Feel like I’ll be on low wage forever

[Athena44]

I qualified as a teacher but absolutely no idea how I passed. I am useless at being a teacher, I lack assertiveness and the kids just laugh at me and call me ‘cute’. One even said I was smiling when I told them off which I didn’t realise I was doing! Either that or I eventually just lose my temper which isn’t good either.

Anyway I’ve never done my nqt year and don’t plan to, I qualified 5 years ago so I doubt any school would hire me as an nqt now anyway.

I do a job which pays £9.20 an hour, which I do enjoy but I almost feel embarrassed to not be on a high salary at 30. There are people 5 years younger than me who likely earn more than double what I do.

I always thought money wasn’t everything and I valued having a good work life balance. I didn’t want to live to work but rather the opposite.
I have posted before, I shouldn’t compare myself to peers but I know some are on way more, yet some are also low earners and seem happy on it and living in flat shares.

I'm a low earner OP (£9.55ph, though unsocial hour shifts and Bank holidays 50% more) as I was out of work for a long time, but I do really love my job.

There's no stress, it's very active, great team of people and it makes all the difference in the world when you enjoy what you do. Some will judge a low wage, but when I hear about my friends jobs they're so stressed and overworked! For me it's not worth it and it's more important to have work/life balance.

That’s great you enjoy your job, and you’re right a work life balance is important. My job is the same, I start and finish at the set hours, no unpaid overtime and I can go home and forget about my work.
I shouldn’t be comparing myself with others and I do have low outgoings and no children so can live alright on my wage, I don’t know why I feel this way.

Work life balance is really important. Its shouldn't be dismissed. The people who genuinely enjoy giving all to work, are few and far between.

But there's also nothing wrong with wanting more. To keep the work life balance you may not earn what you would want to, in your wildest dreams. But could earn more. And have a middle ground.

Comparing yourself doesn't help at all. Friends will have different jobs, skills, qualifications, opportunities etc.

I didn't earn what I think is decent money until I was in my late 30s. And it's in a job, I would have ever dreamed of doing. I just put my CV on CV library and other sites so it was available to view and it came to me. Its extremely lucky that they wanted someone with a very 'diverse' CV.

You have to make a plan and go with it. We're there bit of teaching you did enjoy? I am not overly familiar with teaching and opportunities it opens up, but there should be some.

Look in to working in business, they often have education/learning teams that facilitate training. Or look at adult education.

I doubt you would have the same behaviour issues in an adult group.

Get using your skills imo.

Or an apprenticeship degree, I work in a bank that does these, they pay for your degree as you work, think they pay around £18k per year. At the end you have a degree and move in to a.permenant role, often at management level.

So they pay you £18k a year to work and pay for your degree.

Have you posted about this before as it wasn't long ago a similar thread popped up. There were lots of helpful advice on there, I'll see if I can find it.

Consider working at a university, there are lots of departments that could use your skills. It doesn't have to be in a teaching position but you have lots of useful, transferable skills.
www.jobs.ac.uk/search/administrative

I'm a bit confused by your post as you say you've qualified as a teacher but don't have an NQT. Do you have a PGCE instead?

I'm a teacher. There are lot I like about it, but I never switch off, I have work to do every night, there's constant pressure to do more.
I have dreamed many times of dropping it all to work in a bar or a shop. So long as you have money to live on, that's enough.

Thanks for the suggestions they’re great. Adult education is a good idea, I did it previously and really enjoyed it but it was zero hours sadly.
I worked for one school and if even one out of 15 students was unhappy with an element of your lesson, they’d take off all your classes and give them to another teacher.

I should be careful what I wish for I know. I do have a great work life balance and minimal stress, I suppose I’m focusing too much on societal expectations and comparing myself to peers.

@Illogicalmadness

I'm a bit confused by your post as you say you've qualified as a teacher but don't have an NQT. Do you have a PGCE instead?

You can qualify as a teacher and get NQT status, but the original poster means they completed their teaching qualification, but did not do their NQT year - ie first year of teaching as a qualified teacher.

Yes I received a pgce 5-6 years ago but have not completed my nqt, so I doubt schools would take me on now.