What about apprenticeships?

University isn't for everyone, neither is college. That's where apprenticeships can be perfect for you!
An apprenticeship is basically a real job where you still get trained and can earn while you earn. You can even pick up recognised qualifications while you work! They take between 1 and 4 years to complete, and you can find them in all sorts of industries like engineering, finance and retail among others. You even still get holidays! So basically it's a win-win situation. Don't forget than sometimes you can have a guaranteed job at the end of your apprenticeship, which is more security than completing a degree and having nothing! Be sure to check with your employer. If exams and theory based work isn't for you, or university isn't something that interests you, check out websites like this one. Make sure you check out the video at the bottom of this post to see my interview with a current apprentice! 

According to the BBC website, the government invested £1.2 billion pounds into the apprentice programme, and 457,200 people have begun training as an apprentice. This just proves that over the past few years, university is becoming less of a conventional route to take.

Due to the rise in apprenticeship applications, it's more important than ever to ensure that your application is perfect - it's just as important as an application to university. You should sell yourself, and ensure that you make yourself stand out from the crowd. Some companies like being able to train someone up in their company so that the individual gathers all the skills they want you to have. Not all companies do apprenticeships,but not all advertise that they do. There's no harm in emailing various places telling them you are interested in applying for an apprenticeship with them, and if they have any information or advice.

Some people would just prefer to get straight into work after completing school or college, which is great if they know what they need to do to get to where they want to be, and it involves climbing the career ladder at work. However, don't just get a 9-5 job if it's not what you reeeeeeeally want to do! You don't want to be stuck in a cycle of working 5 days a week and getting nowhere.