Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say that ‘hard work’ alone will never make you rich?

130 replies

ThisWaryOtter · 17/02/2025 20:46

If hard work was all it took, wouldn’t every low-paid worker be wealthy? Isn’t success more about luck, connections, and privilege?

OP posts:
parietal · 17/02/2025 20:54

Luck plus hard work.

Luck includes being born to the right parents and not having a disability and having the right connections etc.

wherearemypastnames · 17/02/2025 20:53

Hard work especially at school

Luck having a useful set of skills that you enjoy building upon

Lots of luck in getting your first job that has advancement opportunities, where you get on well with others

Opportunities- knowing what they are, being able to access them ( you can't do an unpaid internship in London with no family to support you )

Nerve and expectation and low ties to others - to have the self confidence to apply for bigger and better jobs , to move around the country

So a lot more than hard work

LivLuna · 17/02/2025 20:52

I think making good decisions has a large part to play.

LaPalmaLlama · 17/02/2025 20:48

And educational outcomes. In the current economy that’s a major factor. I think connections are massively overplayed tbh. People talk about “the old school tie” but unless you’re talking about tiny boutique firms, the majority of big payers recruit on a very objective basis.

nahthatsnotforme · 17/02/2025 20:47

It's not that simple.

Working hard at your education helps lead to better paid jobs.

Working hard on your feet as a waitress isn't.