ASPIREAn A-Z Inspiring Occupation Publication

Leafing through these pages will allow the capacity to gain a deep and valuable understanding of the working life that awaits you, exploring the variety of occupations allows an

insight into the endless career possibilities obtainable.

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Are you the positive thinker you think you are?

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Aspiration, a hope or ambition of achieving something. To ponder upon the new possibilities out there waiting to be ex-plored instead of sticking within the realistic boundaries of the expected occupations and the mundane regularities within life. Life does not come with a manual. Why spend every working day of your life wasting your original and creative ideas? Ideas that could potentially be something life changing and special yet wasted on repetitive and uncreative work that you share no passion for when you sing in praise and palpitate with excite-ment at the chance to be creative?

Imagine yourself humble yet confident, sufficiently confident that you believe in yourself to become what you want in life, to drive that expensive car, to own that luxurious apartment overlooking the park. To be able to not only provide materialis-tic goods for your loved ones but provide them with a content-ed atmosphere, simply because you have no fears, you have no doubts nor worries because no matter what, your simply doing something you love.

Imagine being an optimist, every day, every month, no matter the situation at work or the stress you maybe under, because you will be under stress, deadlines, time keeping, management, but that it will be worth it due to the recognition and work you will have achieved and finally, your state of mind. Imagine hav-ing desires and ambitious goals in life yet actually having the hopefulness and confidence within yourself and your future to remain focused and motivated to achieve them no matter what it is you want to do, from a farmer to a florist to a designer or a youth worker, every job needs someone with self belief and a positive outlook on life. Could this be you?

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To be weak at the knees with nervousness, to have butterflies within in your stomach, to worry about your moist palms as you greet the interviewer with a handshake, to struggle to speak that first word when your name is called as your mouth becomes so dry with anxiety despite the seven cups of extra strong coffee you’ve consumed this morning to awake yourself in the right state of mind, to know that this next two minutes could potentially determine your future.

The day before, if spent well, is spent ironing that ‘smart’ outfit your mother has washed and placed on your bed in preparation of the big day. It is preparing your answers for all the questions they might fire at you: the starting question of:

Why do you want this job?Do you work best alone or on your own? What are your aspirations?Who do you aspire to be?Are you a positive and aspirational person?What do you expect to be doing in five years time?Do you plan the future and have future goals?What are your strengths and weaknesses?What has been your greatest achievement?What are your career goals?What do you want out of this job?What do you want out of life?

To somehow hope you answer every question to their specific requirements and more. To repeatedly rehearse each answer and confidently deliver. Despite the nerves and sweaty palms, the key is to remain positive and upbeat despite of the circumstance and the fear that you may be hiding, it is about sharing your positivity and not being shy when expanding on your greatest achievements within your life so far.

When asked to define success and failure and the distinction between the two, share your successes confidently yet with a healthy ego, share your failures and the battles you have overcome within your life, how you have overcome these weaknesses, how you have improved yourself to become the person you are today.

Elaborate on every detail and intricate aspect of the job from which you have researched prior to the day. Present yourself as someone whom is prepared and willing to get involved. To be someone who can withstand the pressures that may come their way. Show that company that you are competitive at heart, that you have the compassion and understanding to work as team yet can be independent when working on your own.

Show them you are not simply just “filling a vacancy” or a replacing a member of their force, but that they need you.

They need someone young, someone with fresh ideas, someone with a completely different way of working and looking at things in a new light, to bring something new, something raw, an entire newly discovered experience to the table.

Someone who has the passion and creativity to do so along the journey, to know they are intensely enthusiastic about their work and what they want out of it and not give up when hitting blocks, someone who has a completely different outlook on life itself.

And out of those two minutes you wait weeks for, counting down the days and hours, preparing your notes, your rehearsed questions, your rehearsed answers, your outfit, the polishing of your best shoes; Those two minutes will be over before you know it.

Make it count, and if you only aspire to be those things, you haven't yet gained the confidence you one day wish to have, make them believe you have it anyway and give no-one the chance to doubt you and what you are passionate about.

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The first day is spent repeatedly introducing yourself to your new work team and listening to the wrong pronunciations of your name yet shyly not re-correcting it. It is communicating with individuals and meeting new faces while trying to learn who everybody is despite the extensive number of workers. It’s acting professional and hiding your nerves and proving you are worthy of your place within their company. It’s telling those little white lies about what you do in your spare time; those nights of watching television and scrolling through Facebook with your takeaway on its way are changed in order for little feeling of social acceptance and admiration from your new peers.

So what do you do in your spare time?

Oh, I usually spend my nights in the gym or at work out classes or if I'm having a night off I love reading novels and watching documentaries whilst eating healthy snacks.

to be who you want to be.

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aStudying languages at school was the deciding factor for Victoria’s career path, becoming an Au Pair was not solely about the opportunity to look after children but a way to completely immerse herself within the different languages around the world. Being someone of a personable character, the first opportunity she had to began this job route she took and as an au pair it seemed the appropriate way to reach her end goal of fluency within a foreign language alongside the other possibilities that may arise when living in a completely different culture.

