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.

I know someone who started in McDonald’s age 16 as a pt job and now is a regional manager

Yes. Lots of people in retail and hospitality started on the shop floor

work hard, take opportunities even if you have to put yourself out and tell people you want to get on. They are still genuine meritocraties IME.

I know someone that dropped out of sixth form to work in a shop and is now a regional manager.

My DH started working at the Argos HQ print room when he was late teens. He’s now head of his (print related) department in a huge international IT company. I’ve got a degree but am paid far less than he is!

Yes, I dated a man who started on the factory floor of a major major International Company work his way up to be a senior manager and then a senior manager internationally.

Stuart Machin and the late Lesley Strathie are good examples - both have Wiki pages.

They’re obviously extreme examples but I know people who are managers earning decent money having left school at 16 or 18. The call centre in my workplace is overseen by a woman who started there at 18 and now - aged about 40 - has responsibility for around 750 people. The projects guy who’s responsible for the AI rollout and testing in my department also started on the ‘phones about ten years ago.

I know two people who have been managers at Costa, absolutely shit job and the pay for the hours is dreadful.
That's not a criticism of them, but of Costa.

The CEO of kurtgeiger began his career in retail on the Debenhams shop floor, and has been at the helm of the footwear and accessories retailer for over 20 years, sending it on a stratospheric growth trajectory.

Friend went to work at a local large hotel chain after A levels instead of Uni. Worked their way up from front desk receptionist via various roles to travelling worldwide overseeing new hotels being opened. Still with the same hotel brand 30 years later

Not quite the same thing, but someone I know started as an apprentice mechanic at 16. Fast forward a couple of decades and he's now head of training at international level for a major vehicle manufacturer.

It sounds like your DC are doing great and likely have scope for many more promotions in years to come - they're only in their early 20s and have experience in their field so are likely to be ahead of their peers with degrees who don't have several years of work experience at different levels.

Unless you're in a career that needs a degree eg STEM, it's often not a disadvantage to not have one. They can cite their experience and skills when they want to go for higher paying roles.

yes, someone I know started in McDs about 25 years ago, he never did well at school but was a hard worker. Not sure quite what is job is now but he's really senior in the hospitality industry - drives a very nice company car, had a job for while that took in out all over the world for a week here and there, lovely big house and life for his young family. He was always a people person and as I say, has an excellent work ethic - education wasn't for him but I'd bet money on him being a brilliant manager and leader.

A store manager of a big supermarket can earn £90k basic salary

Yes, I think management jobs in small retail and hospitality branches can be rubbish, but there must be good jobs in Costa somewhere. Someone is running the show.

I know someone who graduated with a Third in 2012 and is now an MD at an investment bank.

Hard graft is hard graft, and is still rewarded in some industries.

(He did have to lie about his degree classification in his first graduate job though.)

Yes I know of a couple of people who started off as waiters/cooks in restaurants but worked their way up over the years and are now either Operations Managers or Culinary Directors on 60/70/80k salaries.

I also know of people who joined hospitality recruitment agencies straight from their role in a restaurant/pub/club and now make up to 100k a year as a recruitment consultant. The agencies tend to prefer recruiting junior consultants that have worked in the field they’ll be recruiting for because they actually know what they’re talking about.

Of course, but from what I know it's not manager or regional manager.

No, that's I was meaning really, people who have progressed beyond the branches, although I'd think managing a large superstore is a decent job.

Yup in McDonald’s and Tesco.

The CEO of M&S started off working at Sainsburys then joined a scheme: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Machin

Now, admittedly, I assume at some point he picked up some additional formal qualifications and a quick look at LinkedIn tells me he gained some additional qualifications from Harvard, but i thas to be said that they appear to be executive training vs regular education. And it may just be that he hasn't put his formal education on LinkedIn, but nonetheless, it's impressive.

CEO of M&S is, obviously, not exactly a likely ultimate career parth, but yes, I absolutely think there's no reason why people starting out in these roles can't develop. And there are almost always in house programmes and development strategies to support that.

DH works in a similar sort of industry and yes, people who advance often started out in the really basic junior roles. whether they become the CEO - I couldn't say - but absolutely to regional managers and the like.

Fwiw DS1 did a stint at Costa and I agree they were terrible employers, although not as bad as Gail's.
Tesco and McDonalds seem to be decent, especially McDonalds.

I know someone who started at Asda and now manages several of their warehouses. He is on about £55k a year (up north) so has done well enough. Early 30s.

Yes. Friend's husband left school at 16. Few GCSEs. Started working in a supermarket, now on a very good wage managing several areas.

My brother in law started at 16 with NatWest bank in their cheque processing centre, manually inputting cheques onto a terminal. In those days they were encouraged to take in house training and qualifications and as part of his course he spent some time in their London Head Office.
Someone in HQ suggested he applied for a job there, he got it and went on to have a very successful career in banking.
He left NatWest after he was turned down for a job because he didn't have a degree despite having a raft of banking qualifications, but was then headhunted by another one of the big banks and worked for them in their international division spending time in Australia, India, South Africa and the USA.
He says that he'd never have that career nowadays as the progression to senior management for someone without a MBA in banking is non existent and it would be almost impossible for someone who worked in a branch/back office to get the opportunities and development he had.

My friends son very bright hated school. Done an apprenticeship in car mechanics.
Worked at a local garage franchise worked his way up then left to become a F1 mechanic then became the teams lead. Travels the world earns very well just turned 30.

Think the current head of M and S started as Saturday boy