To not understand how low income people become high earners?

[KissesAX]

Okay so hear me out, I'm not bashing anyone who earns a lot of money. Nor am I saying you didn't get there through hard work. But here's my story:

Was severely depressed in sixth form causing me to drop out and do an apprenticeship instead of A levels. Years on, I'm 21 and I'm unemployed. The only jobs I can apply for are entry level jobs but even these such as retail jobs all prefer people with retail experience, same with waiting and cleaning jobs. Plus they're all £7.50 ph minimum wage.

I can't go to uni as I wouldn't be able to afford it. My parents don't fund me and I have too many bills to pay that are behind from being unemployed as it is.

So here's my question. How on earth do people who are poor like myself ever get to a high paying job because I can't even seem to get an entry level job. I feel so defeated at so young but I can not find work.

Try local government /public sector. We’ve had people join as temporary admin/apprentices and be promoted /offered training opportunities.
Maybe in the parallel universe that has not had 7 years of austerity, but not in any branch of Local Government I deal with.

My brother left school with no qualifications. He washed dishes in a hotel and is now working in the kitchen of a Michelin star chef!

OP I think your focus really needs to be getting an entry level job before thinking about becoming a high earner.

Work with the job centre, take every course they offer. Continuously apply for work, go to every interview, take on any work that's offered, try agency work. Anything that will get you on the ladder and earning something.

Think about the transferable skills that you've already got - how do they apply in general life? What have you learned from your apprenticeship that you can use in other jobs?

Once you're working, even if it is part time retail or care work, take all opportunities there are to further yourself - even if it's a random online course found on groupon or the like - you'd be amazed how these seemingly 'basic' learning opportunities can help you work up the ladder.

Is there anything that really interests you? Any sector you'd really love to work in? Anything that you think you'd be really good at?

I left school with a C in English and an E in maths. I hadn't done any other GCSEs due to illness. I did 2 years of college arsing around with media studies and knew I didn't want to work in media - a couple of my cohort went on to get really good jobs, one did an apprenticeship with a regional TV production company and the other went to uni and works in movies.

For me, I worked in a pub waitressing, did care work for a while, then retail, went back to care work on an agency so that I could work more flexibly to go to college and get an access course under my belt. From there I went to uni and did my degree and although I wouldn't say I'm by any means a high earner, I'm comfortable. It's been difficult and while at uni we really lived in tough circumstances but we made it through.

DH worked in a food production facility as a nobody and worked up through supervisor roles and then trained in Audit before he was made redundant. He found another job in a different area quickly but hated it, so moved on. He's not yet in the job he wants but he vey bravely took a wage cut and a step down the ladder so that he had work to keep us secure. 5 years on and He's working his way back up slowly and I do believe he'll get where he wants to be but he had to make a big sacrifice to keep a roof over our heads.
His motto when made redundant was that it's either less money or no money; no point dreaming of the 27k he was on when the feasible options are 22k or nothing.

Keep your chin up OP, don't be disheartened by knock backs, just keep going, apply for anything and everything and grab any opportunity that comes your way. You can get there but it will take time and hard work. No one earns huge money without putting in a massive amount of time and work.

Working behind a bar to pub manager in 5 years. Training all paid for. Some chains even pay for degree courses.

I lived alone from before I had finished secondary school because I came from an abusive family. I was absolutely broke. My flat was damp and had no heating, the electricity would cut off all the time and I had little to eat.

I worked to pay the rent and bills while I finished my GCSEs, did A Levels and then a degree and professional qualification. I then worked extremely hard in my job (70-80 hour weeks plus commuting) and got promoted several times. 4 years after qualifying I left for another employer and doubled my salary. I'm now 7 years into my career, have been promoted again with my new employer and earn six figures working part time.

It is by no means easy but if you are bright and prepared to work hard it can be done.

I would also say you need to be prepared to move to where the opportunities are. I have lived in lots of different parts of the country for this reason. Employers also really value experience from working abroad so that is something worth pursuing if the opportunity arises.