Her first role as an Au Pair began in Spain, she became responsible for two children aged 1 and 4, stepping up to a full time job and the responsibility of two children was a huge stepping stone from college and her part time jobs at home. Surprisingly, her intentions had never been to work with children, but through

the rewards of au pairing they became her inspiration to work. “The truth is you can spend all day wondering why on earth you chose to spend a year abroad looking after children then one tiny thing will happen to make you feel like you're helping these children and suddenly it doesn't seem so bad. For me the idea of teaching a child another language is great, it gives them a head start into learning a foreign language so that they never have to put in the hours of work at school that many of us did to simply achieve a GCSE.”

As she explains working full time with children can be tiring, working every day is completely different despite having the same day to day routine. “If you can manage to find something fun for you and the kids to do, the time will fly by.” Now au pairing in several countries and being fully fluent in various languages she appreciates the people who have pushed her in education, from her politics

teacher back at home in England to her parents and family who have gave her the confidence to travel the world alone.

Appreciating how au pairing as an occupation has helped her develop both knowledge and skills she explains how she has now included working with children in her future career plans. “I have 100% learnt the value language acquisition of children, when I think back to learning French vocabulary in school I remember spending hours, rewriting words using a variety of colours and methods all in the hope that I would somehow imprint them into my memory. However the children I worked with seemed to pick it up with no effort at all, especially the youngest. He barely spoke 5 words in Spanish when I arrived but having spent the first week with him talking purely in English 8-10 hours a day, it has definielty changed my career thoughts, I’ve even had thoughts to go into teaching.”

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“Do what you want. You don't wan't to get to uni after years of school and drop out in your third year because you've realised that choosing the 'better' career was a mistake... If you've

chosen a career you're not really that interested in then it is very unlikely that you'll stick it out as a career, and even if you do I can think of nothing worse than spending 40 years of my life

doing something I hate day in day out.”

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Influenced my her creative side and passion to draw, Rose realised she could express her creative skills through make up and other aspects within the beauty industry and it influenced her in with making her final career choice. Working from the age of 16 she has gained experience in salons around the North East and gave herself a good reputation. “Although the placements were only temporary I will always be grateful for the experience

because it gave me confidence and taught me the importance of having good communication skills which is essential in my job because I am dealing with clients everyday.” Luckily, after having such valued experiene and after a lot of courage to do so she eventually plucked up the courage to open her own beauty salon and is extremely proud of the outcome and success it has brought her.

For Rose, her clients are her

inspiration “My clients inspire me the most, to see them be so grateful of the work I have done is very rewarding, it makes me very happy and puts a smile on my face as well as theirs. The treatments I carry out can make a client feel good about themselves and give them a sense of relief, they often ask me for advice on subjects that are beauty related and it is encouraging and reassuring to know that they value my opinion.”

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“My favourite aspect of my job is makeup artistry and I often find myself looking to celebrities and other makeup artists work in magazines, on television and social media for inspiration. The internet is a fantastic source for inspiration, I am subscribed to many makeup artists on youtube and I find my self watching makeup tutorials almost everyday in search for new ideas that I can use in my work. There is never a time to stop searching for something new, developing your skills and ideas and experimenting.”

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Having a passion for cooking and baking since a young boy, he began cooking family meals and cooking for his friends before realising he wanted to follow down that path as a full time career. Originally starting out in the Navy after leaving school, it wasn’t until years down the line that Jim had this realisation. “I’ve always known I wanted to become a chef, it was always a dream of mine I just think it was finally taking the step. The hardest thing was leaving the Navy and telling my family I needed to follow my heart and be happy in what I do each day.”

Working in the catering industry has it ups and downs, sometimes the extent of food that has to be made for weddings and events can be a great deal of pressure in addition to making sure everything is on time and perfect for customers. “I think what makes it rewarding is the compliments received and people being appreciative of what I do. It always makes any day when someone sends compliments to the chef.” It’s not just being able to cook, its communicating with your team and the

other chef ’s working in the kitchen, it takes dedication on becoming an expert on how to cook. Having a late start to his career, it was difficult starting from the bottom and having people a lot younger than himself being ahead of him and even managing him. Jim had to show his dedication and enthusiasm, and put in long hours at work but paying off it led him to quickly work his way to the top.

With becoming successful in his endeavors and being part of a highly successful catering team within Durham, Jim hopes to one day open his own restaurant and share his own creations with customers. “I often visit other restaurants simply to see what they have on offer, what they’re food is like and how different they cook compared to myself, whether its using different seasonings to a completely different menu I’d never tried before. I hope one day I’ll be able to bring all my experiences and open my own restaurant., I guess its a case of taking that next step in my life, again.”

“I took a while to finally take the step and do what I actually wanted as a career as I was unhappy in what I was doing. I’d definitely advise to people that they fully research and look into internships and work experience before taking the plunge.”

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“Everything takes work. I believe that if you work hard you will get where you want to be. Be ambitious but think about in 10 years time will it still be the job you love everyday? If so then follow your dream.”

dSurrounded by supportive people in his childhood, Craig was taught to believe he could become

whatever he wanted in his career path and that he would be supported in his choices. His passion for dancing began when his grandma took him to his first dance class at 7 years old, his love for

the choreography and music then led him down a path of years of competing within dancing. “My greatest inspiration in life was always the world champion irish dancers, my whole life I worked

towards being a world champion.” 17 years after that first dance class, Craig has now achieved both goals of becoming a professional dancer and qualified teacher.

