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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

... to think I should have been able to get a better job by now?

14 replies

purplepidjin · 08/03/2011 11:53

Back story:
I have a 2:2 in Music.
I have an NVQ3 in Health and Social Care
I have worked with people with learning difficulties for over five years
I have changed jobs several times and worked with various age groups and levels of ability.

So why am I still earning barely above minimum wage? How do I get from doing a job I love but can barely afford to do, to a more senior role that pays better?

DP reckons that with my level of experience, in any other industry I'd have had several promotions by now, and earn both aa comfortable salary (ie, be paying off the student loan) and some respect.

Instead I'm slogging away at long shifts, wiping other people's arses.

How do I change this? And AIBU to be really really really pissed off by it?

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 08/03/2011 11:55

'So why am I still earning barely above minimum wage?'

Because the field you are in doesn't pay very well across the board.

Perhaps change by re-training for an industry that pays more money in general.

FabbyChic · 08/03/2011 11:56

Sorry but if you had got a degree in something that you intended to use in your career you could be earning more by now in a different profession.

Maybe you should think of a career change or if you feel capable apply for jobs that are paid more.

AlpinePony · 08/03/2011 11:56

Your basic problem is that you are trying to help people. There's no reward in that you know.

dilbertina · 08/03/2011 11:57

You say you have changed jobs several times in 5 years, why? Is it possible you've moved too much? Frequent job changes don't always look good on a CV, plus possibly you're not establishing yourself with an employer.

KnittedBreast · 08/03/2011 11:58

you are in the wrong fields for highly paid jobs thats why you are not earning more than min wage. its pretty shit but true

VinegarTits · 08/03/2011 11:59

i agree you are in the wrong field, shit but true

can you re-train?

ihearthuckabees · 08/03/2011 12:00

Purple, why don't you go into private music teaching? Hourly rate is around £24+ depending on where you live and what instrument you play. And you can be your own boss

bumperella · 08/03/2011 12:07

You're in the wrong field to earn loads!
But.... think about the promotions you applied for but didn't get.... why didn't you get them: is it very competitive, are there qualifications you need, or is it something else? How often do these promotions come up? Do they go to someone with more experience? Always worth asking for feedback when you don't get the promotion, even if it's awkward to do.
Do you need to be more specialist in order to find more job openings? Do you need management or supervisory experience?

If you can find what's "missing" from your CV then you can work to plug those gaps.

MrsH75 · 08/03/2011 12:09

I wouldn't rush into a senior role if you enjoy what you do currently - you may find the extra money doesn't make it worth your while.

Original poster

purplepidjin · 08/03/2011 12:22

Fabby, I'm planning to retrain as a music therapist, but am not in a financial position to do so at the moment.

Dilbertina, short-term contracts and politics

iheart I did that for a year after I graduated (and while at uni), am hopeless at invoicing - I can't ask people for money for shit!

Bumperella, there are no promotions. The perfect sideways move came up a few years ago, but despite the fact that the job description was a description of me (the teacher that wrote it wrote it with me in mind) politics meant I was refused an interview, which is why I later left that job. Since then, I have been moving because I needed to pay the bills so had to take the next thing offered. Also, I'm massively over-qualified for the jobs that are actually available and I can afford to do. I would love to be a Teaching Assistant, however the hours are 25 a week or less and it's not even close to being economically viable unless you have a partner supporting you. I don't have kids, so don't expect my partner to do this.

I don't expect to earn loads - 20k a year would be absolutely fantastic, and generally not unreasonable for someone experienced in a field (I have friends on a LOT more at a similar age) and I don't expect to go straight into a senior management role from the outset.

I think I am going to have to look at some kind of retraining. And despite how it sounds, I am genuinely grateful for the roof over my head and food on the plate!

More suggestions welcome, thank you for those so far

OP posts:

zingzillachinchilla · 08/03/2011 12:27

I'm going to be hard here. YOU have it within YOUR power to sort this out - 'am hopeless at invoicing' - that is very feeble, and easily sorted. You just need to apply yourself to it. That will help you reach your goal of music therapy. If the barrier is cost, you have the means to earn money to surmount that barrier. Try a little harder!

Ryoko · 08/03/2011 13:26

Did you do music because you was expected a high wage or because you have a passion for it?

if you have a passion for an industry you would be happy to work in it, better to do what you love for little money then to do what you hate for more money.

life isn't about money, it's about enjoying the ride, all money does is enable you to buy more stuff you don't need and can't take with you.

You need to decide whats more important to you, doing what you love or earning more money (money doesn't create happiness) you only walk down the road of life once.

I'd take my low paid but enjoyable job over getting twice that in a crappy job any day.

Original poster

purplepidjin · 08/03/2011 14:20

I did music because I love it and am not really good at anything else!

I don't want lots of money, but enough to cover the bills and a little bit left over at the end of the month would be nice. Just for a few years till we're ready to start a family!

OP posts:

vj32 · 08/03/2011 15:29

I agree with others - pick a job that pays better!

Someone I went to uni with regularly gets more as his yearly bonus than I earn in a year. But he works very long hours in central London. Thats just not me. There's always people who earn more than you. Either get over it, or make a change to earn more.

Flip