I would also say you need to be prepared to move to where the opportunities are. I have lived in lots of different parts of the country for this reason.
barely possible now with the mental rents in much of the country
and the "hostile environment" letting rules on most tenancies

the current rental rules are just horrific
3 years payslips
3 years tax statements
parental guarntee
OR
bye

I know someone who left school with 3 GCSEs and has given 100% to every job he's had. He's a genuinely nice person, willing to help anyone, and 20 later is a high earner...it didn't happen over night.

Oh and he's also taken risks and been able to relocate.

OP briefly scanned the replies to see there has been the predicable bun fight between private and public sector and uni versus non uni.

Without sounding incredibly cliche, I left school with my basic GCSEs, I went onto college, switched to 6 form and got ME.

I was working PT at a supermarket and just put my self out there, I got a job paying 10K a year in admin (12 years ago)

I now freelance in IT, and earn between 45-100k a year. Times have change now though, so:

When you send your CV off do you tailor it? I have recruited from management positions and minimum wage ones.

In this day and age employers are looking for:

Someone who just wants a job, promotions etc are stifiled because every sector is cutting back pay, so don't seem to keen they may think you will clash with the existing team. Who are also wanting promotions.

A person who will give their existing staff, who should of moved on by now, a kick up the bum and a bit of compation.

I think you fall into the first one. So perhaps take a look at your CV, and interview style, you might come across too ambitious for the job.

Night school. Do your a levels, then progress to a degree. You can do it part time if you need to work.

Hard work and confidence my lovely

It's literally that . Work hard , do
More than your role , be articulate , well presented and it rolls

Get a shit job , do it well .get promoted or get a really good reference

Build your confidence , apply for a better job

And so on

You just have to believe that you are good and skilled

Ta1kinPeece I agree, it isn't easy as I said. I rented for many years, until relatively recently. Try finding someone who'll rent to you as a 16 year old who cannot sign a legal contract! But when you really want to change your life you find a way to do it.

Sheer hard work in most cases.

A work ethic is very important, if you want to work there are jobs out there. Lots of people start at the bottom and work their way up through hard work and dedication.

You are young with no commitments so have an advantage if you are prepared to work hard and are not picky.

However if you just look for reasons you can't do things then you won't do them. I had to move from the NE to London for work. It was not easy then and is not easy now. If we are also talking about moving I know people who moved to jobs with accommodation included. When my children's father first came to London we got a school flat for 6 months (teachers would not move to London as rents were too high). Another friend got a live in nanny job so that took care of accommodation. I know someone else who lives in working for a high net worth individual arranging all kinds of aspects of their lives (again it is a live in job which also gives you lots of contacts with rich people if you are into that kind of thing). My daughter worked summers with a holiday company abroad - all the food and board covered plus a bit of pay and made loads of good contacts. Other people work on cruise ships - John Prescott. I do a lot of singing and lecturing. If I fell on hard times that mgiht be an area to pursue for me as accommmodation is included. Lots of rich very old people in London have a live in person by the way - go to mass at the Oratory and you see them wheeled in in wheel chairs by their live in carer. Those carers aren't paying for accommodation in a very nice bit of London. It's part of the job. In other words if rent is an issue look at the options.

UI remember sending my adult children lots of articles about becoming a "guardian" or empty property in London - you can stay in places like fire stations.We know a school care taker and loads of school house masters who get houses provided for example too. Obviously the armed forces are another good one as you get housed and they tend to pay to educate you too so many people's route out of poverty.

I honestly think the first step should be OP deciding what she wants to do, leaving money out of the equation.

You can make a livable wage in almost any job if you work hard enough but it's lot harder to work your ass off in a job you hate.

If OP hates retail, she's not gonna end up being regional manager for River Island, she's just gonna end up miserable.

you are 21. Can you speak to a specialist in the field?

