Degree educated but won't go for managerial jobs

[MiaMarshmallows]

Anyone else know someone like this? This person is a family member. None of my business I know but I do wonder.
She is degree educated, has health issues and made redundant from a job she had been in for years (Well below her skill set but she loved it.)
Just feel she is really doing herself a disservice and feels like it's lack of confidence more than anything.

You do seem weirdly over involved in the life of this family member OP. Not really sure why it bothers you so much? I’d hate to be a manager & wouldn’t aspire for anyone to be a manager as it’s very stressful.

Er, none of your bloody business. There are many different ways to be ‘successful’ in life and it doesn’t have to mean being ‘in management’.

What makes you think someone with a degree steps into a managerial role? No disrespect but I've worked in recruitment/hr years and experience accounts for much more than a degree, some of the best managers/people I've worked with have left school and worked their way up.

BTW, He has a PhD but is the worst manager I have had in my life, no leadership attributes, no spine. Just a little person locked in his office pushing paper and only coming out to lick his boss’ shoes.

I graduated 20 years ago and had a well paid job until I quit become a sahm. Never managed anyone in my life but still earned good money.

@MiaMarshmallows

I don't want to say what she does as it could be quite outing but not many people have degrees in her line of work. She has lots of experience and I really do think she would get a managerial job very quickly. I just think she is wasting her talent and years of experience. She will end up being managed by someone who has nowhere near her level of expertise. Just don't want her to regret this. I think a lot of her issues stem from very low self esteem and I womder whether it's that feeling of 'I can't do that.im not good enough.' going on. She is always quite adamant that she doesn't like the idea of managerial roles and says herself that she feels bad for saying that as she went to uni but like I say, I think a lot of it is confidence related and on reflection, only she can really change that.

Managers aren't always about having a level of expertise, in fact sometimes the biggest mistake someone with expertise (especially in a niche role) can make is moving to management as it dilutes their time spent on their skillset. My manager couldn't do my job but understands it enough to manage me and use my work to make commercial decisions.

@Nohomemadecandles

Managing people isn't the only mark of success. It's a different skill to doing the actual job too.

Strange judgy post

^^^ This

Management skills are very important and specific. Looking after people, essentially. Which can be very stressful. And is different to day job.

Stepping in as a manager when it's not a job you know (?) is incredibly hard as you have to prove yourself.

Some people are hard workers and very good at doing the work. They are very important. Very important indeed. A person who knows the job and gets on with it to a high standard is worth their weight in gold.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do that and not wanting to move up a step and into all the politics and bullshit tbh.

She had health issues. Her old job suited her very well.

Support her in confidence applying for the roles that appeal to her. That would be a great thing to do.

Having a degree doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get a management job. So many people have degrees now a days

Do you mean senior roles rather than managerial roles, OP?

She probably knows herself and what she’s capable of. I never want to be a manager, I’d rather be the best team member my manager knows they can can rely on. Im happy at that level

I have a degree but I never want to be a manager

Management jobs are shit. That’s why they pay more, otherwise you’d never get anyone to do it. Who in their right mind wants to go to work to do rotas, authorise expenses, and listen to staff moaning about each other? Better to get into a professional job with a decent salary (e.g. law or accounting) and do what you enjoy.

Being happy in a job is worth so much more than being in one you feel you should be in. I did that for several years, I had a very 'good' job- well paid, used my degree and had a clear career path. But I hated it, every day I dreaded going in, to the point I would keep myself awake the night before so the morning wouldn't come round as quickly, which isn't healthy at all! I found a lower paid job, less responsibility but I absolutely love it. Money is a bit tighter but thankfully it's managable with a bit of a cushion, and I actually am one of those strange people who enjoy work. I don't use my professional degree at all, but I wouldn't swap jobs with one again for anything.

My DH has several degrees & did excellently in his professional exams. He managed one person for a short while & hated it. His dad looks down on him for not being a manager. Had a perfectly good career & has now retired early, is very happy.

I have several degrees & have never even had a graduate job, for all sorts of reasons. I would take a dim view of someone posting this about me...

I have a degree. I have a professional job. People ask me why I dont apply for a managerial position.
I have health issues that I dont really want to discuss but long hours and stress make it worse.
I am not a people person and I have no interest in managing other people, sorting out issues about who sits where and people telling on each other for taking a long lunch holds no interest to me at all.
Admittedly in my job it would be technical leadership but it's still cadjoulong and inspiring others and it just sounds boring to me

OP do you have a degree or much work experience? Just you're talking about this in quite a niave way. In some fields yiu need certain experience or qualifications to be a manager or its super competitive.

In others, like what my sister does they ahe moved to the staff team having the technical skills but the manager having people management and project management skills. So the team do the thing and the manager manages it.

In some jobs the role can massively change when you manage a team. From doing to just managing other people's doing. She may not be a fan of this.

Some people like the work life balance of a non manigerial role.
Also finally it's none of your buisness.

I have a degree, am a manager and I hate it. I'm just great at delegating. I'd far rather do something myself. The only reason I am doing this role is because I live in a part of the country with crap wages and compared to non-managerial degree level roles, the pay is better. Not everyone is cut out for management with or without a degree.

I have 3 degrees. I would make a SHITE manager. I would hate it, and I can guarantee my unfortunate underlings would hate it even harder.

It's not easy to grasp OP's logic here - has she conflated 'managerial' with 'promoted/senior' posts?

Yabu. Utterly.
Management is a skill. One of many skills. I have had management jobs. Much happier in my current job.

I don't want to say what she does as it could be quite outing but not many people have degrees in her line of work. In that case it would be an absolute waste for her to move from the hands-on stuff that few people can do to a managerial post which could be done by many.

My DF is the most intelligent person I know (and I went to Oxbridge!). He’s quite happy doing what he loves and he doesn’t want to deal with the trials and tribulations of managing other people. Yes, it has limited his career, but he’s incredibly well respected in his field and has done well for himself and gained international recognition.
I think a lot of intelligent people feel similarly. They’re academic and hard workers, but find management roles stressful and uninteresting.

Dd has a degree and a Masters.

Has no confidence and hates confrontation so she will never reach her full earning potential because she has not got what it takes mentally to be in a high pressure job.

She is articulate and very bright but extremely shy.

I blame it on her all girl grammar school education which concentrated on exam results and no regard for pastoral care.

My nan, who left school at 15, loved giving me career advice. She knew nothing about the 21st century job market, she knew nothing about my degree and what me and my peers went on to do with it. She had a small list of "good" jobs she was aware of (teacher, lawyer, journalist) and anything else she was sceptical and critical of.

You know what's bad for self esteem? Someone criticising you for your decisions, saying you should be doing this or that.

I'd try being nicer to your long-suffering young relative. Knowing you disapprove of her career decisions isn't exactly going to be a confidence-building for her.

I guess I meant more senior roles as well as management.
When you see wasted talent it's just sad. She will be managed by people a lot younger than her with less experience and qualifications. I just wish she could see she is worth more than that.