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Original poster

Big dilemma for DD - what would you do?

686 replies

Blackenedsoul · 21/04/2021 20:49

DD has accepted an offer for her Uni of choice to study Media in September. She’s been looking forward to going, had planned to live at home and travel the 20 minutes in every day.

She had a part time job for a few months in a local office attached to a very small but very busy manufacturing company. She’s very well thought of and works in the office on a Saturday, doing admin, answering enquiries, emails, booking appointments etc.

Today they’ve offered her a full time, permanent post in the office and have offered to start training her up in the use of their accounts systems etc, give her more responsibility. The salary is 18k to start rising to around a max of 25k once fully trained.

This has come as a bolt from the blue, DD really enjoys the job and thinks she’d be happy doing it full time but at the same time was also happy to go off and have the Uni experience, make new friends and study and have fun.

She’s aware that lots of students leave Uni and end up falling into admin roles vey much like this and is now wondering whether bothering with Uni is worth it.

We’ve told her the decision is entirely hers but she’s really finding it hard to decide.

So, the great of mumsnet - what would you do?

OP posts:
lemonsyellow · 22/04/2021 19:54

Defer.

University experience is about so much more than study! She will meet new people and be exposed to so many new things. It's a chance for self development like no other. Please don't let her miss that.

She won’t meet new people or be exposed to new things. There’s little self-development going on. I’ve got a student child. University “life” awful and expensive. Even the libraries are shut. Defer at the very least. Do not go this year under any circumstances. Your DD has nothing to lose by deferring.

morwenna2 · 22/04/2021 19:55

Another one here for Uni, Uni, Uni! Your daughter has accepted the offer & has been looking forward to going. She is only 18 once. If she defers for a year she may never get there & then as quite a few have said may end up regretting it. There are lots of admin jobs out there she could apply for if she wants to when she graduates. She has the basic experience now. However I can’t help wondering if she is in this quandary because she feels she ought to take the job?
Perhaps she needs reassurance that as she was so looking forward to uni, that really is the place she should be heading towards now.

Purpl · 22/04/2021 19:55

Def the job. She has no plans no real idea. She might hate the course. Only 2 out of 8 got a job at all after graduating in the last cohort of my dd mates. Covid has had a bad effect but the previous year lots ended up working in retail on minimum wage. At least try the job fir a year.
See if she can build up the company social media site etc ? Make the job her own. A year there will be enough to maybe decide she wants to go in different direction amd needs a different degree.
All that debt ? Be really sure she wants to go this year

viques · 22/04/2021 20:00

Can she not change her degree to one which might be more useful in the job market? Then there would be a reason for going off for the “university experience” . Otherwise, take the job offer dear. Get ahead of the pack.

Nearly47 · 22/04/2021 20:01

Take the job . Defer the uni for a year and then study part time. Having work experience is really valuable and teaches so many skills that will help with her studies too. But dont let her give up on the degree. It will increase her earning potential. 25 K is a starting salary for a graduate with no experience

Calmdown14 · 22/04/2021 20:02

In my experience, students who have worked first often do better. They get used to the discipline and knuckle down.
Given that she was unsure what she wanted to do, it gives her time to work out what she does and doesn't like in the world of employment.
Sadly media is little about the writing any more. Newspapers operate on skeleton staff and all resources are going digital. That salary is significantly more than a journalist earns for quite a number of years.
University life is unlikely to be great this year so waiting makes sense. She'll still get in next year and likely with much more focus

lemonsyellow · 22/04/2021 20:06

25 K is a starting salary for a graduate with no experience

I work for a global media organisation and graduate starters earn quite a lot less than that.

Sis4Stan · 22/04/2021 20:07

A degree in what and for what? That’s the point I am making, you need to be focused, even when choosing a degree subject - having a degree really doesn’t mean much now in the real world, unless it is really applied to the industry/business they are going in to or they want to teach, for example. What I’m saying is there really is little point doing something which is over subscribed and ‘easy’ just for the student experience and the debt. You can have a different experience being a young working woman which may not be the same as a student but equally as enjoyable and valid and probably more financially secure moving on.

CormoranStrike · 22/04/2021 20:07

Job, with a deferral.

Littlepaws18 · 22/04/2021 20:08

25k isn't a great salary to end on, but media isn't a great course to go to uni to do. Job market too narrow and competitive afterwards.

