Thursday 18 August 2011

When I grow up...


When I was little I wanted to be an author. From the age of about five to twelve ,I filled countless notebooks and word documents with stories about witches and and fairy tale lands, and when I was seven I sometimes used to make up a story in my head on the way to school  to entertain myself. When I got to comprehensive school, I remember changing my mind and wanting to open a cafe and sell art work off the walls, and use my gramps gravy reciepe (is it me or does no one do a cooked dinner like your grandad can make it?) in the cafe. When I got to my GCSE & A levels and it really was time to grow up and decide what you wanted to do I decided I wanted to be a journalist.  I liked writing, I was good at english so it made sense to me.
I got in to uni, was there for a week hated pretty much everything about the course and have been working in retail ever since.

fashion

It all seemed so simple when I was little :)
But now I really am all grown up...What is that really I want to do???

Sometimes I wish that I had been more interested in fashion and art & design when I was in school and the I could have gone on and studied one of those courses in uni...but I wasn't. It was only really when I started working and had money to buy clothes and jewellery for myself that I started becoming more interested, and  I wonder would I have been so if I had not worked in retail and had some disposable income to spend on clothes and things? Probably not as much.


I know I could still go to uni now theoretically and study something fashion related but at 23 as most of my friends are starting to go in to full time jobs and look seriously at moving out, the thought of graduating at 26 with a £30, 000 debt isn't that appealing. I know you have to look at the bigger picture sometimes, but that thought scares me. And with the recession at the moment the last thing I want to do is go through all that and then end up not being able to get a job in that field and be back doing the same kind of job I am doing now but £30 000 worse off.

As I was thinking about all this I happened to read this months issue of Company magazine. They have a pretty big spread on careers this month and they had a feature 'Now I'm grown up I want to be a ...' Which then went on to list 20 'dream jobs' that their readers had picked and some advice on how to get in to each of the industries by someone who already worked in them.
I loved this article particularly when I read about theses five career choices:
f u c k y e a h g i r l y

Jewellery designer
 
'How I did it: I studied jewellery design at central saint martins and started selling work to friends. I then interned in New York. In 2009 I set up Daisy Knights
Get my job: Be an intern for a jewellery designer-I'm looking for one!'
errm...yes please. lol
This would be my ideal job :) If I had a massive light airy studio full of gorgeous materials and sparkly things to make jewellery with. Heaven :) I am actually starting my own jewellery business but its very much something thats mine that I love to do on the side of a job that the source of my main income. (unless I become very famous ;))

 


Boutique owner
'How I did it: I'd been an assistant shop manager but started my own jewellery website in 2004. In 2010 I had enough money to open my own shop!
Get my job: Working on the high street taught me shop keeping skills'


I would love this job as well :) If I had a boutique I think I would fill it full of gorgeous jewellery and accessories and perhaps some items of clothing. I'd have fairy lights strung everywhere, vintage wallpaper,  little white wooden chairs heaped with floral cushions to sit on, and huge ornate mirrors so you could see what things looked like on.


Fashion stylist

'How I did it: In 2004 I took a six week fashion styling evening course at the London College of Fashion then got an internship in GQ mag's fashion cupboard. They offered me a job stylist assistant. I started free lancing in 2006.
Get my job: An evening course can help you get qualified without having to give up your job.'

Ideally, I know you would really need to live in a busy city like London for a job like this (and I'm a home girl at heart) but if I did I would love to work for a fashion magazine calling in clothes and styling models for shoots.
(and sneakily trying some of the shoes on when no ones looking)




Fashion Buyer

'How I did it: I worked on shop floors in high street stores, took an international fashion course at university of Manchester the applied for a Buyer's clerk job at River Island.
Get my job: Get to know your customers, its all about giving them what they want

I read on one girls blogs once (can't remember whos) and she mentioned that she'd worked in the accessorize head offices as a buyer/merchandiser.
*sigh* yes please :)

colors, photography, products, thread, vintage - inspiring picture on Favim.com
Fashion designer
How I did it: I took a BTECT National Diploma in art and design then studied fashion and textils. My first job was a design assistant at John Richmond. It took another few years working for other brands before I got the job at Topshop.
Get my job: With a fashion degree and work experience

This would be a great job although very hard work. It so talented to be able to make clothes, I wish this was an ability I possessed!

