Need advice on career choice | Hacker News Reader

Need advice on career choice

4 pointsHuzi944 comments

Hello, My Edexcel IGCSE O'level results are out and in 2 weeks I will be starting my A's levels. I passed my IGCSEs scoring: A* - Mathematics A* - Physics A* - ICT A* - Chemistry A* - Accounting A - Economics A - Biology A - Geography C - English

The grading system is A* being the highest grade, followed by A, B, C, D ... I know I did terrible in English but somehow its not my fault because English is not my first language. My school didn't teach my first language. I have interest in computer programming and electronics. But my family and friends say that these interests will not get you a good job. Coming to the question, please can someone guide me on choosing the right career based on my results? And also can "C" in English prevent me from entering Uni? Forgot to mention that I live in an LIC and have no plans going abroad.

If you are interested in computer programming and electronics, than do that. It is a fun field to work in, and you can get very good jobs in IT (for various definitions of good: Interesting, challenging, well paid, several career paths, ...).

Even more important: Don't do anything you do NOT like just because you can get a good job.

Grades are not a factor for me. Maybe you should try internships on different areas and know what you will like in the future. The most important thing is knowing yourself. Do you get bored from doing the same things everyday? Do you want to travel? Do you like using computers? Do you want to have a desk job? Do you want a social job? Just ask these questions to yourself and get to know yourself by trying different areas. That way you can find the most suitable job for you. You can also compare this with having multiple relationships with different kind of people to waiting 20 years and having 1 relationship.

I think that starting the conversation about what to do in your life with marks from school is a huge mistake. What will make you successful and happy is working on something you are passionate about, marks may show aptitude but they don't tell you much more than that. Not to mention your experience in these classes probably far from demonstrate what it is actually like to work in any of these fields. You need you get out there, gain experience, meet people. People can be successful in an field, so Lon as they have the passion to go the distance.

Which country are you in ? - the answer varies hugely from country to country, so it's hard to give good advice without knowing that.

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