To wonder how you get that amazing career

[Mrswhiskerson]

There are a lot of people on here earning fifty k plus and I really admire them, a high flying career is what I have always wanted. i'M currently working as a clerical officer banking money filling in invoices on oracle etc and I am wondering what the next step is I want to have worked my
way into a really good well paidjob by the time ds is five , he is six months now. I would mostly like advice on what qualifications are best to take and what are the well paid jobs like? Is it having loads of money but no time ?

OU is absolutely not a waste of time and is bloody hard work. Those I know in HR love OU degrees as they show drive and ambition.

DH works bloody hard and gets paid for it. He flies more than airline pilots, takes phone calls at all hours and is never, ever off duty. He has no degree but a great work ethic, is knowledgeable in his area of expertise and worked his way up. He wasn't shy to jump companies if a better offer came in. He has also had a large dollop of luck.

OTOH if he had stayed in Aus he probably would be earning the same amount of money but with a better life style but less prestige.

Good luck OP

Be prepared to work very hard. DH earns c.40K, which is lovely, but he doesn't see his children mon-fri because they are in bed when he leaves in the morning and back in bed by the time he gets home.

I think there's probably very little you could do for that kind of money which would give you a reasonable work/life balance.

I also dream of a high-flying career, but I know I couldn't put in those kind of hours whilst I have yound DC.

I typed this post last night when I was about to go to sleep and in a rush that's why it's quite bad. Qualifications wise I have ten gcses a gnvq and nvq in care I have been working in residential care on and off for ten years but I have also worked in sales . THis new job seems like a good platform for a career I am going to get computer training (I am very good with computers) I have good people skills too I am just not entirely sure where I want to go career wise this is why I am asking advice , I have been thinking about healthcare recruitment I have heard the money is good and I having seen a lot of terrible carers in the past do actually care about getting the right people in the job however i'm not sure if I am a cut throat type of person. Maybe it's something I need to work on .

I know my other op is full of mistakes too , I'm very tired !

OU is definately not worthless. My DH had an arts degree and went to work in an engineering environment. He did an OU engineering degree and a Masters and he is now just waiting to hear he has been sucessful with his application to be a chartered engineer. He did all this at weekends/in his lunchtime/on the loo(!)paid so much a month for the fees and is now in line for one of those nice well paid jobs. I'm really proud of him.

OU courses are definitely not a waste of time! I work in a university (not the OU) and the OU is very highly thought of. Their courses are very rigorous and the fact that people are studying for/have obtained a degree alongside holding down a job/looking after a family/whatever is pretty impressive! I think most employers would recognise the motivation that is requires to achieve a qualification this way.

They have a very good website and often you can download some of the course materials to get a 'taste' of what they offer. They also usually tell you what materials they use so you can have a look at their course books at your library.

Anyone who thinks they're in for an easy ride with the OU and will end up with a 'worthless' qualification is mistaken.

Fabbychick in my day we didn't burn out we just got on with it

I dont know what you are complaining about

Ou is well respected now apparently.

O think you're coming at this the wrong way thinking purely salary, think of your skills and interests. Most well paid jobs require you to be good at something not just qualified, and if you're going to work long hours you want to enjoy it. Salary is, or should be, the by product, not the main goal. In my opinion.

I used to earn this level a couple of yrs ago iny mid to late 20ies in a competitive and not traditionally well paid field, but jacked it in to retrain as a teacher as money isn't everything.

I'd say pick your industry carefully. My siblings and I all work in similar roles but in different industries and those in banking earn considerably more (for possibly doing less!). The "long hours" culture will depend on the particular company you work for and many companies these days understand the importance of a good work / life balance. Start at the bottom, look for internal opportunities to move up the ladder and when you've gone as far as you can, look externally. Good luck!

I dont think a degree course is the gateway to better salaries, its the type of career you choose.
I have a degree, a postgrad diploma and a masters in a health care discipline (allied health) and after 20 years have hit the ceiling at 45K

The best salesman I know isn't cutthroat, he's an enthusiastic, intelligent people person. Clients keep coming back to him because they trust him, so why not investigate health recruitment further?

It's not all it's cracked up to be. I'm a HR Manager for a City-based software firm and don't get a moment to myself. Last week, I worked late all week, culminating in working until midnight on Friday and then for 3.5 hours on Sunday before getting up at 5:40am to do it all again.

Mrs Wiskerson, if you are good with computers look at Business Intelligence and Analysis type work. You will need at least good Excel skills including lookups and complex formulae and businesses always need people who can do this sort of thing. And its pretty interesting IMHO.

Until recently the public sector was actually a good place to aim for that "amazing" career. Local authorities in London and the central civil service all pay their higher middle and senior managers £50k and over. They also tend to have a better work/life balance than many similar level posts in the private sector. My experience was joining the central civil service in my early 20s via their entrance exam to Executive Officer level (actually a junior grade). I had a degree but you could apply with A levels and many did. I have been promoted over and over in the last 20 years - mainly because I have done a good job because I have enjoyed the work rather than additional training or qualifications. I have worked hard but not pulled 24hr shifts etc as some of my friends in the private sector have. A couple of years ago I crossed the watershed and was promoted into the Senior Civil Service and now earn +£65k. I have no obvious skills such as IT etc but I'm really good at managing and leading teams of people and am good at making decisions. That is what has really done it for me - I'll pin my colours to the wall and bear the consequences rather than pass decisions onto someone else.

