If you have a degree and have only ever worked in low paid/ nmw jobs? if so, how do you feel about it?

[ugger]

Does it bother you? Does it make you feel a bit of a failure? Do you feel unsuccessful? Embarrassed even?

This is me. I feel like this. Only ever managed to get nmw jobs or just a few pence above! What makes it a million times worse is my degree is in a healthcare vocation. I could have earned decent money but couldn't/ didn't! I wish I never went to uni. Should have just messed about at school even. People with hardly any GCSEs are doing miles better than me.

I was talking to dh about this and he thinks im being ridiculous and says im doing just fine and it doesn't matter if you have a low paid job and a degree which I know makes sense. If I knew someone else like this it wouldn't even cross my mind but for me personally it does and I can't seem to let it go and accept it. As im getting older, it making me feel such a strong feeling of loss, I guess, of a life that could have been.

[OohYeBelter47]

Would anti-anxiety medication help?

[Divgirl2]

My degree was also in a healthcare vocation but after qualifying I just couldn't get a job either in the NHS or privately. When I started the degree a job was guaranteed, but while I was at uni austerity started; jobs were being cut all over the place. I took a job in a care home (because I have bills to pay) and eventually when the HCPC registration rolled round for my profession wasn't able to renew it.
Now I'd have to do a return to practice but the job situation is still pretty poor. It's really depressing.
I'm thinking of retraining and doing a PGDE, then going and teaching primary school. I'd be good at it (I think), and I've had a fair amount of education experience, but it's whether or not I can afford it now.

[BurrSir]

@Myfoolishboatisleaning
@NameChangerAmI
Did you mean to be so rude?
I am also from Norfolk and the vast majority of the time “done” is used instead of “did”. I didn’t even realise that was “wrong” until I did teacher training. Very very rude.

[Tumbleweed101]

Donajimena - thank you.

I’m doing a L5 leadership and management course in Early Years at the moment which could lead into a full early years degree. What worries me is that currently so many nurseries are struggling because of the governments low funding rates that I’m not going to earn much more than Min wage even with all those qualifications. I’m exploring which jobs I could move sideways with with those qualifications.

Ideally though I’d have taken a science degree as most of the jobs that have sounded interesting over the years need one. I went into childcare as a way of fitting in work around children but have enjoyed it.

[JenniferJareau]

its lack of confidence and low self esteem coupled with anxiety and shyness. My personal characteristics means that I just can't her past the interview stage.

I mean this nicely but it sounds like you have given up and are using your personality traits as an excuse not to progress. Job hunting is brutal, rejection after rejection really gets us all down but you have to keep going. Learn from the bad interviews to improve for next time. Practice until you can say your answers in your sleep. Have friends and colleagues help you with interview practice.

You can make it.

[Firstbornunicorn]

I earn more than NMW but I don't earn a huge salary (18k). My degree was in English and I have an associate's in applied healthcare science. I just got a bit stuck and couldn't think what to do with my education, so now I work in a call centre. It's ok, but I do wish I was using my degree.

[GuineaPiglet345]

Yes, I feel shit, especially when I see friends who didn’t go to uni making twice what I do.

I was advised to do Business Studies as it wasn’t specific to one job so I’d give myself lots of options but in reality it’s a pretty useless degree that didn’t equip me for anything.

My bosses boss left school at 16 and got a job answering phones and has been promoted every 18 months and is still in her 20s, I genuinely believe some people are just lucky to get into companies at the right time when opportunities open up and if your timing is off then you miss out.

[Singlenotsingle]

There are too many people with degrees now. They're not respected the way they used to be.

[LunaDeet]

I quit my “proper” job and we moved far away from friends and family. I’m currently part time on NMW as my children come first. I absolutely do not regret my degree. I will always have it, and the achievement fills me with confidence. You should be proud your degree!

[TwoBlackHorses]

I agree Singlenotsingle.
My thoughts are people with a degree expect a 'better' job. But a lot of jobs that specify a degree in the job advert don't actually require a degree to actually do the job. This just results in many, many people being disillusioned.

[SnuggyBuggy]

I'll can relate to a lot of these posts as I started uni before the crash and graduated after. I contemplated a master's but the thought of a large bank loan that I couldn't pay back scared me and I'd have felt so guilty if my parents had bailed me out.

I've had a pretty crap time in the working world. I spent years living at home because my salary wouldn't stretch to cover rent which meant living somewhere I hated.

I only managed to make a proper life for myself because I married a high earner (my feminist teenage self would not be impressed ). I'm now a SAHM and right now couldn't give a shit if I never work again, it was such a waste of my time.

That said OP I learned on another thread that funding for post graduate study has changed to a less risky system so I'm actually considering it again.

[LellyMcKelly]

Have you thought of further training? Lots of organisations are using their levy funding to put staff through apprenticeship qualifications which are much in demand and could provide a stepping stone to other careers. Ask your manager about opportunities to progress.

[Noonemournsthewicked]

This is me. Graduated in '10. Straight into NMW job because I had immediate bills to pay and 9 years later I still have bills to pay. I went and did a PGCE and was moderately successful until massive school changes caused me to have a minor breakdown.
I still work in education but as I'm not a teacher it's pro rata. My full time salary is great but that's not what I get every month.
I see lots of jobs I'd be great at but without fail they are essential car user posts and I can't drive due to a disability.

I disagree with a pp. Not everyone can make it and its not through a innate character failing. Sometimes the odds are stacked against you.

