A young Masterton man has some sage advice for his fellow demographic – don't dive into tertiary education unless you are absolutely sure of it.

With University Entrance in the bag and a leaning towards a career in architecture Corbin Davidson was pretty sure what lay ahead once he left school.

That was until he landed a part-time job at a Masterton bakery.

Walt Dickson Corbin Davidson, 22, put university on hold to work in a bakery. Now he owns the business.

Now four years on, he owns the business.

The 22 year old employs 12 staff, a number of whom are twice his age.

A diligent student at Wairarapa College Davidson saw out his Year-13 in 2011 with the intention of going to university, as were the bulk of his mates.

But all that changed when he took a part-time job at Village Bakery & Café in Kuripuni, Masterton.

Initially he worked just Sundays and then when the school year wound up took on more shifts and decided to put his study on hold.

"I really enjoyed the work, you are busy on your feet so there is a bit of pressure," Davidson says.

Not immune to hard work he soon made an impression on his bosses who rewarded him with the position of manager of Waipies, a new distribution arm of the bakery. The following year he was appointed overall manager. When he was offered the opportunity to buy the business earlier this year he jumped at that chance.

"I had always wanted to buy a business and do it at a young age before I had other commitments."

Through "careful living" Davidson had managed to save enough money to put down a substantial amount as a deposit.

"It's a lot of money to sink into something, it was either this or a house."

Davidson says staff have been very supportive and being their boss is a responsibility he does not take lightly.

As for his mates who are now coming out of university Davidson says they are a "little bit shocked" at his business success.

His advice to school leavers unsure of a career path is to not rush into going to university.

"You might end up with a big debt for something that you probably don't want to do anyway. I feel you should at least work a year and see what that is like before you commit to something."