Peoples views on lower paid jobs

[UrbanMan27]

Evening all,

I just wanted to bring up this thread because I have noticed in the last decade or so that people seem to frown upon jobs for example; (Cleaners, Carers, Bus drivers etc) also people without Degrees get frowned upon too. What can't some people accept that a Job is a Job and not having a Degree makes you a failure.

What's your take on this?

I have had some high pay jobs as in six figures and I have been a cleaner, a breakfast chef, unemployed a shop assistant, dog sitter. I cut my cloth accordingly. Currently on a career break aka unemployed thinking what's next. Noone thinks any less of me at least I don't think they do.

I wfh doing telephone market research, working on the phones. It's zero hours and as you'd expect, not highly paid. Plenty of work available for those who are good at it though, and the hours are incredibly flexible. I enjoy it, and tend to work 9-5 Mon to Fri. Finish work at 5, and then get on with what I really love - making art. If I want extra cash, I work an extra hour or two into the evening.

I have no kids, still rent rather than own my own place, don't drive, happy to live frugally and find joy walking in nature, the odd meal out, cooking, reading, the local swim baths, the odd movie at the cinema. The part of the UK where I live is one of the cheapest places to rent.

Life is simple, and care-free for me. Once my shift is done, I do not think about work. I wouldn't want it any other way. I've done jobs that have more responsibility, and I'm just not interested. Being mentally exhausted by 5pm is not for me, the corporate world is hideous (for me), and I want to have the energy to be creative until 1am! The mid 40's is on the horizon, and although my lifestyle isn't what many people would want, especially at this age, I wouldn't want it any other way.

There's many ways to live life, and I made peace with myself a long time ago about choosing a job that gives me very little stress, albeit less money, than a job where I was anxious and too busy to enjoy anything else. Whilst all my friends were busy climbing the career ladders, and I'm happy for them, it's not the path that's a right fit for all of us. This all ties into really loving my freedom and it's the same reason I chose not to have kids.

I don't feel like a failure. I feel happy.

Many 'unskilled' jobs are the hardest graft and lowest paid, it's disgusting! Cleaners, carers, support workers, etc. All knock their pans in physically and take on a huge mental load but are paid peanuts in return for the invaluable services they provide. I personally have huge respect for people who do these jobs.

No-one's value should be linked to their job.

The part of England I'm from I'd say generally these jobs were looked down on and largely done by immigrants or working class women. I feel like the attitude was that these were jobs for others to do but would complain about those that did these jobs.
The part of Scotland I live in I’d say these jobs are valued and appreciated and seen as good, solid jobs and careers. I couldn't do my job as an NHS nurse without HCA's, domestics and porters. Way more local people also do these jobs.
Plenty of people in these roles have degrees, are working towards degrees or have had other careers. There's nothing wrong with doing these jobs for a career, I just hope people who want to do other things don't feel trapped in these jobs.
I was a carer and HCA before nursing and as a student nurse, it is physically and mentally hard graft, physically harder than my nursing role. Hats off to people who do these jobs

Meant to add - I know of many retired nurses and midwives (and retirees of all careers) working in HCA and support worker roles. The NHS and social care getting the benefit of these roles twice.

My late grandma's favourite carer had been a nurse in the Caribbean, moved to the UK and had a family and became a home carer for the elderly. She was lovely and helped me realise I wanted to be a nurse.

There is also a career and opportunities for progression in all these roles (not saying it comes easy)

I’ve worked with carers and a lot of them are just in the job because they’re too thick to be accepted for any other job. Hate to say it, but it’s true. You get the odd one who’s in it for vocational purposes, but if they have a brain they then go into nursing.

Holy shit.

Someone needs to explain structural inequality to you.

But you're probably too thick to understand.

Well that's bollocks 🤣

I can’t think of any job that I respect more than a career.

Imagine being so thick you write bollocks like this on the internet.

@Chilloutsnow What a very odd thing to say. I hope you don't need a carer for you and yours any time soon. I dealt with a number of agency carers for a relative and they varied hugely - one was a retired staff nurse, one an ex mechanic and the other someone who had been a carer all her life. What they all had in common was emotional intelligence, efficiency and huge skills in dealing with their patient, medication etc. And you may have forgotten it was carers during Covid who kept going in to nursing homes without proper PPE, despite being paid a pittance. And you try getting a nursing degree when it now costs a fortune even with bursaries (abolished but now restored at a very much lower level) and no spare hours to earn anything to keep rent going.

I don’t think there are any unskilled jobs. Not if you are doing them well.

I think this has been going on for a long time OP, and if anything has got (ever so slightly) better since Covid.