Working as a dance teacher has not come as a surprise due to his colourful and creative childhood, receiving his T.C.R.G qualification meant he could finally set up the dancing school

he has longed for and begin teaching children. “It was an extremely difficult exam and when I found out I passed, it made all the 17 years of hard work seem like not a day was wasted. I had accomplished everything I ever wanted.” However, those 17 years of hard work came with set

backs and negativity; hours spent in studios and hired out school halls correcting mistakes and improving on areas of work and thinking of new ideas to interoperate into his choreography. Possibly why it is his studio in which he travels to for inspiration, craving hours alone in the

studio without children or having to teach sometimes becomes a de-stress-ant. “It is like a de-stress-ant for me, I come out feeling good and excited about any ideas I have had and feeling healthy

from sweating after dancing for a hours and finally taking my mind off the real world.”da

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For the newly established, Mason-Cummings Academy a successful career awaits. Craig shares co-ownership with his partner Shane whom also is a professional dancer and has worked in shows such as Riverdance as well as formerly participating in competitions alongside Craig. Combined together they are team with exceptional skills and knowledge within the dance industry and have started up a school that is known around the country due to their

accomplishments they both hold. Going to work, is something which they both look forward to, every class they hold is completely different to the previous. “I love the questions the kids ask. I love to see a child come into work with their new moves practiced. I love getting goosebumps when a child performs so well. We have a friendly and hard working school and I love going to work to push them and watch all the dancers progress. It keeps the passion alive everyday.”

"My passion is for teaching and I wish to teach children for the rest of my life, helping others pro-gress to the best of their ability is something I thrive on. I love to choreograph new material and I

will never get tired of pushing my student to achieve their goals.”

eWorking from the bottom of the career ladder and working his way up, Sam has pushed himself to become top of his game. Gaining numerous promotions in his time starting out as a kitchen porter through to waiter, to nightlife organisation, and now event management he has loved every opportunity he has been given and has never looked back since.

Now as an event manager, he is able to explore different venues across the country and gain inspiration to recreate enjoyable and memorable experiences. “I love going out myself and therefore I want to give to people the great experiences I have been lucky enough to encounter myself.” He advises to travel and experience new things and places as it is the best thing to do if you wish to get involved within the events industry as it widens your knowledge and experience in the field.

As he explains the job is completely every day, “it is one of the things that appeals to me about work”. Knowing a 9-5 office job wasn’t for him, interacting with customers and taking enjoyment from developing events from scratch are factors that have influenced him to choose his career path “You can never prepare for what will happen that night and I guess that’s what excites me.” Originally, as every young boys dream, he wanted to become a footballer but knew he had to make a realistic career choice. Inspired by his father and grandfather, he knew how well respected they were due to the pair always making time for others and as Sam always wanted to possess that trait, he applied it to his work and his customers. Through working from bottom to top in such a short space of time, he is now the youngest manager within the company. “Being relatively young and in a

position of power can be difficult. I manage a variety of people at the company, mostly my age or older and I have found the transition from being their peer to being their superior difficult. I have learnt that you can’t be friends with everyone and therefore when I made the step to supervisor I had to take a step back in terms of how close I was to staff. The transition from supervisor to manager was made easier by the fact I had then already gained the staffs respect.”  The best advice Sam would advise to become part of an events management team would be to “work your way up and that it will pay off in the end, if your very personable and love interacting with people and organising parties or simple get togethers with your friends and that a 9-5 office job is not for you then it is definitely something to think about.”

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Following in her mothers footsteps, Jayne took over her mothers florist at the age of 19. From a young age, she helped out in the shop sorting flowers, taking orders and even creating bouquets for customers, it seemed only natural for her to take over as her mum retired. In the quaint high street of Yarm, the Flower Room is a well established business within the area and known for their charming window displays. “Running an establishment was a big jump from just helping out within the store, I was used to doing the easy and pretty jobs, picking out the flowers I liked and visually displaying our merchandise. Taking over was a big jump especially when it came to paper

work and similar factors, but it got easier, I guess that’s the same with every job you go into.” Having several florists within one small high street create great competition when it comes to sales, not only that but the extent of the layouts and creativity within the shop and most importantly the window display. “I was pretty weary going into the job full time and taking over, but as people advised me its always a great thing to have a young mind with a fresh mindset on how things work and look, it will create a whole new vibe and aspect on the shop which made me feel a lot more comfortable knowing I could bring something potentially great.”

Normally growing up you don't hear many people say they intend to become florists, but I’d definitely advise people to think about it and the

opportunities it provides. Every day is different, just like every flower, we have to create new and different designs and bouquets for people, I guess it’s also nice knowing flowers are still being bought as gifts or surprises.”

