The majority of kids don’t think too much about whether they need a driving licence. As they head off to university or prepare to start looking for gainful employment, most young adults are more interested in the thought of earning decent money or building a glittering career doing something they feel passionate about; or in the case of university students, enjoying a hectic social life.
Lots of kids have passed their driving test by the time they start work, but for those who haven’t bothered taking a free driving theory test and then going in for the practical examination, it can come as a bit of a shock to discover that actually, not having a driving licence can seriously damage their career prospects.
Driving to Work Placements
If you embark on training course designed to lead you gently into your chosen career, it is highly likely you will have to undertake work placements as part of the process since classroom learning will only take you so far. Depending on where your work placement is, you could have a problem getting there if you don’t drive.
Ask any employer whether they think a driving licence is essential and they will undoubtedly say yes. Not all job vacancies specify that applicants need a driving licence, but some do, and if it comes down to a choice between you and an identical applicant with similar experience and skills, the fact they have a driving licence and you don’t will give them a competitive edge, which means it could cost you the job of your dreams.
What’s Your Dream Job?
Some jobs cannot be done if you can’t drive. For example, if you fancy being a paramedic or police officer, you wouldn’t get very far in the application process if it came out that you didn’t know how to drive and had not passed your test.
The same thing would happen if you wanted to work in sales. All sales representatives are expected to visit clients out in the field and the job usually includes access to a company car. The world of sales is a hugely competitive working environment, so sales people try and fit in as many sales appointments as possible into their working day. Using public transport to travel between appointments would be impossible, especially if you were covering a large geographical area. It simply wouldn’t work.
In the Boardroom
Do you have visions of being the next Alan Sugar? Entrepreneurs need to put in a lot of legwork if they want to secure funding and get their ideas off the ground. To start with you might be working from your bedroom, but eventually you will have to get out there to meet financiers and clients. Without a car to get you to appointments on time, it could be tricky.
Being able to drive is not essential, but it will probably hold you back in your career if you don’t have a driving licence. So set some money aside and book lessons once you are old enough to get your provisional driving licence.
