# You would make me very happy with sound career advice



## Arno (Apr 2, 2012)

Some three years ago I graduated from high school and enrolled in IT-management. I had been wanting to do this for years, but after a few months of lecturing I chose to quit. The course didn't offer me much challenges, the students where not my kind and I couldn't see myself sitting a desk for the rest of my life. For the rest of that school year I didn't do much, and in the next one I focussed on getting a better high school diploma. 

With a better high school diploma I was hoping to be accepted for the police academy, but I was declined upon failing a rather dubious computer test. Since the new school year was just around the corner, I had to pick a good course. I enrolled in Safety and Security Management during last September. This is something I find very interesting, but again, I quit after some five months. Alongside the fact that I'm facing personal difficulties, it turns out that it is not my passion. So now I'm taking a year off with the intention of finding myself a good career.

We all know that this is a very difficult task, but I'll help you with the following. I really enjoy helping people, explaining things, being outside, having responsibility, thinking about problems, working with machines and reading. My weakness is that I have a very broad range of interests: astronomy, history, philosophy, automotive engineering, art, geopolitics, technology and economics.

Could you please be so kind to guide me to some sound career options?

EDIT: I'm nineteen and from The Netherlands. Maybe that puts things in perspective.


----------



## Schizoid (Jan 31, 2015)

Arno said:


> Some three years ago I graduated from high school and enrolled in IT-management. I had been wanting to do this for years, but after a few months of lecturing I chose to quit. The course didn't offer me much challenges, the students where not my kind and I couldn't see myself sitting a desk for the rest of my life. For the rest of that school year I didn't do much, and in the next one I focussed on getting a better high school diploma.
> 
> With a better high school diploma I was hoping to be accepted for the police academy, but I was declined upon failing a rather dubious computer test. Since the new school year was just around the corner, I had to pick a good course. I enrolled in Safety and Security Management during last September. This is something I find very interesting, but again, I quit after some five months. Alongside the fact that I'm facing personal difficulties, it turns out that it is not my passion. So now I'm taking a year off with the intention of finding myself a good career.
> 
> ...


I recommend working a full-time job while taking up part-time classes on the side to explore all your interests. After exploring all your
different interests, you will realize what you like most, and then you can start going for the degree and once you get your degree you can then start searching for a job that is in your career field and then from there you transit over from your current job into your ideal job.

It might take a few years to accomplish this though, but you are still young so you still have plenty of time


----------



## AriesLilith (Jan 6, 2013)

IT is a field that actually provides many different opportunities when it comes to positions. There are just so many types of positions nowadays and in a same position there can be many different varieties depending on the work place. You can actually be a programmer but work with many little bit of different things depending on the job, for example.

You mentioned that you were interested in IT management for years but then you dropped it. Was it coz it's too specialized? What really turned you off?
And what really attracted you to that?


----------



## lizw47 (Jan 12, 2015)

Hi there!

My name is Liz and I live in the United States. I do not know much about the Netherlands education system, but I will give you some general education advice that I hope you will find useful.

College is a very big commitment. It is very expensive, it is very time consuming. When you decide to go to college, you need to dedicate yourself to it. You quit the IT management course you were in, as well as the safety and security management course you were in. 

You may need to consider the fact that a traditional college education may not be the best choice for you. 

There are plenty of other ways to receive an education -- you can receive a degree online, or through different kinds of universities. Also, not going to college is perfectly acceptable.

Think back to when you were in high school... were you a straight A student? Did you struggle in high school? 
Did you go to school everyday excited and eager to learn? Or did you dread the experience?
College is an atmosphere for people who love to learn. So if you aren't excited about the material you are studying, then yes that will lead you to quitting...

As far as career choices go, I would start with the Myers Briggs assessment and what careers it suggests for you (I am guessing you are ISTJ from your post but it is just a guess!)

I would think back to your high school years. What classes did you love? What classes did you do best in? Were there some classes you were just really excited to have? Also, what were some classes you absolutely hated? Stay away from careers that involve those skills...

My best advice for you is to find a job or apprenticeship right now. Maybe find a job in the IT field, or in security, so you can see if it is something you really want to do. If you find out you like it, great. If not, you didn't lose anything. But to keep going back to school for courses is very costly and inefficient.


----------



## birdsintrees (Aug 20, 2012)

I did my schooling and uni in NL and I've been in that position: started two different degrees before finding out what I actually liked. What's hard about the Dutch system is that you are automatically expected to go on to the level of tertiary education that your level of high school prepares you for. I did VWO and ended up doing a bachelor degree via a HBO college as it was more suited to my study skills. The dutch school system really does a poor job to prepare you for choosing the right type of university or school after you graduate. 

What level of high school did you complete? (If you don't mind me asking)

Taking a full year off and working different contract jobs through an agency may give you some context as to what you like and dislike in a job and could give a better perspective on what direction you should move towards.


----------



## Sangmu (Feb 18, 2014)

I find it so difficult to believe that you failed an intellectual component of the testing. My beau is a police officer and, though he is a very good person, his IQ is not likely over 100.

Are you _sure_ you're unable to take the test again once a period of time has elapsed? Are there college 
"police foundations" type program where you live? They are apparently very helpful for letting you know how to pass the testing. Again, my boyfriend failed his first round of testing so went into one of these programs. This allowed him to pass the second time.

I also know a guy who tried FOURTEEN times before he was accepted.

Where I live it's also unusual, nowadays, for many people to be accepted if they're under age twenty-five. It's typical for one to have to demonstrated a successful professional career outside of policing and military before applying (so they're able understand civilians and apply their professional knowledge to policing).

Perhaps the Netherlands are different, but I think it's quite cruel if that's the case.


----------

