If you have a good degree from a good university but have NMW, why?

[SisforSoppy]

As per the question. Following on from another thread, but also because I have a relative who got a 1st with distinction from an RG uni who post children chose a NMW job because she said she couldn’t find anything else that fitted with childcare. (Although mostly, I think, because she wanted to be a SAHM, and couldn’t be arsed with the challenges of combining a career with motherhood but needed a little bit of extra money). I was a bit , but it seems there are a lot of people like this, so I’m trying to understand why.

1st from RG uni. Health issues which are mostly manageable but can be debilitating if I over-exert myself. Would be keen on progression but any job would need to be flexible and accommodating. Am also limited by wanting to do “good” for society. It’s not lucrative to be a do-gooder, but at least I haven’t sold my soul to capitalism.

@makelovenotpetrol

What is NWM?

National wage minium

@TakemedowntoPotatoCity

Because good grades aren't enough. You need confidence and an ability to sell yourself, in interviews especially and then you need to be motivated to progress rather than follow along. You can get very good grades without doing much of that. Because with higher salaries come a lot more responsibility, hours, and stress. Because quite frankly I like an easy life And of course because I am a mother so nmw/flexible working inevitably suits me better at the moment.

True especially the motivation part.

@callingon

I have a degree from a top 5 UK University and a Masters: I’m a TA because I like it, I have no work to do after school and I got given a deposit which means I could buy a house and pay my mortgage without having to earn much money. I was a teacher but decided not to continue with that after lockdown 🤷🏻‍♀️ I know Long term I am going to have to earn more but being a TA is genuinely my favourite job (there’s been a few) so it’s a shame really.

I think a lot more people would do this in your shoes. After all people in higher paid jobs usually will have a big mortgage anyway. So if you don't need the money for a house. I would do the same too.

I have a good degree and a masters. I earn just above NMW in an education setting.

My mental health isn’t robust enough to handle a career job with stresses and strains. The job I do was created for me, is paid for with various bits of budget and I absolutely adore my job.

I’m fortunate that my DH is a good earner and I am in a position where I have been able to choose this.

I was on min wage or just above for years because I was (am) absolutely dire at interviews and decided to stop going in for what felt like regular ritual humiliation. Fluked one a few years ago amd now have a reasonably paid but horribly boring job I'm likely to be stuck with for the next few years as it is flexible now I've got kids and I come out with a reasonable amount of money despite reducing my hours. Once the kids are a bit older I suppose I'll have to have a think about what I actually want to do and no doubt fall at the final hurdle once I get into the interview room and find myself shaking and literally unable to speak! Have tried absolutely everything and have no anxiety or confidence issues in any other circumstances. It's weird and frustrating and I have no idea why. It's a miracle I'm employed tbh. Masters from a RG uni. I'm pretty practical too and have been quite good at most of the jobs I've ever managed to get but the interview thing has really fucked me. Particularly with internal progression.

I agree that a lot of it is about selling yourself

A lot of degrees don't lead directly to a career, for example History at Durham or Geography at York. Plus as has been said, there's other ways to value work than how many pounds and pence you earn by the hour. The feeling of making a difference and work-life balance to name a few. Many of us would rather work part time in a community based role helping others and have time for our own families, than slave away in London in finance or similar in an ultimately unsatisfying job which has no tangible benefit to anyone.

@icelolly12

A lot of degrees don't lead directly to a career, for example History at Durham or Geography at York. Plus as has been said, there's other ways to value work than how many pounds and pence you earn by the hour. The feeling of making a difference and work-life balance to name a few. Many of us would rather work part time in a community based role helping others and have time for our own families, than slave away in London in finance or similar in an ultimately unsatisfying job which has no tangible benefit to anyone.

There’s a middle ground between ‘slaving away in finance’ and earning NMW. Furthermore NMW is based on hours so if you work part-time but don’t earn NMW per hour it’s disingenuous.

There are ‘low paid’ jobs - compared to what one could have earned, and then there are NMW jobs that anyone can get. The former is probably isn’t what the OP is talking about

Autism, undiagnosed until I was 36.

Just about manage to hold down a NMW job...Just barely.

What sacrifices have you made to get where you are OP?

No marriages aren’t “full proof” but they are also supposed to be a partnership.

As part of my marriage I ended up moving house a lot as my XH moved jobs. He also worked shifts so was working most weekends and many evenings. As such the main care of our 3 DCs fell to me and I was never able to utilise my (admittedly pretty useless) arts degree.

And then when he moved too far away for us to follow I was left a single mum and realised I did just fine on my own. So now with majority care of 3 DCs and an ex who could offer one night of childcare per week, but on a different day each week, and only if I collected the DC from school and then he brought them back before school the next morning, full time hours have been hard to come by.

I’ve managed to scrape a living, probably not even NMW for 10 years, relying on tax credits and maintenance payments to top up my meagre earnings, due to having a debilitating chronic illness and no real world work experience I’m not really in demand as even a basic level employee, let alone a high earning one.

Now that my children are all grown up and it’s my time to shine, fucking menopause has reared its ugly head - complete with turkey neck - and my shit memory is fading even faster than ever. I’ve just started some casual work in a local workshop where I basically mix ingredients. 2 months on and I still can’t remember the amounts off by heart and have to keep asking. Really need to write it down but I know I’ll lose wherever I put it! So yeah. Why am I not CEO of a big business?! Hmm well… where to start

First from a Russell Group university. Post graduate diploma in law and a training contract with a major international law firm. I hated it, left after qualifying to work in a shop, had kids and went back to retail when they were older. There weren't really a lot of other job options at that point that would fit in around family life, and I really like my job, am very good at it, and much prefer my colleagues and lifestyle in the job I have. I also have mental health problems and suspect I have ADHD although have never been diagnosed, and found corporate life soul left me with no capacity to do anything with the rest of my life, and put a huge strain on me and my loved ones. Would I like more money? Yes. Do I regret leaving my career? Definitely not.

