Feeling disgusted by friend’s DD’s salary

[DisgustedParent]

Best friend’s DD is the same age as mine (26) and we’ve known each other since both DD’s were born. My DD went off to uni but struggled to find a job after her degree and has ended up working in a call centre (financial services) where she is paid very poorly, has to work unsociable hours and is not treated well by management at all. It’s awful to watch her struggling to get by after rent and bills, knowing that despite working long hours, she may never own a property of her own or be able to afford to do all of the things she wants to do in life. My friend knows all about DD’s struggles and my worries for her as we are very close.

Her DD went straight in to an apprenticeship after school at 16 and landed herself in a role in Data Protection. Over the years she’s completed all sorts of professional certifications in the field and worked her way up, but never did a degree. I hear today from my friend that she has just accepted a senior management data protection role at the same large financial firm where my DD works. Friend has gleefully told me that her DD will be earning an eye watering £70,000 per year along with all sorts of benefits such as home working, health insurance, allocated parking... all of which of course aren’t available to my DD despite working for the same employer.

AIBU in feeling absolutely furious about this on DD’s behalf and thinking that there is something so very wrong about a company which pays its front line workers the absolute minimum, with no benefits whatsoever, whereas those with more ‘fancy’ job roles who probably don’t do an awful lot at all (and friend’s DD at 26 is still barely old enough to be out of school!) get to swan in to the company earning an astronomical amount, with lots of benefits on top too. Friend’s DD has already bought a house, has a brand new car, is always on holiday and draped in designer clothes. Meanwhile my DD and the rest of her call centre colleagues are threatened with redundancy regularly and are frequently told that salaries will not be increased as cuts have to be made.....How can this be justified?!

Wow, aren't you a treat?. The girl has blogged her way up through the company and continually bettered herself with qualifications along the way, because your DD went to university doesn't give her the automatic right to be in the same position. Your DD has done a degree, big woop, what else has she done to move on/up within her job? If anything your friends DD deserves it more due to the graft she's put in to get there. You sound very bitter and jealous.

She has 10 years experience in a relevant field, the required certifications and a hard working attitude.

Her job will entail a greater level of knowledge, a higher level of responsibility and very likely longer hours.

That you cant see why she might get perks like higher pay and parking, or think this is her "swanning" in is absolutely laughable.

*slogged

YABU your friend's DD has worked her way up. It is an amazing salary. Good for her. Your DD has something to aspire to.

A bit of GF'ness going on here.
Reported.

She does have around 10 years experience in the field but started at very low level.

And clearly her talent, work ethic and professional qualifications have paid off (and perhaps her luck, charisma and confidence to apply).

You sound very sneery about her having "worked her way up".

Be pleased for her, OP!

Report!!!!!

Your post hasn't been misunderstood OP! You seem to misunderstand that someone who entered the workforce at 16 has ten years of experience and qualifications in the field whereas your DD does not. Also your DD is not working in a role commensurate with her degree/education level, that's her issue.

Why with her degree is your DD not applying in the relevant field? Working in a call centre sounds like she’s not marketing herself or seeking out the best opportunities for herself. The longer she stays in an irrelevant to her qualifications position the harder it’ll become to get the job she wants.

I think I’ve been given a bit of a hard time on here and I can appreciate that perhaps the wording of my original post didn’t help. Thank you though to everyone who has commented, whilst I don’t agree with everyone’s point of view, I take it all on board!

I'm sorry but you are being massively unreasonable.

Your friend's daughter didn't get all of this handed to her on a silver platter. She has worked very hard to get where she is. If this was your own daughter, you would be over the moon and stars for her I'm sure.

I'm sorry to hear that your daughter is unhappy and struggling but come on! We don't always get what we want in life. She will not be stuck in that job forever as long as she does something about it now.

Op I work in a call centre. I'm not a TL and manager.

I'm nearly 30 if that matters.

I'm paid 29kpa and have decent holiday and various perks.

I don't have a degree. Just experience and professional qualifications which in turn got me a rather niche position. Not all jobs are created equally.

