To be nosy? (Shameless post)

[StandingLikeATRex]

I'm a long time a lurker and a recent poster.

Myself and DH are young (late 20's) (trainee) professionals. We are still at the very early stage of our careers, (think work experience, cups of tea, applying for placements) he is retraining and I've been working up.
We've been chatting about buying our first home together and how much we can afford, we've realised this is not very much. It's disheartening to know that I may never be able to afford the type of home/life that I want.
We aren't from traditionally professional families (working class) and don't know too many wealthy people.
So....I'm curious to know what sorts of careers people go into (it doesn't have to be you) how long does it take to get to a comfortable salary, what do wealthy people do? And how do they become wealthy? (Haha please don't send me those earn £,000,000's at home links)

Shall I retrain as my job has a ceiling and I will never earn 6 figures, what should I do, what would give me the best chances?

I've also been asked by a family friend to give advice on university courses that lead to good jobs. none. and that got me thinking more about this.

Don't wipe the floor with me please

Not st all standing I think it sometimes depends on the part of the country you're in as to whether you can afford to buy a property. Where are you, if you don't mind me asking?

Btw I think a lot of people have gone to bed.
I will check your thread tomorrow and bump it for you if you don't get much response tonight.

I'm sorry but you are being ridiculous. You don't select a course at university because it will mean loadsa money. Good grief.
Whatever happened to education for its own sake?

Fucking hell! Late twenty's and still trainees making tea? And considering retraining again because you won't be able to be one of the top 1% earning over £100k?

This is surely a wind up? Or your definition of 'professionals' is different to most.

Lol

Scientific research. Takes a long time to earn decent money, years of training with minuscule pay then more years of low paid work for very very long hours. It does pay off in the end, but for those who make 6 figures it's taken ~30 yrs to get to that. Slightly different and better paid if you do industry and not university research though.

It's the kind of job you can only do if you really love the work without resenting the lack of overtime pay etc. I did buy a house quite early on, but I inherited the deposit so it doesn't count really.

Money aside, what do you WANT to do?

I'm sorry but you are being ridiculous. You don't select a course at university because it will mean loadsa money. Good grief.
Whatever happened to education for its own sake?

When you leave university with c£40k of debts its sensible to do so.

But Poppy, surely you can understand that for some people they're looking at the kind of life they will be able to lead? If someone doesn't have any wealth in their family and hasn't had holidays or a choice of clothes, etc, surely it's common for them to want a more secure future? And if someone grows up with a very comfortable lifestyle, surely they'll want that to continue?

I think it's great if your degree is chosen for the love of the subject but it's absolutely normal for finances to be taken into account when a post grad qualification is chosen.

OP, there was a very interesting thread on here a while ago - I doubt I'd be able to find it, but hopefully someone else will - which asked MNetters whether they earned more than £100,000 per year and, if so, what they did.

Law, banking, accountancy in the City will in 5-10 years be well remunerated.

I'm sorry but you are being ridiculous. You don't select a course at university because it will mean loadsa money. Good grief.
Whatever happened to education for its own sake?

No, it's sensible to consider potential earnings when doing a degree. Education for its own sake is why everyone and their dog have an undergrad degree now, making the degree almost worthless in some cases. I think more people should consider career first, degree second - if you want to work in an area that doesn't require a degree, don't get one.

I want a house that's £250K which is out of my budget at the moment. In my dreams I would like to move into a £1m property in the countryside with acres of land and maybe keep animals.
Is this too unrealistic an expectation of life?

I've never had unrealistic expectations of life to be honest but I did do well at school but then didn't reach my potential because of personal issues. So I ended up having to work up.

I'm thinking is this all, the highest I can do?

(reading mumsnet) and people are talking about having a £100K salary (?!?!?!?!) how? And those people who live in country pile's how do they afford it?

I live in the north near Manchester.

The majority of people in this country will never earn a 6 figure salary and will never have exactly the house or life they dream of. The older you get the more you realise that life is about compromise and being happy with your current lot.
I think in this day and age there are no guarantees that university courses (save for a few, nursing, medicine etc) will lead to a job, never mind a job that will one day result in a 6 figure salary. Do what makes you happy and not something just because it might led to you earning big money one day.