"Earning that much money definitely means you work very hard"

I think we all know that's not necessarily true.

Ok, I stand corrected over the OU! . That said, maybe its different in the UK (Im in Ireland)? and regarded differently?

I really wanted to begin a degree course and looked in OU (after DH was going to try it too) but was told repeatedly that it was worth very little (here). I spoke to Senior Management in my own work (who are on interview boards regulary) and my uncle, who is the HR Manager for a massive company and all told me not to waste my time and go to a "proper" university instead. Ill be so annoyed if they are wrong as it would have been so, so, so much easier for me to complete a course with the OU.

I attend a local University instead, two nights a week when DC are asleep. Its a 3 year degree and very intense but most people who want a qualification with small children and a job etc generally seem to attend a college instead of OU around here.

I dont know. Interesting...

If you're working with Oracle in Finance then maybe beginning accountancy qualifications would suit you. I'm one of the "lucky" people you mention, I did 4 A levels, then a degree, then 3 years studying evenings and weekends to qualify as an Accountant.

If you already have a degree then you could try studying CIMA : www.cimaglobal.com/

If you don't have any higher or further education then you can start off with AAT and once you've got that you can progress to CIMA/ACCA if you want to. www.aat.org.uk/

AAT qualified people earn £30k+
CIMA qualified people earn £40k+

You may find your work will pay for the course although you may not get study leave. I hope that helps. Feel free to PM me if you want to know more about a career in accounting and finance.

I work about 10 hour days now, especially around month end and I do have to be on the ball and concentrating but I really enjoy my job. The hardest bit was fitting in studying and full time work. I waited to have kids until after I qualified.

The OU do great things. I know a few people who got their jobs later in life having got one. I did a year of OU before I got chance to go to 'proper' university, which for various reasons, I then did. But second the fact that OU shows much dedication from someone studying with many other commitments. Also, the OU were far more organised than my 'proper' uni ever were. Kudos to the OU and anyone who got a degree there!

I must show this to DH, he really wanted to start his degree and due to other commitments cant attend a uni. OU was perfect for him but he was put off my everyones opinions on it. Might be worth looking into now actually...

Barbie you should be looking at Oscail then, which is also not worthless.

Well, I think that in the past, it was easier to rise up the ranks in finance without a degree. Rarely was the case in Law though.

You do not mention what qualifications you possess. About a third of the City is 'closed off' to people without top academics (public school and Oxbridge/Ivy League) - sounds controversial but I have though about it as I lived through it and still maintain it.

That leaves two thirds open to other bright, hardworking people and a multitude of career progression paths. £50k is not very much actually. My PA used to earn around that much for a mainly 9-5 role.

The ten year burn out is absolutely true though (I burnt out in about seven actually). I would not want to have gone through that with children factored into the equation. Nor would I have not wanted to have children. Infact, made a firm decision to wave goodbye to the bottomless bank account and jet-set lifestyle. I have never missed it or wondered 'what if'.

I personally don't think the two are compatible (others may disagree). I have not earned decent money or had much of a holiday since but I have embraced frugal living and we still have wonderful days out and short breaks all over the place. i would not give up a single hour of the time I spend with my children for what I had before, even though I know that many of the interns who began their careers at the same time are on £200k plus.

-always apply for jobs above yoru current ability level. I have never been able to do a job i have applied for - you need to get out your comfort zone. So I would apply for more senior roles and convince them i could do it at interview. Makes for a stressful life but is the best way to progress.

-be ruthless and don't have too much loyalty to a company. I change jobs every 2 years. I ask for a payrise dependent on my performance - if I don't get it I leave. That is the best way to hike your salary up.

-Always say yes (at the beginning anyway). If someone says 'can you do that' say yes, even if you can't. When you have worked your way up to a level of seniority that is when you can start saying no - when you are a junior you have to do everything to get yourself known.

-you need not be the cleverest of most experienced person (I certainly am not) but make sure you are always competent and calm and willing.

-If you are a woman in a male dominated environment (like me) be emotionless.

-Get as many qualifications as you can even if it nearly knackers you in the process. I would never be where I am now without the 2 degrees I studied for whilst working part time.

-Work hard. I am always available to work. I generally am at the office 8-6 Mon to Fri and that is pretty slack compared to others. However I have 3 teleconferences with Far Eastern contacts a week, and these take place from midnight - 2am. I also work every Sunday afternoon to catch up on what I have not managed to complete in the week. I also am on the phone a lot in the evenings due to time differences (my manager is based in California). I spend about 12 hours a week on teleconferencing (mumsnetting at the same time) which is an absurd waste of time really, but you have to make your presence felt.

-you HAVE to enjoy it. I love my job. The hours are getting me down but I am at a level of seniority where I can delegate the crap work, and concentrate on the good stuff.

getorf, you are amazing

i mean, you are an aircraft engineer

I had one, I'm a radiographer who worked fulltime and did out of hours call. I worked over 100 hours most weeks. I earned loads, but had no time to spend it.

Then my DS was born, and it was shit trying to fit all those hours in and getting him minded. I knew I was at breaking point when I considered driving off a cliff edge one day because I couldn't cope with the hours I worked, never sleeping at night because my son kept me awake, the rows with my DH, etc.

So I now work part-time and do very little out of hours call, I don't have much money to spare but I am happy and have a life - and I'm a much better mother to my ds and 2dds. And I really love my job and the people I work with.

OP, do you think the money will truly make you happy?