Well, I have a degree in Archaeology and Ancient History, work in care and live in a council flat, and couldn't give a fuck what other people's view of me is.
People do look down on me, who don't know my background, but that's their problem not mine.

To talk about people like this, you either have anger or insecurity issues.

I did care work for many years, and worked with many very bright people (some of whom chose this work and some of whom had not had the life opportunities to have many alternatives). I also worked with some less bright people. No one that I recall was ‘thick’ - those who were less intellectually sparky still had really good emotional intelligence, often far more than some of those I have worked with with in professional roles in the years since.

I sometimes wonder if people that are happy in lower paid jobs (ie not in poverty) are actually looked down on through jealousy. We're all chasing happiness at the end of the day, and many think success is down to how much you earn. I think I'd be pissed if I was stressed to the eyeballs keeping up with the Jones's, when someone society says I should pity is more successful (on the happiness scale) than me!

those who were less intellectually sparky still had really good emotional intelligence, often far more than some of those I have worked with with in professional roles in the years since

This. You don’t need to have any academic skills to sit calmly with someone who is dying, make them feel at ease and not panicky and to support them at their most vulnerable, with care and compassion. You could get the most brilliant brain surgeon who wouldn’t be up to doing that.

@RuddyLaura @chilloutsnow One of the problems is affording rent or trying to pay a mortgage. Especially if you have children when childcare can wipe out the salary of one of two earners. I know quite a few couples who box and cox with one doing a day job and the other doing a night job (often caring or nursing).

Care assistant here.

I always find it interesting that my job is seen as low, unskilled and we work under some truly awful conditions with very little benefits and low pay, and whilst many people do say "I couldn't do your job etc" there isn't as much support behind us as there is for nurses, especially carers who do not work for the NHS.

And despite this, people trust and rely on us to look after their loved ones at their most vulnerable....

I've been in my role for 10 years, in various care settings. There are many idiots in the role, because it's easy to get in to....but comments like this do not help us to fight our corner for being recognised as an integral, skilled and serious part of health and social care. Most of us ARE skilled professionals. We want training and progression within our role. We don't want to be nurses. We just want recognition for the work we do that allows nurses to do theirs.

Nobody gives a shit about my computer science degree. Like it was a waste of money!

I'm still unemployed applying for 21k jobs.

I genuinely don't think anyone cares!

I have degree and 20 years experience in my field. Bus drivers and cleaners get paid more. Educated and high wage don't always go together. What the degree does is give you more options to do something you love.

I think all jobs are important, and we all have to start somewhere.

However, I also think that we have personal responsibility for our own outcomes, and if we want more money leading to a better lifestyle then we need to work to get that, and we shouldn't expect entry level NMW jobs to be providing a comfortable living for a family.They're the minimum, and a starting position for first jobbers or people entering a new field.

Not everyone wants to climb the career ladder, and that's OK, but there needs to be a recognition that if you choose to stay on the entry level rung, then that's going to impact on your lifestyle, and you can't be expected to be paid the same as someone who has studied, or learnt new skills or put in extra hours to climb up the ladder.

So if the shop assistant chooses to stay a shop assistant rather than grabbing opportunities to go the extra mile and working up to shop supervisor and beyond, or the McDs worker chooses to stay on the bottom rung and not do their "stars" and going on to supervisory roles then they need to recognise that is their choice and that choice will lead to less money. If you want to climb the ladder then you have to put in effort.

There are some careers such as carers, which are underpaid for their importance to society.

But, whatever job you are in there are always opportunities to better yourself, if you are capable and choose to take them .

I don't have issues with any field of work, low paid or high paid (in fact I respect some of the lower paid ones very highly). However, I do take issue with people doing the bare minimum, making no effort to improve their lot, refusing to learn new skills or take on extra responsibilities and then complaining that their salary is low.

I do find it slightly hilarious when someone looking down at a tradesman for having a "poor" job then learns what they earn.

Also find it hilarious when a housewife looks down on someone for a low paid job. You are literally doing the worst paid jobs (cleaning/childcare) but for less than minimum wage...i.e. for free!

I agree. A person in an entry level role usually has so much to give if they have a number of years of experience that new entrants could benefit from, yet they often choose not to move up.

I know someone who has been in an entry level role for 20 years and her experience and knowledge is greater than any exec or head of service but her role means she isn't in the right meetings etc to impart that knowledge and its a real shame.

What a lovely post, @LadyClaude!

In Victorian times, dating from the start of the Industrial Revolution, the working classes were literally looked down on. Due to malnutrition and dreadful healthcare, they were on average 6" shorter than the middle & upper classes.

Moreover, the middle class was shorter than the upper class though it was less obvious. Cleese & the Ronnies had it right.