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Gamekeeping is a very old profession, its helps to keep a balanced environment and additionally they look after the countryside and various pieces of land. Most often

gamekeeping runs in the family and everyones is involved but as the profession has grew to become more popular in recent years younger people can now be taught in agricultural

colleges which offer a qualification in this profession. To be a gamekeeper you need to understand various technical things “Its not like how it used to be, we need to understand

medicines, agricultural practices, budgets and retain harmony with the countryside. For me its a full time job, furthermore I own all my own dogs and make my own bullets for

shooting.” Tony has worked as a gamekeeper for over 30 years and was brought into the occupation through his father when he was teen. “Luckily my father introduced me but I

think its great that this kind of job is on offer at college rather than stereotypical jobs.”

hAs training horses has always been an integral role within her family, the Gloag’s have

shared a passion for these animals which has led to Sophie’s enthusiasm to begin her occupation as a horse trainer. Initially attending pony club from a young age, this

furthered her zealousness and subsequently began her training program. Training involves not only exercising and feeding these animals in addition to providing them with

constant human contact but also a consistent regime of riding and racing to eventually contribute to a visually stimulating performance by both rider and horse.

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“Lucky for me I get the opportunity to work with the animals I love as a career, it’s not everyday you get to do something you actually have a passion for. It seem these days people

make what they think are realistic ‘sensible’ career choices despite the lack of enthusiasm they have for that particular field of work.”

iKnowing interior design was her career choice from a teenager, Helen Leader was able to follow through her passion of interior design when she bought her first home at the age of 20. Not only does her heart belong in design but she has several properties that she has converted into her own works of art. “My house is usually similar the latest trends, as much as I hate to admit it I do read through a lot of magazines and do a lot of research on the internet and look at other designers work but majority of the time i just go with my instinct for pieces that I love.”

Her home, a perfect doll house style from the outside with perfectly shaped white rose bushes and a front door with a hand painted glass window complemented the interior inside; decorative accessories in cream and white shades with a bouquet of lilies in almost every room. Each room perfectly decorated and thought about to each and every minor detail, her favourite piece being a glass chandelier hanging above her marble dining table,

laughing shyly when I tried to ask her how much she had purchased it for. “I’m not picky when it comes to where I buy my products from, if something looks good and works well in a room why should it matter what shop it is purchased from or how much it is? I have expensive things in my home and that I have used on homes that have been bought from supermarkets and in contrast I have pieces that are one off, made only for myself. I’ve worked hard within my career and working up to become an established business that I am fortunate to be able to purchase these special things.”

Helen advises anyone wanting to pursue a career within interior design to buy the products they find exciting and that they are physically passionate about, to use the colours they love to work with and to be as creative as they wish to be. It’s not about following the trends within trend magazines and home adverts we see online but about creating your own trend and establishing your own style within interior design.

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Working as a joiner for the past 35 years, Paul has achieved his goals of becoming successful and having his own established business. Through extensive hard work and determination he was able to constantly improve and develop his business for it to become what it is today and to be recognised as a reliable trade throughout the North East. “I really did start at the bottom, I came from a family who had little money and I knew I didn't want

to be in the same position when I was older of worrying about payments and money. It was a case of gaining as much experience as I could and working my way up the ladder until I could afford my own building to start my own business.”

As Paul is proud of his achievements and shares how he has completed everything he set out to as a young boy he admits there are struggles along the way “I loved woodwork at

school and thats originally why I set out to work in my career path, but there are negatives relating to joinery. Unfortunately for me I’ve had several injuries, from working all my life I’ve had to have my knee’s replaced, I’ve had two fingers cut off on an electric saw and had severe damage to my feet due to steel capped work boots. You never really associate it with being difficult, but being at the age I am now its taking it’s toll, but I guess I wouldn't of been happier doing another career.”

“There will always be barriers you have to overcome during working, just remember why you wanted to follow that career path and you’ll get through difficulties, as cliche as it sounds, don’t give up on what you set out to do.”

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A Kennel workers jobs is more than just looking after dogs, you have to be physically fit for walking the dogs and cleaning out kennels, additionally you have to be alert at all times so you can spot if there is anything different with the behaviour of the animals not only that but you have to have a passion for

working with them and be confident around them. Kate is the newest recruitment at Bartle Bridge Dog Kennels and recently started working a year ago within this field of job. “Although there are no set grades or qualifications to get into this job it was highly valued that I had had previous experience, I had gone out into different kennels around the North East and got myself placements and work experience, without that I would have never of been able to step into a full time job here so quickly. I’d advise people to always think

about that before they go into their careers, to understand the field of work fully.”

Despite looking after the cute and cuddly dogs on a daily basis, the job entitles long hard working hours, including early mornings, evenings and weekends and you will be rarely indoors regardless of weather

conditions. “If you have a passion like I do for working with dogs then the negatives are completely out-weighed by the positives and the fulfillment I go home with every night.”

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After being undecided about what he wanted to do at university, Nick reflected on his childhood and his younger self of wanting to become a solicitor and revisited his college to study politics. After his two years at college his decision was final that he was to study Law at university, it was gaining his degree in Law that has allowed him to be successful today.

Opening his own business’ located in three areas around the North East he has shown passion for his work and customers and plans to extend and hopefully buy new properties

to open more business’. “There are challenges in running a legal business, first with seismic changes in the way legal services are delivered, be it online and secondly the fact that so many

legal firms have gone out of business, so many high street solicitors have gone bankrupt. It means you really have to keep on your toes and you cant let the grass grow under your feet, you have to innovate, be ready to change things very quickly. It is what makes work exciting for me,

there is always something to develop on.”