[ShannonRockallMalin]

In the sense of getting a job directly related to it, my degree (Fine Art) was a waste of time. I was lucky enough to do it at a time before tuition fees and I got a full grant and worked so had minimal debt. I do think it taught me a way of thinking and creative skills that are useful in many areas of life though.

However, unless I was going to be one of the tiny minority of people who make a successful career of being an artist, most art related fields are low paid. I now work in libraries and I love it, but the pay is awful. I’m stuck working part time at the moment due to DCs but when I get the chance to go full time I hope to work my way up a bit more. But I could have done this job without a degree.

Overall I’m glad I went to university but I’m not sure I would do it now with the associated debt. DS1 (14) is thinking about apprenticeships and I am encouraging that as he is not that academic and wants to go into management of some kind.

[pissedonatrain]

I was in low wages until my 1st DH passed. I went and got an engineering degree.
Before seeking a degree it's good to research what jobs you can actually get with it and if there is a demand. Then you need to network with people in the industry.

People who get degrees like Bronze Age History are likely to be stuck in low wage jobs.

For OP and you anxiety, try to get some counselling. You issues can be fixed but you have to seek out professional help. I was always tongue tied in interviews but I joined Toastmasters and have improved.

[buzzbobbly]

There's a lot of people putting things off on this thread, for whatever valid or not-so-valid reasons.

I'm currently making some quite scary changes to my own life, after realising the truth in the quote:

this time next year, you'll wish you 'd started today

Tomorrow won't be any different unless you make some kind of change today.

[ZoeWashburne]

That’s frustrating and I sympathise, but it sounds a bit like you hit a rough patch and just decided to stop training in your industry. There are lots of resources out there for interview training. Have you received some treatment for your condition? Think of it as an investment.

But it comes to the bigger issue, do you actually want to work in that field?

What jobs have you applied for that aren’t in that subject? Did you apply for any graduate schemes? You can’t be frustrated that you don’t have a graduate job if you are unwilling to apply and interview for them. I know MH issues are debilitating, but focus on treating that, and then focus on applying for jobs that can use your degree.

[SosigDog]

I feel like I wasted my time and money getting a degree and PGCE. The government massively cut funding for my sector (post-16 education) and salaries dropped through the floor because they couldn’t afford to pay teachers. I went from being a qualified professional to earning less than NMW (once you factored in teaching posts being transitioned to term-time only). People with no degrees were out-earning me. I felt utterly worthless to the extent that I quit teaching.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"I understand how you feel, my (BA) degree hasn't helped me at all, I'm glad I did it but honestly if I want a 'career' I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board. "

I have two degrees. They have both been negatives in terms of money.
The first one was free, but meant I started working at 22 rather than at 16 in jobs that only really required GCSEs so that's 6 years of earning power lost. The other one (plus all sorts of certificates and diplomas) was with the OU and cost thousands (as I was paying the prices for foreign residents).

However, education is not all about making money or getting a better job so I don't really regret them.

It's very common for people with degrees to be in non-graduate jobs these days and doesn't necessarily reflect on the person. I work in admin and in many of my admin jobs lots of the people there have been graduates. During my stint in a call centre, I worked with people with masters' degrees.

There are more degree courses than there are graduate jobs OP. Your situation is pretty common.

[malificent7]

Im retraining for a healthcare profession and my understandung is that the NHS are sruggling to find workers..

[MintyCedric]

Tumbleweed I'm in a similar position, although I did postgrad diploma in my mid twenties (was allowed to do it without a degree based on practical experience and an entrance exam).

I won a national award as a result of the work I did on the course which could have sparked all kinds of careers opportunities, but I chose to stay in my small home town, get married and start and family.

Obviously I don't regret DD for a minute, but 18 years later, in a fairly unfulfilling job and staring down the barrel of loss of tax credits and maintenance in a few years, it's pretty bloody terrifying.

I'm looking to add to/update my current skills/qualification via online/part time study (to whatever extent I can afford to ) and volunteering over the next 18 months - 2 years in the hopes of moving into higher earning job with better long term prospects.

Just hoping prospective employers won't think I'm past it at 45!

[malificent7]

Typos...agggrr..give up!

[isabellerossignol]

I graduated over 20 years ago and took a job with a large company and it all went wrong. The training that was promised never materialised etc and once there I found it impossible to leave; I spent several years applying for every single job that I met the criteria for and I couldn't even get an interview. It left me feeling suicidal. I Then I had children and was forced to step back due to circumstances and I ended up in a series of fixed term jobs with no prospects.

When I got back into the workplace I managed to get into a really good organisation who train their staff. And now in my 40s I'm starting all over again. I earn less than I did 13 years ago and I'm terrified for the future, because my pension is screwed because for years I didn't have access to a pension scheme because of temporary contracts.

But for the first time in my life I have hope, so the crap money feels temporary. I have a lifetime of depression, anxiety and lack of confidence behind me, and those don't just go away.

[isabellerossignol]

Although I still deeply regret going to university.

[DancingDownRain]

My problem was I hung around with the posh people at uni but I was from the opposite end of scale, so I had unrealistic expectations of the amount of sheer extra effort and mental resilience I'd need to get to where I wanted to be, comparable to them. It would have been possible but MH issues & lack of self belief set in and it felt insurmountable. Vicious circle from then on.

I never resented my friends' advantages, I just didn't realise how it worked til a lot later.

I eventually got sick of hearing myself moan about my life so I'm now retraining. I'll never be well off but I'll keep my family well housed, fed and all the rest.

If I could turn back time to A Levels, I'd do the science vocational degree I was toying with the idea of, instead of the art subject I did love but hasn't provided me with what I wanted. I'm just glad I made the leap to change things now.