I'm glad that I read this article its made me feel more
 inspired and determined to get a job that I really love
love and kisses

x x x x

15 comments:

  1. I reckon that a job at a fashion magazine would really suit you; there are accessories editors, fashion journalists, so maybe it is something you might want to look into :)

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  2. I think you have just read my mind completely. I can RELATE to this so much.
    I bought the Company issue last week and ever since it has been on my mind.

    It seems we have quite a lot in common :)
    I had the same dream about being an author when I grew up. I filled notebooks with endless stories and was forever documenting my life.

    If I’m being totally honest I’m a little bit lost as regard to my career too. I actually studied art and design at A Level and did a BTEC foundation all set to go onto uni, but I didn’t get on the course I applied for. I was set on doing Textile Crafts, I was convinced I would get in but I didn’t. Looking back now, I’m so glad I didn’t as I have realised it’s not what I wanted to do after all. But I do have doubts about whether I should have gone to uni to study a different subject. But as they say, you can’t turn back time and I know that now Uni wasn’t meant for me.

    The Company issue really made me step back and think, yes I can do something. I can have dreams and aspirations. And maybe one day I will find my perfect career xxx

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  3. It is amazing to think how much our interests and our career dreams change as we grow older. When I was around 6, I wanted to be a painter. Then I wanted to be a meteorologist. Then I wanted to be a psychologist. And now, I'm going to school to be a music educator! How crazy is that. I think the most important thing is to really love what you're doing. I always get talks from my typical Asian parents that I may not have an amazing, high-paying job. But I find more worth in bringing joy to others through music, even if I'm not being paid as much as a doctor.

    http://forte-espressivo.blogspot.com

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  4. I'll tell you one thing, your writing style is fabulous, I was gripped throughout your entire post. x

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  5. Thank you for your lovely comments :)

    @ sugar and silk; accessories editor sounds perfect I would LOVE that job will have to look in to it :)

    @alice; I'm glad you could relate, Its nice to know I'm not the only one who feels like this!Its scary not knowing where you are going. One of my work mates is in her 30s and shes just left to go back to college and re train & my aunty just opened her gorgeous shop in her 40's so I guess they proove its never too late to find you're perfect job :)

    @dahhlayne; I agree I would rather have a job that you love and that makes you happy than one that was really high paying but that you didn't love

    x x x

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  6. @ vix; aw thank you :) X

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  7. Love the pictures you used for boutique owner and fashion stylist. That's cool about the night classes. I would love to do that.

    Cindy
    Style Soufflé

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  8. i read this in company a few days ago, really did make me think about what i want to do as uni doesn't appeal to me and my aim is to be a fashion buyer. Not sure what to do!

    thanks for the comment on my blog :)
    XOXO, BECCA
    http://www.fashion-train.co.uk

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  9. Amazing blog post. i can so relate to it! I need to pick A-levels now and i still don't know what i want to do it sucks. Yeah when your younger it all seems so simple <3

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  10. Honey you have sooo many talents! you have done so much already that makes me feel lazy!

    following you now <3

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  11. Nice post, I'm pretty much the same - I've just finished my course in Art but I don't want to go to Uni :\ So now what..?
    xx

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  12. lovely lovely blog post <3 Your writing is really nice to read.

    http://loretta-blog.blogspot.com/

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  13. This is such a beautiful , honest post. I hope you find what you're looking for. x hivenn

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  14. Inspiring post. I like it! When I was young I wanted to be an astronaut! Hehe :)

    Not so sure what I want to do now, maybe be a professional blogger one day! Might need to step up my game a bit over the next year though.

    Amelia @ Ugly Duckling
    http://iwasanuglyduckling.blogspot.com

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  15. I can relate completely. From the age of like 5 until i was 16 I wanted to be a P.E teacher or just a primary school teacher, i used to play schools all the time when i was little, i filled pages with registers of made up kids names and pretend work sheets. after i left school after one year of sixth form and started a sports science course i changed my mind completely and have now decided i want to be a personal trainer. its funny how things happen.
    Xx

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