Fizzbobble:

I keep being told how awful the pay is

It varies. In some colleges it is significantly less, in others it is in the same ball park

Fizzbobble:

and how I will still have to tell the pupils off, and basically, that it isn't as super fun as slogging away in a state secondary.  This cannot be true, right?

Again it varies. I hardly ever get any classroom management issues, but some of my colleagues struggle with it (and some are horse whisperers).

Fizzbobble:

 I want to teach pupils that chose the subject

Again it varies, but this may be possible, most of my students have chosen to take the course, but this is not always true. Even when students choose a course there may have been an element of compulsion.

Fizzbobble:

actually make use of my degrees!

A definite plus for me, (I teach L3 up), but some of my colleagues teach L1/2 school rejects, (and some are happy to do so, others not).

The other plus I would add is smaller classes where you can really get to know every student.

The bad side; the paperwork and admin.

Lastly, I do have to address the title of your post; I'm afraid there are some who work in FE because they couldn't get a job anywhere else.

The biggest differences, in my mind, are:-

- FE is not as regimented as school (no buzzer/bell, no uniforms, no scheduled breaks, first-name terms) for both students AND staff

- The "pound of flesh" factor I find at FE to be a lot less than at school. Of course you will be expected to teach at least once a week in the evenings or offer extra-curricular syllabus-related activities if on a full-time contract but there are no sports days, PE, prizegivings etc to attend.

- Currently students elect to attend College, which results in a huge effect on students' motivation. I have never experienced "behaviour issues". Likewise with all of my colleagues, "firefighting" just doesn't happen here. You are able to delegate some responsibility for learning to your students (as FE is a half-way house between school and Uni/emoloyment), treat your students as young adults and as such the feeling of independence and respect they receive tends to quash any desire to "play up".

- The "type" of students you will be teaching varies wildly with the subjects you teach at college. Some subject areas attract certain kinds of students.

- The atmosphere at a thriving FE college is superior to that of a Secondary School due to the huge variety of qualifications, age of students (adults and teens) and the mix of vocational AND academic studies.

Paperwork and admin is fine. Any public-sector job is the same and shouldn't really have any bearing on your decision. As for the standard of teaching, again, maybe it is this individual college but the standard of teaching is superb as evidenced by our latest OFSTED report (1's across the board) and my own observations.

Just my two cents. I was built for FE!

SKA

 Thanks for your replies.  I guess I just hope that my mentors would wish me luck and not slate my choice...!  It doesn't inspire one with confidence when writing an application form!

 I think that everyone here has fallen on their feet compared to my experiences of FE. I appear to have experience almost completely the opposite.  I haven't had good experiences although that hasn't always been the case.  It really does depend on the college you end up in and doing your homework is vital.

Tend to agree that it is dependent on which college you work at. Most of our students are generally well behaved and you can relate to them on a one to one level. However, there are a lot of students that are there because they have to. Those that prove to be trouble makers are hard to stop due to the money they attract and the colleges reluctance to do anything. Must admit that I do enjoy teaching in a college and the only downside is the paperwork generated and duplicated just for the sake of it. Do your research first and find out what its like before you jump and keep in mind that just because it worked out ok for some it doesn't mean it will do for you.