If it was my daughter I would be encouraging her to go to uni, but to do a different course entirely.

MzHz · 22/04/2021 20:09

My sis went to uni ft in her 20s

It was the absolute making of her!

Planningobjection · 22/04/2021 20:11

I’d be encouraging her to try and do a different degree that will be more likely to lead to a job and also to move away to uni to gain independence and experience uni life.

Dozer · 22/04/2021 20:13

Media is a poor degree choice IMO. Would accept the job, earn cash, she can move out/study anytime.

supermodel · 22/04/2021 20:13

Defer uni place for a year and see how the job works out.

MrsKoala · 22/04/2021 20:14

25 K is a starting salary for a graduate with no experience

Not in my experience I’ve placed grad on a starting salary of £13k in London and my last job, after 20 years of admin experience (with a degree) was 24k. Totally depends on the industry.

Harls1969 · 22/04/2021 20:15

Unless she was going to uni to study medicine or to be a teacher or another career where a degree is a must, I'd say take the job. No student debt, plus she'll be earning whilst getting qualifications. My son is extremely bright, got great GCSEs. Went straight into an apprenticeship where his qualifications are paid for plus he's earning, getting valuable work and life experience. Graduates aren't guaranteed jobs

YogaLite · 22/04/2021 20:23

Can she negotiate with the company to study something more relevant (and more transferable), eg financial qualification if she is mathematically minded. Companies often pay for courses and give some time off for exams and revision.

Floweree · 22/04/2021 20:25

25 K is a starting salary for a graduate with no experience

Hahaha good one.

miliie55 · 22/04/2021 20:25

Oh it's a hard one. That salary is decent for her age going Up to £25K. I would probably advise her to speak to them again and see if they are willing to pay for a qualification for her. Open university or night school, day release. If they were then it's a no brainer.

I started out in an office junior type role when I left school at 16. I'm now a chartered accountant. I ended up gaining a hit of experience working in accounts and then an employer let me go day release to uni. When I moved employers I had to go to night school, that was tough! This allowed me to get a degree though and then I went on to do my professional exams. No debt and was able to buy a brand new car at 19, got a mortgage at 22.

marktayloruk · 22/04/2021 20:26

Take the.job!

BananaHammock23 · 22/04/2021 20:26

I'd strongly encourage uni. If not, defer for a year and take the job, but I feel she'll miss out on a lot of fun and friendship!

Also sad to see all the media bashing here. I have a media degree from a top university and I work in the media industry (in advertising) and I'm earning 5x that £25k salary at 30. Assuming all those bashing media degrees don't watch TV or films, read magazines, listen to the radio etc etc. It's narrow-minded to think these jobs are done by unskilled, uneducated people.

viques · 22/04/2021 20:27

@viques

Can she not change her degree to one which might be more useful in the job market? Then there would be a reason for going off for the “university experience” . Otherwise, take the job offer dear. Get ahead of the pack.
And to be honest, even when universities were offering students great social experiences, living at home and taking the bus in is “university experience” lite.
Bul21ia · 22/04/2021 20:30

My first thought was your DD should go to Uni as she could surely go back to the admin job if she decided to drop out of Uni for any reason.

But in this economy going to Uni with no job goal/field complicated things massively OP.

Nearly47 · 22/04/2021 20:32

I suppose I was thinking of my sector Engineering where 25 K is a common starting salary . Agree media isn't great

IsThisJustLife · 22/04/2021 20:37

I'd take the job for a year for the experience and the money – and save as much cash as possible – but with the absolute definite intention of going off (ideally away) to university after a year.

Media studies isn't an essential first degree for working in the media – you can do it after an arts or science degree – but doing a PG Dip afterwards is very helpful. If she doesn't want to work in media it can have the kind of reputation you're seeing here. Though as many have said, plenty of good media jobs are held by people with a media studies degree.

If she does the job Saturdays now and she's there for a year, she might get a holiday job out of it and maybe somewhere she can fill in short term when she's looking for a job afterwards (thereby saving her from settling for something she doesn't really want then).

Student loans, btw, are 9% of your salary for 30 years or until it's paid off - and only payable in the years in which you pass the earnings threshold. The Martin Lewis video on it is very good.

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