Think long and hard about a career within Law, it is a very difficult career and to find a training contract and to keep a job as a solicitor can be extremely hard but the work is rewarding. If anybody wants to become a solicitor, you have to seek to achieve the best

possible academic success, good qualifications and degree, always be conscious and to go that extra mile.”

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A motor mechanic involves fixing cars, from mechanics and electrics, engines and exhaust systems to air-conditioning and security. Originally starting off in graphic design as a young boy finishing school, Mal’s career was majority office based. He had always had a love for vehicles mainly motorbikes and began both riding and collecting bikes from the age of 20. It wasn’t until a severe motorbike crash which involved the amputation of Mal’s leg that he was inspired

to follow his desired career path. Despite his accident, he worked on creating his own business of motor mechanics and began his ‘One hop shop’ (pun intended). “As every one else will tell you, you need to do something you love to be content at work and home life, luckily I was able to work my way up and create a well established business.”

Not only did he advise working on something you enjoy doing, but that motor mechanical jobs are not

simply just about the cars and fixing things, but good strong practical skills and problem solving along with being able to communicate well with your customers and providing them with great customer care. “You might not think being part of a mechanical business and being permanently covered in dust and oil makes us as important as working in an office or wearing a suit, but regardless what industry your in, you need to make yourself personable.”

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“I’ve been through high and lows establishing my own business, if you put your mind to it and know what you what you want to achieve you will reach that point, the same goes for any

industry that your in and even in life.”

nHaving a caring nature influenced Rebecca into teaching, feeling compelled to follow that career route and knowing working with children would be best suited for her; she began training after leaving school. “I could never imagine my self working in an office or working in retail. I have always been very mothering and was often told during school that I would suit working with children.” Luckily after studying

hard to gain the qualification needed, she was offered her job from a placement she undertook and has worked in education since. “I have come from a family where if I want something I got it. I have had a very lucky childhood and needed for nothing. So becoming independent and starting to stand on my own two feet is been my biggest accomplishment. As well as studying hard to get good qualifications,

which has, lead me to getting a good job.” Knowing that being a teacher involves influencing and shaping every child she meets is the most inspiring thing to Miss Murphy. “I know that I am been a positive role model and guiding children into making the right choices and be the best person they can be. I am giving children the basic life skills which they need for their every day life. I am very lucky to work in a career

were their is a lot of elements which inspire me and make me proud.” As she appreciates she has a job which she gets up and look forwards to everyday she also acknowledges that may be not the case for everybody and explains that there are a several con's in every career path but to remember the pro's and that they should overcome them. “If it is a job you truly love and feel is your calling all the stress and hard work it takes to

get there will defiantly be worth it.”

Despite her career after college falling into place smoothly, there has been set backs along the way. “Before I became a fully qualified teacher I was tested for dyslexia. I would often get pulled up on my assignments. Having dyslexic can affect my job role at times but having supportive colleagues is very helpful as I always have their help and support when I need it.”

In spite of her small set back she has always been a hard worker and good at her occupation and wanted to make her family proud of her achievements, so any negative feedback is taken on board and improved. She stresses to others that if you need help go and seek advice from others and even then you may be inspired from what they tell you and the valuable information you can take away from them.

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“Love your job and the day you wake up and don’t change it. Your job is one of the places you spend most of your time and life is too short to spend it not loving what you do.”

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“Playing the organ has been my passion since a young boy, I’m lucky enough to have a career doing something I love. I have no real struggles with coming to work, most days are the same when it comes to playing and teaching, some people would find that perhaps un-

exhilarating but I enjoy what I do.”

Richard began playing the piano at the age of thirteen, knowing he’d always wanted to play the organ he himself converted his piano skills into organ playing skills without any formal lessons. Years later, he is now playing the organ as an occupation and he is what he able to do something he has great passion for as a living which he is very grateful for. Not only does he play at church for the congregation he also plays on evenings for his choir classes he conducts, both children and adults. “I suppose the most inspiring thing for me is when my choir give off their best performance, when they're singing pitch perfect against my organ after a great deal of hard work practicing and they rise up to expectation, that is a great feeling.”

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Originally leaving school and working within the steel industry as Fuel engineering Technician, Kevin’s career soon took a different path than expected as he had the chance to join the family’s printing business as an adolescent. Initially, before working full time his desires were to teach and work in schools with children however it came as a blow when his results at school weren’t desirable as he’d expected. Despite his set back, his negative results weren’t reflected in his work as he used it as a stepping stone and moved on towards other opportunities.

Soon after joining the family business Kevin ended up fully running it himself on a daily basis and soon became owner as he took over from his father. “My father gave me most inspiration especially within my career, as I inherited the business from him he taught me most things I needed and inspired me with wisdom and to do the best job I could.” With

this advice from his father he has now successfully ran the printing business for many years and now seeks customers from all over the region and has been triumphant in developing his printing business with the ever developing technologies of the 21st century.

As the UK’s print industry is one of the most innovative in the world, keeping on top of the latest technological advancements such as the developments within 3D printing, it is becoming more necessary for him to keep his business up to date yet still include the traditional printing ways that have made his business the success it is today. Inspired everyday with pleasing people, interpreting their instructions and producing goods they are pleased with are what makes work exciting and pleasing for Kevin, he concedes “You’ve got to think everyday is a good day, some just come better than others.”