Am not sure a load of advice from people with different qualifications in different locations with advice that is decades out of date and from another time is going to help you. You need to try and help yourself first.

At 22 I was working as a care assistant for minimum wage, at 24 I had my first DD, then started an access to nursing course. At 25 I had my second DD and started nursing degree. I’m on track to qualify next year and even though the starting salary isn’t fantastic there lots of opportunity for promotion and progression within the nhs and private sector.
My Dh was working as a kitchen assistant at 23 when we met, when I got pregnant with DD1 he took and evening cookery course at a local college and was promoted to second chef as soon as he got his certificates. He then moved onto head chef and then moved to a different company and is catering manager on £45000. He’s now 29 so not bad for 6 years

Don't most people start at or near the bottom with either 'entry' or 'graduate entry' jobs?
Any rise after that is down to hard work, getting industry qualifications in your own time and taking every opportunity that comes your way.
This is from someone who's started from the bottom twice!

I work in law. I started at the bottom and I'm not at the top yet but not far off. Began as a junior typist and now a lawyer. FIND something you want to do and train and learn

I'm going to be harsh and say first thing is about attitude and self belief. If you know you can do more then stop making excuses go and do it. It's not a quick win, you might not end up with millions but you can improve your lot.
E.g.
Volunteer in charity shop to give retail experience then go to an independent with a slightly older manager and tell them your story or go somewhere that targets those who find employment tougher -Sainsbury's or Timpsons come to mind. Then graft your way up.

Volunteer in a hospice or hospital. Apply for HCA post, be seen as a hard worker, go the extra mile and get training for band 3/4. Apply for nurse training and work your way up. Hard work and determination as a nurse can get you £45 easily and can be up to £100k without too much difficulty but you have to be prepared to move around and gain additional qualifications.

Volunteer in a school. Apply for TA job where they know how good you are. Work as TA, get support for HLTA training, some experience and apply for in school teacher training. There's also likely to be teaching apprenticeship shortly as another route. A good teacher who is prepared to move around for jobs can move up to headship by mid 30s and from there the world is your oyster. The CEO of a MAT like Harris earns over £450k

These are relatively straightforward pathways. You could go the market stall and on into your own business. Do dogwalking for £15 an hour. Clean for £10 per hour, establish a client base and take on others so you have your own agency.

My dh started as an apprentice 25 years ago . He is now a director and on a great salary . I haven’t worked for a long time due to my son being born with sn and he needed me . I’ve just started a Christmas job in a big company , I’m hoping this will lead to more work and progression within this company . As above , take any job and work your butt off proving yourself and going for promotions . People often think dh ‘landed on his feet ‘ but actually he has kept his head down and worked bloody hard for everything he has got . Nothing comes without hard work and time .

It is tough op.

I'd suggest that further part time study might help. Have you tried temping? Many friends did this in their early years and then sort of 'fell in' to a career.

What do you want to do? It helps to have focus and a goal.

Hold off kids if you can until you become established in your career. I'm a couple years older than you trying to finish my degree with a toddler and it is sooooo hard.

I think there's a level of luck and hard work. My DP was lucky enough to join a small company that gives a shit about it's employees and also noticed that he's a hard worker so he was trained to be an engineer. He was chosen over a lot of other people though so it was obviously because he works hard (lots of extra hours etc)
I think the best thing to do is get that initial 'shitty' job, it's easier to get hired if you already have a job.
After that, look into companies who want to better you. I.e. Boots, McDonald's where there's career progression if you're a hard worker.
I know it feels super dead end but a lot of people can progress, you may never be a 'high' earner but I was in a similar situation to you but started working for boots

Dh works hard, reliable brilliant employee who would never take piss, brilliant feedback but is totally over looked. I also worked very hard in first job... Brought in lots of customer, friends dd got job along side me paid twice as much for no other reason. It really knocked my confidence.
You have to have a goal... Yes work hard but also have confidence to move yourself...