I really dislike the assumption that good degree = good job.

I've got a first from a top university, because I'm intelligent and in my family, that's just what you do. You get top grades in school, go to university and do well. But after that, the script ends abruptly

So after I graduated, I had no clue what I was meant to do next. I didn't know what I wanted to do, what I could do or even how I could find out. If that sounds a bit pathetic and helpless, well, yes - and I spent a long time interrogating myself about that and why I was such a failure. I've always been amazed at people who know how to navigate this stuff.

I used to wish, sometimes, there was some sort of Soviet-style job allocation scheme, where you'd take a test and be told to show up at X location at X time for work.

Add to that a weird, awkward personality (often, people say that before they got to know me, they found me aloof or standoffish - I'm not, at all), and difficulty with eye contact and conversation, and you get someone who isn't going to blaze a trail up the career ladder.

So because I needed to eat and didn't want to go home to my parents, I took jobs in cafes and shops. I didn't mind it - I liked that the tasks were clear and the work was physical and busy. I made friends and lived in shared houses and was happy enough. My best job was a glorious year abroad working in a factory. I really liked that.

Anyway, after a few years, I met DH and quickly got pregnant, and that was the perfect excuse to put the whole career (lack of) on the backburner and be doing something really worthwhile. SAHM to 2 kids took care of 10 years. After that, it was back to waitressing, until I lucked into my current job, which I LOVE. It's WFH, so no office politics to deal with, and while the pay isn't massive, it's more than enough for me. And I only got it because I wrote an excellent, persuasive cover letter and they didn't make me do an interview, for some reason.

TLDR - brains aren't everything. Even brains and a great work ethic aren't everything. I'd be good at plenty of jobs, but I probably wouldn't be able to get them because of how I come across. Sad but true. The greatest advantage is the ability to engage with people easily.

@Ginger1982

What sacrifices have you made to get where you are OP?

OPS thread is following another thread but the opposite (I read it myself). I think it's interesting. I don't know why your having a dig.

@Insertdeadcatsnamehere

I was on min wage or just above for years because I was (am) absolutely dire at interviews and decided to stop going in for what felt like regular ritual humiliation. Fluked one a few years ago amd now have a reasonably paid but horribly boring job I'm likely to be stuck with for the next few years as it is flexible now I've got kids and I come out with a reasonable amount of money despite reducing my hours. Once the kids are a bit older I suppose I'll have to have a think about what I actually want to do and no doubt fall at the final hurdle once I get into the interview room and find myself shaking and literally unable to speak! Have tried absolutely everything and have no anxiety or confidence issues in any other circumstances. It's weird and frustrating and I have no idea why. It's a miracle I'm employed tbh. Masters from a RG uni. I'm pretty practical too and have been quite good at most of the jobs I've ever managed to get but the interview thing has really fucked me. Particularly with internal progression.

Have you tried a therapist? You sound like your doing fab!

@BunNcheese the OP said in one of her posts that she has made many sacrifices to get where she is. I'm just interested in what those sacrifices are given she's been so quick to judge her relative.

@Fadingout

I have two children with autism. They can’t access childcare because there isn’t any and when younger were in and out of school.

This. I'm in this boat too.

I really dislike the assumption that good degree = good job.

I think I can answer this one. Because if you have not been around an educational background and you don't have that opportunity which seems its like a golden ticket... I guess when your on the other side it seems like you must be mad to throw it away!

There no guarantees but you have to be in it to win it though.

Of course when people explain their situations you can easily see that things just don't go to plan sometimes.

I didnt have a clue how to get into my field once I left university. I know now, having had some life experience but I am not sure anywher would want someone who graduated in 2008. I am not on NMW but a lot less than I am supposedly 'worth'.

Having a good degree and having marketable skills are two very different things.

I have an BSC & MA in a professional subject and worked in the field.

I consider it a privilege to be able to work a part time NMW job. Most people cant afford too.

And besides - whats the point of working if its not for money? Well its for the vocation, which is itself something of importance. You dont have to have a high paying career for the sake of a high paying career if you would rather spend your days doing something else and can afford not to.

I’m not on NMW but earn just a little more. I have a first from the topmost university in the country for my subject. I’m in my 50s but have had one job all my life. It’s the only job I ever applied for and got. When I was younger, I did apply for other jobs but I was never offered them. I found the whole thing very stressful. I find life in general very stressful and difficult.

I’ve had a NMW job since my second DC instead of returning to my profession. It meant I didn’t need childcare because it’s nights/weekends. I earned enough to justify sending them to nursery two days a week which meant I got some alone time in the week. It’s still in a related area to my degree so I don’t feel it’s completely wasted experience and I’ll most likely look to go back to a career type position when my eldest DC is at school. I feel really lucky I’ve found a job like this that gives me such a good work life balance so it felt worth taking the financial cut.

My dad thinks similarly of me.

However like a pp I thought uni was the destination and then Id have all these opportunities 🤣. You work hard, achieve well and then....

Oxbridge degree, crashed and burned after teachjng a while. Read any ex-teacher thread to find out all the jobs suggested to ex teachers - TA etc nmw or less due to holidays.

I have some work but have also been applying for not brilliantly paid jobs. I am middle aged and genuinely don't know how to get a good job - I think it is incredibly difficult sometimes, especially after having kids. And yet those already established like to blame those of us in this position as if we are somehow lazy 😔

I have huge anxiety issues now and feel a huge failure. And also have wondered if Imon the spectrum.