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Career guidance from the OU - Part 1

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Edited by Jonathan Vernon, Tuesday, 3 Jun 2014, 11:21

Horticulturalist

I have to wonder if the career advice should not come before you take a degree rather than afterwards. I cannot figure how from the multitude of questions that I answered that it came up with this.

Did IT know that age 13 1/2 I had the entire summer term off school as my leg was so badly broken and that I used this time to work through the Reader 's Digest 'Gardening Year'? My efforts some 40 years on pale: back then I was doing both ground and air propagation of rhododendrons - successfully pulling off the second plant a year or two later. Maybe that was my calling, instead education got in the way and the parental requirement for a 'proper degree'.

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Mark Stirling

Careers Advice at Comprehensive

I can recall with clarity the nature of the career advice I received during my education. Honestly I had no idea as to what career I wanted, I was interested in such a variety that I was drowning in despair. But, if you ever have the opportunity to visit a career fair, take it, you will speak to employers and workers of the companies to obtain valuable information about the amount of work, the variety of the role and what you can hope to accomplish in the future.

What I have learnt from life, keep learning new skills, don't let your brain stagnate in the misery of repetitive tasks. I have studied and learnt Massage Therapy and am a member of the Sports Massage Association, and currently volunteer my services with Wakefield Football Club.

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Thanks for the comments Mark. Funnily enough, some 12 years ago I started to volunteer with my local swimming club as my infant kids and I were into swimming. A decade on and I teach and coach both swimming and waterpolo and a few years ago passed enough exams to go professional. For all my formal qualifications this is by far some of the most satisfying work that I have done.