End of the World? Not even close.
By Kelly Dayus-Cook – SLK Associates Ltd.
What would happen if you didn’t get into uni? Or changed your mind at the last minute and decided it wasn’t for you? Would the world grind to a halt and turn to dust? Absolutely not. Although university is an amazing experience and for many it shapes their lives, for others it either doesn’t appeal or it’s slightly out of their grasp, for whatever reason.
I suspect as you’re reading this you’re already thinking “Yeah, yeah, whatever missy, what do you know?” Quite a bit actually, I didn’t go to uni straight from college, I’ve ended up doing a journalism degree some years after but that was more for fun than a career changer (yes, I said fun).
Anyway, a little bit about what happened to me. All my friends decided uni was for them so I was pretty much the black sheep of the group but in my eyes I wanted to get out there into the big wide world and earn some money! I’ve always had a bit of an aversion to getting into debt so it was probably one of my main reasons but I honestly felt I was bright enough already to tackle the working world at 18 (aka misguided).
I went through a few boring office jobs, tortured myself that I’d made the wrong decision, mostly as I had no idea what I wanted to be and then started to focus on my loves, what I was good at and how I saw my future turning out.
Love – Music, writing about music.
Good at – Communicating / Selling / Networking (aka socialising)
Future Goal – Own my own business.
Fast-forward 10 years and I now own and run a PR / Marketing / Copywriting agency that specialises in clients from the music industry. I have my own office and employ two people. I own my house, drive a nice car and go on several holidays a year, all without a university degree.
I owe a lot to the people I’ve worked with throughout my career but I’ve always been focused on learning new skills and bettering myself, just as you would in 3 years at university, I’ve just applied a lifelong learning hub to my career!
There’s always on the job learning options, distance and part time courses, vocational and apprenticeships, uni really isn’t the be all and end all.
One more thing; out of my class from college, I’m probably earning more than 90% of them (even the ones that went to medical school, for now anyway!).
It’s been a long hard slog to get where I am but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Here’s some more facts for you.
1. Up to 3 years after graduation, 60% of students are in jobs which do not require degrees.
2. Chef, diplomatic service, marketing manager, paramedic, air traffic controller, army office, detective, firefighter, dental technical- all earning good money and in some cases 50k+!
3. City and Guilds, which runs vocational qualifications, says interest this summer is up 20% on last year
4. Apprentices are paid while they train, and are likely to earn between £17,000 and £21,000 when they take on a full-time role with the firm.
5. Plenty of employers (such as Marks and Spencer) have management training schemes that are open to A Level students
6. Leading universities in the Netherlands are treating the scramble for places as an opportunity to market courses delivered in English, urging students to “go Dutch” and take advantage of lower fees and living costs
7. Every year 60,000 of the top academic performing school leavers don’t go on to University. It’s almost expected that ‘academic’ students should go to university; in reality many prefer a work-based learning opportunity, or alternative form of study.