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“Never give up on something you sturggle with especially when it comes to your career - all problems have a solution.”

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When Marco put on his make up and dresses he becomes his alter ego Sheeba Viva, a colourful and vibrant woman with a passion to DJ and dance. “I understand it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, I didn't set out to become a drag queen, I cant imagine my parents imagined me working as a drag queen either but I guess I’ve always been feminine, Ive always dressed how I wanted to and been excited by fashion and make up. I’ve never really cared what other people thought of me. I was originally so excited by drag shows and the excitement I just had to become a part of the drag culture. As I began DJ’ing at a young age, people complimented me and enjoyed what I was doing as well as noticing I become more confident as my alter ego.”

Studying performing arts and music production led Marco into a career path of DJ’ing,

producing, making his own music and also radio broadcast, giving him a sincerely large range of skills at a young age which he then put into use creating his own brand.

Being Sheeba Viva earns Marco a good living, he explains starting off as a drag act can be difficult as the pay can be really bad even sometimes being paid in drinks however with experience and popularity drag acts can earn hundred within working one individual gig. “Its great money wise for me now, but I think whats more important to me is the fact my job is my lifestyle, I’m being paid for something I enjoy doing. I have no desire to attract a certain person, its simply to satisfy myself and if thats what something does for you, why shouldn’t you do it despite the negative opinions and reactions?”

The process of getting into drag can take hours, Marco explained it can take him up to two hours to get ready for his show or DJ set. Spending money on new clothes and make up each week is necessity, as he shared his bold and colourful wardrobe he explained he would never be seen in the same outfit twice and that his wigs must be always styled in a different way to how he previously wore them. “Sometimes people base drag queens around their look, I call it the art of drag, it is like art when I think of how much I spend and the time that goes into making myself Sheeba. I love to perform and DJ in my shows, and although I do love to sing and imitate various artists in front of an audience; no matter how big or small they are, it is the make up and wigs and costumes that give me the confidence to do what I do.”

“I guess its not the normal job you’d be advised into from school or college, but I guess I’m just a representation of someone who has done what they want with their life. I’ve explored different paths

and careers and chosen the one I love doing, the one I enjoy and luckily for me I’m able to make a good wage from it. I’d advise anyone to be creative in life and make sure its full of excitement rather

than sticking to the mundane realities and a boring timetable of a 9-5 office job.”

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The RAF are defending the United Kingdom, the people, they’re a force for good, the responsibilities they have to hold are endless not only to mention their bravery. After leaving college Simon knew in his heart he wanted to join the RAF immediately and has had his career as an officer for 6 years. Initially beginning training at a specialised college he was then led onto a 30 week course designed around leadership and management skills. “Its not only those skills you need require, you need to be fit, healthy and be able to operate efficiently in any condition or environment, the whole course gives you confidence and when you finish the regiment training your pretty much at the peak of your fitness level.”

As Simon states, confidence is always key when working in the RAF. Joining up as a young boy he had little confidence whether he would be what he thought was good enough. Through determination and tests of character throughout his training he found the confidence within himself. “The RAF brought me out of my shell, I didn’t apply for this profession for that reason other than wanting my family to be proud of what I do, but it gave me so much more than that, yes my family are proud, however they do worry when I go to war, but I’ve developed ways to handle this, handle my emotions and be confident that I will be returning home, the RAF teach you to have a positive and confident mindset, always.”

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Successfully reaching his goals of becoming fortunate in what opportunities arose Paddy finished college and unknown to what career path Paddy e desired he was led into the industry of sales. Influenced by his parents starting out at the bottom, his mother working her way to the top level of a company and his father owning his own; he knew he wanted to progress through a business and reach high levels. Excited at the opportunity to earn a worthy salary and work his way up the career ladder, he began work at Audi and primarily earned title of ‘Best Trainee’ within the company

in which he was the youngest out of the competitors and has been a valued employee of the company since. “I repeatedly received negative feedback when starting out, as I was young it was sometimes hard to recieve however I knew people were only trying to help and allow me to improve. My best advice would be to ask people questions if you are unsure on something rather than taking the wrong steps, there will always be someone who can help.”

Luckily despite being in the unknown of what career path he wanted to go into, Paddy has been fortunate that he

has become successful in his industry and additionally he is enthusiastic about selling to customers and communicating with people when at work. “I have been blessed that I have fallen into a great opportunity at a young age, my parents originally told me to stick in and it will have its rewards which I will always value you them for preaching that advice to me. I think like me if your unsure about what career path to choose in your teens; do plenty of research, there are always down sides to all jobs, make sure the pros out way the cons as being happy at work plays a large part in succeeding.”

“Stay loyal too, people who you stick by and put in effort for will be the people who look after you in the long run and help you achieve your goals.”

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Working in the textiles industry requires knowledge of various skills and knowledge both to operate technical equipment and to also teach the subject field itself. With work experience in various fields since finishing her PGCE degree in Design Technology,

Jillian began to make her mark on the textiles industry. Working in several countries around the world, from America to Hong Kong, to Thailand and now working within a secondary school in the North East of England she is able to bring her comprehension and creative ideas

to the young generation. “I think you have to have experience and a solid background on your CV to be able to teach a subject to the best of your ability, luckily I had worked in textile factories, I had been part of the construction line within a product working on sewing machines and had

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eralso worked in e-commerce on advertising and promoting products.”

