Would you work dead end low paid jobs all your life?

[SouthMan28]

Would you do this in life?

Or do you think it's something people who are stupid do?

This is a very sensible post. So many people forget that the minute they retire or leave, they are immediately replaced and they are soon forgotten.

Best comment.

You are very lucky. Happy in your job with or without increased monetary reward and incentive and content with your lifestyle. This is the dream.

First reply nailed it.

Doesn't matter if you're king of the universe; when you retire or die, someone will replace you, and the world will carry on.

"There is a ‘scale’ for DEJs then? "

That's not what I meant, but I think you know that.

This is it! At my highest career progression, when I was striving to "do better" I got a £6K pay rise to a better job, an upwards move, and was very proud of myself, but the job itself made me utterly miserable.

I'm not stupid, I'm educated, and smart, but the pressure and the responsibility got to me simply because I did not enjoy them. I could not switch off when I came home, I would be planning in my head and even in my dreams.

I was also studying for my post-grad qualification for a really high level profession and I was doing well too. But I realised I actually would hate that life. I would hate the constant pressure and the encroachment on my personal life, so I quit the job and the degree.

I moved back up North and went to an employment agency and they would say 'you are qualified for this job' at a good salary that where I moved to would mean my living standard would have been brilliant and I could have gone up and up.

But I didn't want that. I actually ended up rewriting my CV to downplay my experience and get a really menial role, which I did :D And you know what, I absolutely loved that job. I was on 10K/annum less but was able to do overtime and make it up to only about 5K/annum less as the overtime was paid better and I had no kids so was fine to just keep working as I actually liked being at work!

From then I decided never ever to reach for high career progression again, it just wasn't worth it.

It really isn't about money. Someone can be earning 11K a year but be very happy, leave their work at work, enjoy going there, feel totally confident in what they do (a huge factor in happiness) and have time and mental effort left over for their family and are always present for them.

Then you can have someone on 150K a year but they take their work home, think about work at home, are stressed and irritable and sacrifice time with their children, even if their children have all they want, they will still feel bad for not "being there"

And that's really the crux of it; it's not about the money, it's about what you have to do. If you don't like what you're doing for ONE THIRD of your life, then your life is the dead end, forget about the job.

I did loads of retail jobs in the past, which most people would consider dead end. Everyone I worked with was educated to degree level and couldn’t get a better job.

So if it's a job where there is the opportunity for progression, but the person never takes that opportunity and never progresses - is that a DEJ, or not?

Only if I had no choice or options. But even then I would work hard to get a better job.

A job with no progression... You mean like a CEO? Surely most jobs have progression if you want it.

DH and I both have ' dead end jobs'. Neither of us did great in school, we're not career driven, and the jobs we have are flexible enough to work around our kids and pay enough to live.

@AclowncalledAlice

"I could have a "better" job, but it would probably lead to longer hours and more stress so what's the point? Happiness and a good work/life balance is enough for me. "

What an assumption. Why would a better job necessarily lead to more hours and more stress. A better job could be more money, no longer hours, no stress.

I am ok paid, adore my job, no long hours, no stress. If you read MN threads for long enough you see lots of people who are similar.

My DM works a NMW job but she doesn't have to work due to her husbands income, she does it to fill her days and really enjoys the job, loves her colleagues and has no stress.

Me on the other hand work a ridiculous number of hours a week in a highly regulated job (pays well but I have to travel a lot and have a 5 year old). I'd be lying if I said I haven't fantasised about fucking my job off and collecting trollies at Sainsburys instead. The highlight of a stressful day being an uncollected trolley left in the parent and child parking. Sounds bliss!

Not stupid at all, some people don't particularly want a big career, we only live once and if a job makes a person happy then stuff what anyone else thinks. Only here once, may as well do something you love!

I mean I work for the nhs and lots of staff are very badly paid for what they actually do and the expectations of them but there are lots of senior managers on of money it's a real contrast

I get a lot of personal and intellectual satisfaction from my self employed career. But I could work a menial job. I did data entry as a student at times. But for me it would need to be because I had somewhere else to direct my energy - caring responsibilities or a non-work passion like art or sport. I’d need to get satisfaction somewhere in my life.

How bloody rude and ignorant!
People work all sorts of jobs, for all kinds of reasons.

I'm a qualified secondary school teacher and work as a TA, thus taking a 20K paycut. Largely I enjoy my job, I have no additional stress or responsibilities, but do go over and beyond my pay grade ( my choice).

I do not consider myself stupid.

What do YOU do OP??

It is not stupid to do a dead end job, and neither are the people who only ever work in them.
I think it is an intelligent decision to work where you are happy and what can afford the lifestyle you are happy in.

I was doing my dead end job, and heard a lady tell her child that they had to work hard at school or they would end up like me.

"A quick search would tell you the OP has a learning disability plus depression and anxiety."

Maybe op has been on the receiving end of a shitty comment and is wondering if it's true?

This 🙌 I really hate managing people too. I've been nice manager then people take advantage. I've been strict manager too it all sucks and is far too stressful. I just like working by myself.