Careers advice aka fortune telling?!

[ToadMum]

Text from DD (year 9, in the process of deciding on options for GCSE):

'Careers test says I could be a Merchant Navy Engineering Officer'.

Followed a minute later by 'Or a Paleontologist'.

Am now all agog to know a) what was this test and b) what subject choice and other information she 'fed' it...

[Guest55]

Do ask what the test was - some are very simplistic.

You also need to not answer the questions with too many 'don't mind' responses or the final list is very wishy-washy.

[KB]

In another life used to run these things and bet the school version is pretty simplistic. Students sometimes got very odd outputs
Guessing this has come from scientific, problem solving, dislike of routine & of working in office environment, interest in travel......
Maybe its not such a bad one if it throws up ideas that fit but might not otherwise be on her radar?
Might help you if she can also get the print out of how she answered the questions. Can be a good start for discussions but also to see if a particular answer she didn't pay much attention to has skewed her results.
Apart from a small minority can't believe year 9s come to any conclusions from this but some might broaden their horizons

[scary mum]

DD (when in year 9) was told that it cold not come up with any suitable careers for her. This has actually affected her mindset & she still struggles to think of what she might like to do. DS1 was given a range from rocket scientist to pharmacist via doctor. In other words, he likes the sciences.

[Minesatea]

I remember doing one of those at secondary school. The computer print out told me I should become an electrician. I probably would have earnt more if I had taken its advice instead of working for the NHS!

[KB]

Gosh, you had computers when you were at school. Now I feel even older

Scary mum - really poor that member of staff didn't follow up on this to find how answering of questions had blocked all results.

[Tinkers]

I did one at school, it went like this
Chemical engineer
Industrial chemist
Mechanical engineer
Biochemical engineer
Electrical engineer
Brewing technologist
Electronics engineer
Nuclear engineer
Etc etc ending with
Aeronautical engineer

I 'think' there was a certain underlying theme there, but couldn't make out what it was

[Warks mum]

Mine suggested I should become a meterologist. I didn't, but a friend at college went on to work for the Met Office!

[doodles]

Don't worry KB I remember the schools first computer arriving, it was in the office, and I was in the sixth firm by then. In fact I typed my end of uni thesis on a golf ball typewriter

Anyway, back on topic, my DS in year 11 has been doing this in PHSE and it keeps coming up with policeman! Seems to ignore the fact he's as blind as a bat and its not even certain that he'll be able to drive Are the putting bobbies back on bikes these days??

[Sally-Anne]

This is a good website for careers advice http://www.fasttomato.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is run by Morrisby, who charge rather a lot for their career profiling services to schools, but this little offshoot is a mere £9.50 for 5 years.