The subject itself within schools is part of a broad spectrum, no year group are ever doing the same thing, from teaching the younger students about the making process’ and helping them

to construct their own individually designed cushions to teaching the older students about computer aided design and manufacturing and finally creating their own garments using complex techniques and machines, Mrs McConnell has the knowledge to do it all. “Having such flexibility within

my work and being able to work on such diverse projects with different age groups is what makes work exciting for me.”

“I wouldnt change my decision of coming to uni for any other, its

been amazing,”

“People have high expectations of you, its a big jump from college

and A Levels.”

“Your not restricted with creativity at university,

your free to be who you want.”

“Be sure of your career prospects before you

apply and make sure your heart is in that subject.”

“Help is always on hand, you’re never on your own with any work.”

“There are so many opportunities on offer

for everyone to join in.”

“University has gave me the qualifications I needed to become a

teacher”

“Qualifications are so valuable within todays

society making degrees so much more important.”

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As it may not be everybody’s cup of tea going to university, whether its the cost of fees, the student loans, or simply moving out from the mother and

father; there are endless opinions both negative and positive around giving to university and surely its best to hear from those who have experienced?

“Its been the best decision ive made, its taught me to become

independant.”

“Ive learnt the value of money and having my own income so much more being a student.”

“I never thought I could move away from home, it makes you appreciate

your parents.”

“University has allowed me to come out of my shell and helped my

confidence.”

“Everyone is about bringing the best out in you and reaching your

goals.”

“I made friends with both students and

lecturers that I know will be life long friends.”

“I was given several job opportunities after

graduating, it was exciting!”

“You have to think of the career prospects and income in the future and forget about the loans.”

“I’ll admit it is hard being away from your parents and becoming

independant.”

“I’d only advise university if you actually think its worthwile and you have specific career

prospects.”

“Time management is key at uni, juggling a job and work can be stressful

so make sure you can handle it.”

“Don’t put all of your focus on the social side of uni, remember why

you’re there.”

“Its gave me so many opportunities career wise and broadened my knowledge.”

“There are always lecturers and people to help you along the way and push you forward.”

“University helped me develop as a person and achieve my career goals.”

“You have to make the most out of student life, the friends, the night life and the education.”

“I would have never got where I am now in life without my degree.”

“Everybody is different, some people cope well others dont, you have to be able to handle stress.”

“You meet people and develop friendships you never thought you would, I suprised myself.”

vKnowing from a young age she longed for a rewarding career as a veterinary nurse, Jessica was able to make her dreams into reality when she began her degree which then led her into many career opportunities working with animals. Providing expert nursing care for the sick animals and educating owners on the health of their pets are what she finds the most rewarding part of her job “knowing that I’m making a difference and guiding people with the best knowledge about their animals is always rewarding as people appreciate what you do and the advice you give.”

With her honours degree in

veterinary nursing under her belt she was soon offered a job working within a clinical veterinary practice “The change from being a student to working full time was difficult but I guess it makes it a hell of a lot easier if your getting up to do something you love. For me personally, it was a lot of pressure working in a practice straight away but luckily I had had experience through placements and the staff were welcoming, I’d definitely advise others to do work experience to get an idea of what your specific career choice is going to entail.”

As the job can involve long and unsociable hours at work it can seem challenging for

Jessica and her peers and she explains how there are times at work which are emotional especially if an animal cannot be nursed back to health. “Having a good backbone and being strong emotionally would be definitely helpful in this field of work, however it is sometimes just not possible so don’t write it off if you feel you couldn’t deal with certain casualties etc. I think the most important thing to think about is how rewarding my job is, I’m part of a close knit team and we work together well and the rewards of bringing an ill animal back to health is a feeling like no other, its what makes me love my job.” ve

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wThe unknown challenge of what each day will bring and what bride and groom will arrive within his office are what excites Glen about arriving at work each day, that and the endless cups of coffee. Being a wedding planner requires working long hours, how-ever the end rewards are worth the sleepless nights.

Watching cookery programmes as a small child and influenced by his dad who was a sous chef, Glen was originally inspired to become a chef himself and fol-low in his fathers footsteps. However, as he worked his way through his teens within the hospitality industry working behind bars and as a waiter his mindset was changed and his organised and creative side took over as he began his career as a wedding planner. “Working up the career ladder from the age of 16 was hard, I initially received a great deal of criticism but I refused to take it personally and used it constructively which is what you need to do in this industry.”

Glen has organised and planned many weddings and events throughout his career and is proud of his accomplishments he has achieved from starting his company from scratch as an adolescent. With such long days and nights he advised anyone wanting to start a career in wedding planning to make sure they make time for themselves aside of work. “It can be very hectic, sometimes you get sucked up within work and realise when you get home your still at work, your only a phone call away from a customer. Make sure you create a healthy balance for yourself, but despite the long hours it’s the end result, see-ing what you have created all in place and running smoothly that makes everything worth it and what I love about my job.” w

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“Just take time out and ensure you get some ME time. most inspiration of mine has been from fellow colleagues over the years who have advised me

to just ‘enjoy the moment’ as life is far too short.”

