Career change daydreams may turn to nightmares

At Bakewell livestock market, Will Gore glimpses a world in which he would have no hope

Cattle market: my family I felt very out of place (Getty)

We all have our paths not taken – some of them more overgrown than others. Back in 2000, as I realised in a post-university fug of reluctance that I needed to get a job, I had little idea what I wanted to do. I had failed the civil service fast stream test. I’d had a meeting with a lady at Sotheby’s, which had put me off the antiques business. And I had vaguely wondered about journalism but didn’t have the skills or experience (or contacts).

I applied for a bunch of junior roles, the common thread being that they didn’t require specific qualifications beyond a second-class degree, were based in London, and sounded like they’d involve a bit of writing. I took the first one that was offered, despite having interviews for two others coming up. I sometimes wonder how things would have turned out if I’d ended up at the Charity Commission or the research company with swanky offices just off Leicester Square. Duller, I suspect.