I see recently if you are teaching a stem subject you get your fees covered.

Honestly if I was to go through it all again, Physiotherapist would be the career Id go for.

Good money, always a team looking a physio for some extra cash and there'll always be work.

That or a joiner but I was shite and Tech+Design in school.

[Armagh4sam2024]

Tell him to join the DUPeedos. 60k MLA salary for doing nothing, bonus pay from the local uda drug dealer, fill your boots with RHI or whatever the latest taxpayer scam is....

[Tony Baloney]

Tell him to join the DUPeedos. 60k MLA salary for doing nothing, bonus pay from the local uda drug dealer, fill your boots with RHI or whatever the latest taxpayer scam is....

Any of the parties. Shinners doing nicely too out of the tax payer. In fact outside those holding a ministry Emma Sheerin and Aoife Finnegan are the biggest lifters on over 200k apiece. Value for money I'm sure  .

[Wildweasel74]

Mum wanted me to be a teacher, as she was. Wouldnt do it as children, even 20yrs ago, had lost respect for adult teachers, this issue starts at home. We cant get quantity surveyors,so theres a opening in that market. If he good enough, i push him down the road of a Architect, though i hadnt the patience to do the 6yrs and went into Building surveying (which i actually liked). Brother went Civil engineer/contracts manager route. I deal in senior project  manager construction contracts. Both jobs good money but horrendous pressure, to the point i thought of leaving it a few times.So i not recommend them.

[nrico2006]

Tell him to join the DUPeedos. 60k MLA salary for doing nothing, bonus pay from the local uda drug dealer, fill your boots with RHI or whatever the latest taxpayer scam is....

Any of the parties. Shinners doing nicely too out of the tax payer. In fact outside those holding a ministry Emma Sheerin and Aoife Finnegan are the biggest lifters on over 200k apiece. Value for money I'm sure  .

200k a year?

[whitey]

My oldest is in their last year of school and they are thinking of doing teaching.

The long summer holidays seems to be thing that is attracting them which I think is the wrong way to look at it.

I hear from a few at work who are married to teachers who say the job gets worse by the year.

I want him to make his own mind up but at the same time I don't want him to do something he will regret in a few years. 

My parents just let me tear way whenever I was picking courses but that was 30 years ago and the landscape was completely different in terms of student debt, cost of living etc.  That being said I see recently if you are teaching a stem subject you get your fees covered.

A lot of variables to consider

What motivates them?

Money
Flexibility
Job Satisfaction

Where do they want to live?

Locally
Dublin
UK/Overseas

Family Considerations

Proximity to parents/grandparents
Desire to start a family

I have 2 nieces in Ireland.  One will never live more than 30 mins from her Mum, while her older sister thought nothing of moving to London as soon as she graduated NUIG.

Theres nothing wrong with just getting a BA.....you can pick your path from there

[square_ball]

My son is only 10 and at that age he's already talking about being a builder or some other trade. Me on the other hand still can't figure out what I want to do and I'm 43!

[seafoid]

I think a job that suits your personality is important. You are more likely to enjoy it and do it well.

The job that you got 30 years ago was better than the jobs going now imo. You could have a decent house if you were a garda or a nurse or in the civil service. In 1996 a house in Dublin cost 85,000 pounds.

Effort and outcomes don't always move together anymore. Developing another income generating skill can be a practical way to create more flexibility instead of simply working longer hours

That could be based on skills that you can't use in a job.

I think it's important for young people to develop their interests.