10 years experience and professional qualifications in a specialist area are worth much more to the company than an unskilled call centre employee. Hence much higher pay and perks.

That shouldn’t disgust you, it is basic economics.

University isn't the be all and end all and guarantees a good job/wage.

I've been in the working world for years and recruit often. I skim over qualifications and look at experience and what they can bring me immediately, I recruit into very technical roles. University doesn't make you work ready whatsoever. A degree doesn't make you able to command what you want as soon as you graduate.

I've been there and done university and started at the bottom (graduated in 1990). Basically being a graduate did nothing for my career, even though I earn in excess of the quoted figure now.

She’ll have lived on absolutely fuck all for her apprenticeship but doing the same work as everyone else, so she’s had it shit too.
I did an adult apprenticeship (shock horror I’ve also been to uni 10 years ago!!) and got paid a decent wage but the girls I did it with were getting paid £3 an hour. What the fuck! We all had to do our full time jobs, study for the exams, do assignments and assessments AND complete 5 hours of additional training and qualifications. I never frigging stopped. I’d have died if I’d got paid what they do. She’s worked fucking damn hard!

YABVU. DBro didn't finish his degree but he now has a well paid job in the civil service and owns his own house.

I completed my degree, yet I'm working two minimum wage jobs and still live at home.

Am I jealous? No, I do sometimes get pangs of envy but he's worked hard to get to where he is and I'm hopeful that soon I'll be able to land a "career" job.

If your daughter isn't happy in her job she needs to actually do something actively about it. Well paid jobs with good perks don't just fall into people's laps.

** 5 hours PER WEEK of extra training and qualifications!

When you say a data protection role, with that training money etc I'm assuming it's fairly high up which comes with a lot of responsibility.

I agree you sound jealous etc.

Conversation about low pay long hours is different.

You are out of order, your DD friend is to be congratulated, and 26 is not barely out of school ffs

@DisgustedParent

I can't believe you think a degree and no relevant work experience makes someone more attractive to employers than ten years of actual experience and proven track record. Ridiculous.

I have a RG degree. I did waitressing / call centre work etc throughout university to pay for my train fares into London for weeks of unpaid work experience. In my last year I probably worked 12 hours a day most days.

That's the kind of graft and work ethic that helps you "swan" into a 70k job.

The value your friends DD adds to her employer's business is far greater than that your DD adds to her employer's business. Therefore there's a huge disparity in salary. It's simple maths.

What is your DD doing to increase her chances of progressing in the career she does want? Why doesn't she waitress unsociable hours so she can do some office hours work experience?

I don't understand how she's got to this age with a degree under her belt but hasn't had the get up and go to do something about it.

Surely you’re not the only person who didn’t realise that most degrees aren’t worth the paper they’re written on and that most kids leave with huge debt and earn less than the kids who didn’t bother going to uni?

If you really wanted your daughter to earn £70k by the time she was 26 then you should have advised her to do an apprenticeship or a more vocational degree. What subject did she study out of interest?

I have a science degree from a good university, but recession when left.

Started temping in current industry doing admin and have worked up.

Yes degree is interesting to people and maybe makes them think I'm forever but my relevant work exp and qualifications are way more important. Proven track record and all that.

People in senior management positions are given the perks to attract and hopefully retain the best talent.

Staff in low level roles are much easier replaced, there are plenty of graduates that are reasonably articulate and intelligent but without the ambition and/or luck, so the need to pay for perks to retain is less.

Harsh but true.

a senior management data protection role

Btace yourself - she is going to end up earning a LOT more than £70k a year...

My industry is increasingly taking GCSE/a level students in more entry level roles with great opportunities as degrees have become devalued.

For specialist roles they look for specific degree.

It makes me sad that uni is now all about work and value and not love/interest of subject so much any more, but times have changed, and that was always the privileged few anyone bar some exceptional people.

26 = barely out of school?!

Really.... I missed that memo when by 26 I was married with a mortgage and a 2 year old....