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xThroughout her childhood Kelly was completely infatuated with vehicles and stunt driving, when leaving college she decided to apply to university for English but it wasn't until she was accepted she realised she didn’t have the same passion as she did for her cars. Knowing this, she turned down the opportunity and followed her desire to gain a career in the stunt industry. She went on to study vehicle maintenance at college which then led her onto her full time job of working at an a extreme stunt drive experience company and Motorsport Driving. “If you know what you want to do as a career, do it. I realised its no good doing something stereotypical because it may bring in more income or set you up for life if your not going to be happy doing it.”

Now the Company Director of the extreme Stunt Drive company she has appeared in many competitions and commercials most recently appearing on the TV in Canada showing her skills and teaching other people her expertise and knowledge on stunt driving. “To be a good stunt driver, it takes a lot of guts and to handle pressure and to make sure you get your stunts precise, obviously your working with cars, so if anything goes wrong it can cause a lot of damage which can be expensive!”

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Having a passion to work with the younger people in the community, Dominic began working as a Youth Worker in his late twenties. His roles vary greatly on a day to day basis but works with young people face-to-face everyday, supporting individuals, running activities, helping with community projects and working with community groups to bring improvements to the lives of young people. Currently based in a college and youth centre, he brings individuals to the kitchen to work with

them on different activities such as baking and cooking once a week and creates other similar activities to keep them active and educated. “I love working in the kitchen with the younger ones, its something they don't expect to be doing at youth centre and yet their able to learn life long skills and also the art projects I help out at, its really exhilarating to see them being so passionate and creative within their work.”

Dominic does go on to admit there are parts of working as a youth worker which

are difficult, struggling with certain individuals and most of all pursuing sources for funding for the centre and people however his negatives are outwayed from his urge to do good and to build up relationships within his centre. “I do love working with the younger people, its not only work for me but I become a friend. I’m there for people to come to me with their problems, I guess its nice to know they value you your opinion and trust you when its comes to sharing their emotions and problems.”

zThroughout her years at school and college Charlotte knew her heart did not lie within academic studies however that was other than Physical education, her career choices and set up of her own company reflect how not all career paths and business’ have to follow on from qualifications

but from simple will power and determination to create. Part of every sports team throughout her time at school she was always the best player on field, with a passion for fitness and outdoors her career path was easily influenced from her adolescent years. “I knew what I wanted out of life and wanted I

needed to do to achieve it, I knew I needed experience and to pass courses before setting up my own business within fitness so it was a case of getting stuck in.”

Soon enough Charlotte began running her own classes and fitness sessions from the local

gym and became a permanent part of the gym timetable Still trying to acheive as many qualifications as possible within different forms of fitness such as Yoga, Kickboxing, martial arts she began her program of Zumba. Zumba, a dance and aerobic fitness class incorporating

different genres of music hit the UK and has been increasingly popular ever since and the popularity has led to Charlotte now owning her own Zumba and fitness business. After gaining her license to become an instructor and part of the Zumba Academy organization, her freedom to teach

was given. Now teaching over 20 classes per week along with her other other fitness regimes she has not only reached her goals she set herself back in college within the space of four years but started her own fitness company from scratch in which men and women attend her classes week in week out.

“I never thought I could achieve something like this, it goes to show academic studies are just not for some people and that if the passion is there for something else, some other industry or career path then its best to follow it rather than be half hearted with something your not interested in.”

A working life is about creating the balance between determinedly climbing the ladder of the success yet balancing time for loved ones and time you for yourself. It’s about acknowledging your life, your state of mind and how you are feeling. After what feels like a lifetime of constantly wanting to improve, both yourself and the materialistic things you own it’s finally time to sit down and reflect on the goals you have accomplished and appreciate your mind, heart and health.

Be thankful for the support and advice from loved ones, from friends and mentors. Those who have picked you up when you feel like giving up, given you the motivation to carry on working towards your goals and allowing you no excuses when you feel no desire to pick yourself up when hitting those creative blocks.

Reflect on your accomplishments in life and be proud of what you have done and who you have became as a person, reflect on the different lessons life has taught you when you have taken the wrong pathway, be thankful for them for making you the person you are today.

It’s a chance to look at the areas in your life you are neglecting, to spend time making priorities with things and people, to do those things you’ve always wanted to do in life but never had the chance due to commitment of work, explore different opportunities that have now became available.

Retirement is not a case of closing doors on opportunities, its still about having aspirations in life no matter what your age, keeping yourself active, keeping your creative senses flowing and appreciating and using the power you’ve worked all your life for.

It seems we work our entire lives, constantly battling with challenges to climb the ladder of success. But

what is success, other than expensive gifts to yourself?

It is the power of being able to finish your working life, to retire and be happy, to be thankful and feel fulfillment in what you have worked in and been

a part of, what you have overcome in your life and career and to have enjoyed the ride along the way. For some people, counting down the days until retirement

is not on their agenda, some people love their jobs so much they don’t wish to retire, they want to continue

sharing and communicating with others something they have a passion for. We waste away precious

seconds away in offices and buildings away from those we love so at least spend it doing something you love.

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Illustrations by Will Loader

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