Oh and ask anyone in here who does earn the big money or knows people that do, I guarantee they got that far by sacrificing a hell of a lot and working their arses of doing 60-70 hour weeks to get there.

DH earns a lot (works in IT). Going by how far along he is now and how people are normally promoted within the company, he will probably be earning six figures in the next 5-10 years. That said, he specialises in something quite niche, so the starting salary at his level is always a lot higher than average as they need someone who knows exactly what they're doing.
I, on the other hand, probably won't ever earn a six figure salary but I will be doing something I love so I'm happy.

I went to a brilliant school, got a fabulous education, a good job (for where I live) and then ended up being made redundant and am about to start a job on £16.5K.
But I'm happy. I have no responsibility outside of office hours, can spend time with my DS, can leave work at work, and can pay for stuff.

Money is lovely but my word, it's not the be all and end all. Find yourself a job you like, not the wage you'd like (unless they correspond!!)

I wouldn't want to be a wage slave for any salary. However, I've got a house I adore, in a village I love and on a tiny income and careful (ish) budgeting have treats like breaks away, meals with friends and the odd trip to city.

I had a career and was on track to earn a reasonable income (def not 6 figured!) it was stressful as hell, I spent hours commuting, servicing my job by having to buy lunches on the run, stupid clothes, holidays just to switch off etc.

I had dd and my priorities totally changed. Be around people you love in a place you enjoy being (community) and work wise, as far as you can, do something you like.

Then you'll be happy. You can make a beautiful home slowly.

However, if you want that million quid house, bloody go for it!! We are privileged that we live in a society full of Wealth and opportunity. If you have the drive to work for that then why the hell not!

Media jobs pay very well. PR, marketing, etc. Or finance, the City, etc. NOT RETAIL. NEVER, EVER RETAIL.

What are you good at? There are loads of great career books that'll reveal your strengths.

I completely understand your desire to aim towards a we'll-paid job and I applaud your ambition!

Go work in a war zone. Pay is good as risk is high. Depending on what skills and qualifications you have, you are bound to get jobs that would come with accommodation and other benefits, helping you to save money. I have experience of this. It's tough but good returns.

My DH and I earn a very good joint income. Both studied to post grad level, took "milk round" graduate trainee jobs in blue chip companies on fairly small salaries and worked like dogs for 20 years.

Long hours, volunteered for departmental development type activities, took opportunities for training, travel, mentoring etc where they were offered. Both changes companies a number of times. Both put lots of effort into building work networks.

So basically lots and lots of hard work.

After 20 years we have very good salaries and a beautiful home. We continue to work very hard for it though.

My brother started selling Nuts and Bolts ( they are everywhere if you look around!!) when he was 35, he is now 52 and a millionaire.
I think you have to find something in the market that people need/want, the saying goes 'Keep it simple stupid'
He worked 24/7 so don't think that there will be much time for socialising/holidays or spending any money in the first 2/5 years, you want money, you have to work for it, if your lucky it will work out fine.

littlebear I have a degree from a mediocre uni but because there was too much competition for the training contracts when I graduated I haven't used my degree for my job I've just worked up in something kind of related (but not).
So yes I do consider myself a trainee professional (maybe it's what keeps me going haha). Kind of stable in an okay career albeit not my chosen one. Will never earn big bucks here.
I could try to apply for training contracts and maybe a slight wage decrease and work up in my chosen career. But that's a gamble.

Just feeling a bit shitty at the moment, feel like we are going round in circles career wise. And don't know whether/when we will be where we want.
I KNOW money is not the be all end all but sometimes I feel like I'm on the outiside looking in.

myperiod thanks! I'm just imagining what it would be like if we did it!

However, shedone wow that is a humbling post and something to think about...

Not the outiside obviously, outside*

DH earns 6 figures in IT. He started at a bank, then moved onto telecommunications, now works in the financial sector in the city. He was an IT consultant, now it's more data engineering. Or something. I actually haven't got the faintest idea what he does - but it's difficult and he does it well

What do I WANT to do? I want to be a healthcare professional, not work in an office.
But I didn't know this when I was 17.

OP not being at all rude trying to get the bigger picture but how are you both late 20s and still doing work experience type roles? What age did you start working?

I had a part time job from 16-21, went to uni 18-21 and worked from 21 so by late 20s despite in no way at all being top of the tree I had a decent career.