Drunken monkey makes a good point about choices in early 20s. A number of people have great A Levels and degrees and from there go in very different directions with different outcomes. Money isn’t everything of course, but some of those people end up in minimum wage jobs and some in high flying careers because of choice they make.
I’ve seen a number of people start with the high flying career. They opted into law or accountancy with top firms on graduate schemes and worked their socks off for a number of years to get qualified and get impressive firms in their CV. Some then continued with this and reached the top of their profession. Others, later used that experience to branch out into key roles in things like charities or the public sector, which perhaps weren’t so well-paid but fitted with their personal ethos more, but which were only achievable because of their early experience in top graduate jobs.
My point is, if possible, it’s good to spend early 20s really pushing forward. There is plenty of time later for kicking back a bit, from a position of strength, if that’s what you want to do. Yes, we all know people too who started off wafting around and only in their 30s retrained or found their role that led to big bucks, but to be honest those are the minority. It’s easier for most to get the professional qualifications in and get into the good training contracts in their early 20s. As childless young people, often single and and flexible, there is the time to work hard without competing demands, which is often so hard once you have children.
Lots of people don’t want to work in the corporate world forever. Some find once they start the lure of the money and promotion means they find it hard to escape and of course lots don’t want to anyway. But those who start there often find it’s a benefit to them through their career, even if they only do if for a few years. The fact they got onto those schemes in the first place speaks volumes about their drive and ability, and the skills they learn there can be useful in all kinds of similar or very different places. Doesn’t have to be corporate, but could be something like Civil Service fast track too.
Realise not everyone can have places on those schemes. However, having a stronger sense of the possible career routes and potentials within different careers, rather than just what can be done at 21, is knowledge that more young people should spend time gathering or their parents guiding them towards. Doors might never totally close, but going through certain doors at 21 means others might open far more easily later. Doors do start to partially close or get more difficult to open fairly quickly and by 30 the broad trajectories for the lives of many (not all) are fairly well established.