Do you know anyone who has worked their way up to a really good career in e.g. McDonalds?

[Doubleknow]

Or one of the jobs that people often throw about to insult young people who aren't applying themselves "you'll end up working in a supermarket all your life".

My DC both early 20s, both had a difficult start to adulthood when their Dad suffered a traumatic illness and subsequent death while they were doing GCSEs (DS2) and Alevels (DS1).

Both got decent results but didn't stay in education afterwards.

They both have these kinds of jobs, which they took initially just to have work, but have both progressed to junior manager roles (different employers) and seem to be enjoying it.

I'm wondering what their career paths might look like if they stay there, and what advice I should be giving?

I've offered many times to support them if they want to return to education, but they don't.

Yes. A family member works in retail having started on the shop floor. Is now senior, well paid, successful.

A degree is great for some but not necessary for all. The debt is horrendous. Sounds like your DC are doing really well despite the loss they’ve suffered.

I know someone who started off as a Saturday boy at Tesco and went on to become one of their senior managers. Ditto someone who started working for a large car dealership group. Both male, neither particularly academic, both pretty well off now!

My mum started off as a part-time cashier in £land and ended up as a store manager. She turned down a promotion to area manager because she doesn't like driving.

The cream always rises to the top

A guy I went to uni with worked for McDonalds evenings, weekends and holidays. He worked his way up. He didn’t finish uni because of family circumstances and McDs were brilliant with him.

He’s now quite senior (he’s some sort of area manager dealing with a lot of stores) and earns quite a bit more than any of us that went into education.

Yes, I know someone who managed to persuade a local accountancy company to give the a job with a poor set of A level results ( more than likely due to a difficult home life during Sixth Form). They are now the COO a company that is of part of the top tier of international accounting networks.

Yeah one of my best friends quit uni and pursued her. McDonald’s career - she worked in the drive through for years at her local one

im their hr department now and got lots of qualifications paid for by maccies 🤷‍♀️

Absolutely, I know quite a few people in the bar/restaurant/social industries who have done really well. Great career path while you are still young and don't have so much home responsibilities and when you do you have the experience and career path to move to another side of the industry.

A friend started off working at her local McDonald's. She now works in marketing in their UK corporate HQ. They've been a great employer: supportive, loads of training and welcoming to her desire to progress.

Yes, someone who did a YTS in the 80s with M&S and is now a senior manager at their head office.

My brother left school with just a handful of ‘O’ levels (back in the day😃) He worked his way up in retail to management level. Then he left because it was too stressful! He has had a few other jobs since then, including his own small business. He’s very bright. Just hated school. My eldest son is the same. Went to grammar school and is now at college. But I reckon he’ll find somewhere he feels comfortable and work his way up. Higher education isn’t the best fit for everyone and struggling with academic life is not a failing. We’re all different.

Yes, both in a supermarket and in a hotel chain.

I have a relative who started a weekend job at a retailer as a 16 year old.
Became full time at 17 and did the management training scheme.
He's 25 now and a store manager.
I had a boss who did the management training at McDonald's and then switched to retail and became a store manager.
I could have done a management training scheme myself in retail but I didn't want too (I was offered the chance)
If I did I possibly could have been a manager by the time I was late 20s.
I probably know a few more people but can't think off the top of my head.

My uncle left school with no qualifications and ran away at 16 to work at the fairground. He then started in a department store and worked his way up to Managing Director. Eventually sold a huge, well know store for 52 million. He did work extremely hard and his family life has definitely suffered.He is close to 70 know as still works as a consultant

Someone I used to work with was an auxiliary in a hospital. Worked her way up and is now an area manager in a private healthcare company who deal with mobile MRI and CT scanners

Lidl & Aldi are supposed to have excellent pathways to managerial posts. I know someone who started in Lidl as a teenager & worked her way up to area manager through the companies progression route. Has a great job & lifestyle to boot!
Can absolutely be done.

Well all top Michelin starred chefs started at the bottom as KP/commis chef. And people often mock kitchen work is being badly paid/low skill.

Someone could be flipping burgers but then they open their own restaurant and make it into a chain. That's obviously pretty tough to get to that level though!

My mum's best mate's son was the manager of a supermarket for a while and seemed to actually really enjoy it. He started out just a normal worker when he was about 18. Store manager at about 22.

I know a young man probably about 25 at most who is a manager for a massive branch of McDonalds and he earns about 45k. Started at a different branch, was made manager of that then was promoted and moved to a bigger one. He didn't go in on a graduate management programme or anything. Just started at the bottom.

Not McDonalds, but a friend of mine (we are now 40) started working at Asda when he was in his late teens. He now has a well paid, senior position there, and has had it for quite a few years now. He just worked his way up.

Yes, I worked my up from a call centre role. Went to work in head office and now working for another head office in a similar industry.

I do have a degree but never used it.

My husband started in his early 20s as a sales exec in his field, he has no qualifications and wasn’t academic at school. He’s now the Managing Director

Yup, I had a client who was a McDonald's franchise holder (2 restaurants) who started as a part timer alongside University and worked his way up to managing a branch and from there, he took on one franchise and then after that was successful he opened a second restaurant in the next town. He's now part way down the process of planning etc to open a third restaurant.

one of my parents friends kids started on the shop floor in M&S as a weekend job and is now a regional manager for them. They did go to uni, then came back to work for them full time after while looking for a grad job, and never left.

A family member started out on a beauty counter in a department store. They are now very high up in the brand working at the head office in london.

A friend worked for their parents second hand car dealership. Then Saturdays at estate agents. Then a full time estate agent job. Then branch managee then area manager. Now a director for famous estate agents and he’s only 31