Need a higher paying job if I want to get further in Iife

[Nooriginalusernameidea]

I've got a Degree and I'm a qualified teacher. I earn about 23k doing various supply/agency jobs. I know it isn't a terrible salary, but if I want children, a home, car etc. Maybe it just won't be enough.
Partner is on a low salary too and looking for higher paid work. However I noticed that my friends all have husbands/partners on very good salaries, not sure if this was deliberate but I would rather earn the money myself.
I'm currently a TA and care assistant. I make 23k by not taking many holidays and doing long hours, so it's not ideal. I haven't had more than 4 days off in nearly 2 years.
I'm considering my ECT year in teaching (put it off for a while) but too many horror stories of burnt out teachers, signed off with stress, bullying etc.
I know it would be a lot of work but everyone seems to warn you against it.
I'm currently awaiting to hear back from a probation services officer application, so fingers crossed. It's still 23k but there's progression.
I know money isn't everything, but our rent is going up too by £200 per month in a few months.
It's a shame as I do enjoy my work and it's low stress (apart from care sometimes) but feel like I will not be able to afford things.

I mean 4 consecutive days obviously!

I don't really understand your AIBU sorry and I've read it a few times...

But taken from what I have read

Yes you need to earn more money if you want the expensive things in life, or to not have to worry about money, or to be comfortable

If you can make it work on 23k fine but recognise it'll be tight

Some people like less stress, god knows I would like less stress in my life but the flip side is I earn more than double you do and don't really worry about money

Not necessarily looking for expensive things in life but just the basics, house, possibly a car and eventually raising a child though this would be on 2 salaries. I suppose I'd better get looking

I’m sure you’re not really suggesting that your friends deliberately chose high paying partners so that they wouldn’t have to earn money themselves, but that’s what it reads like!
Yes, if you want ‘more’ (materially) from life then you have to earn more money. There’s no getting around that.

Why would you put yourself through qualifying and then become a TA and have to work 2 jobs and moan about the money!

I have just started my ECT (Year 1) and the way I'm thinking is the sooner I start the sooner I finish!

Why on earth have you done teacher training but not bothered to do your ECT years - on the say so of other people who say it's stressful?

Frankly if you're not going to try things out for yourself you're not really going to get anywhere in life are you.

Start teaching and start your career.

You need to think about what’s important to you and then work out a budget. Would you want to earn more but be in an unfulfilling job? If you have children, would you want part time or have them in nursery? Do you want to buy a house or would you be happy renting? Life doesn’t always work out as planned but having some clear goals, and a reason for them, helps with choosing a path.

My DD started her ECT first year this year and loves it. It is a lot of work but she was prepared for that.

It's definitely worth doing.

Thing is, you’re not really a properly qualified teacher until you have done the ECT bit. A really obvious thing to do
would be to get on with it so you can be paid as a teacher.

Surely you knew teaching would be stressful when you decided to train as one. It won’t have been news that the ECT year is stressful. Or that they job can be too.

You really do need to crack on these days you bachelors degree is literally just your 1st° my kids all know that they’re gonna need to do a masters to actually push themselves beyond the heard.

I guess your equivalents is doing the ECT.

Even if you don’t end up a teacher with that under your belt it won’t do you any harm to have it.

I have a friend who is the IT support person for a Academy I believe he’s on about 45 grand a year but he does have the teaching qualification so if he needed to jump into the fray to help them out he could and I suspect that’s why he got the job over the other 150 applicants.

Yes, you will have to earn more. £23K is not a lot. Money isn't everything, yes we all know this; but socioeconomic research shows that people need about $60-75K (US), so £53-£67 for emotional wellbeing.

Money isn't everything, but having enough removes a lot of stress and unhappiness. It also gives you options to buy back more time, and leave relationships or jobs if you want.

Are you saying your friends with partners on very good salaries don't earn their own money?

Why have you done your teacher training but not the ECT?

Surely you knew teaching was potentially a stressful career choice?

Is there a time limit to get that done and be fully qualified rather than earning TA wages?

Get a full time job doing what you trained and qualified for?

Get promotions and pay rises, and a pension.

Full time teaching when you are not a parent, and when you are youthful, and given the holidays, shouldn’t burn you out!

People who earn a lot often work long hours and have a fair amount of stress.

Get ahead of yourself now, with an established career, enough for a mortgage, and a modest savings pot. Then it will be much easier to start a family in due course.

Well settling for and wasting years doing low salary jobs with no opportunity for progression is not going to get you what you say you want.

You sound very lazy, happy to show up and do the hours, but not put the effort in to think and take action to move outside of your comfort box. Is your partner the same? Two people in a couple like this can make it difficult for either of you to achieve more than getting up, doing the same thing every day and pottering along with life wondering why others have move.

You are degree educated, go out and make something of that!

Don’t understand why you’re looking at probation service now.
You’ve done training in schools and worked as a TA. Why wouldn’t you do your ECT year? At least to have an option to fall back on 🤷🏻‍♀️
People complain about teacher’s pay, but there are plenty of career teachers with bloody good salaries. Which I’m not saying they don’t have to work hard for, and don’t deserve! But if you want to earn well in a career - make your way up the ladder in teaching and there’s money to be had.
I think you’re crackers not to get your ECT done.

I feel the same and I'm starting to make moves towards where I actually need to be. I'm not lazy but not at all career motivated. However, this is going to have to change if I want to be able to afford things, whether I like it or not!

I agree you should go ahead and do your ECT. That's the logical next step after your degree. It's also the easiest way to move up the salary ladder and progress professionally. I know a few TAs who would dream to have the necessary qualifications to be teachers. Seize the opportunity!

I don’t understand why you’ve spent money getting a teaching degree yet you haven’t used it. Of course higher stress jobs pay more money and you have to make the effort to do it if you want to afford the things you want in life.

Get your ECT done and then seek progression in school. After my second year, I’ve been promoted and given Ned additional paid responsibilities every year until reaching SLT. If you work in an açai chain, there is also huge scope for highly paid leadership roles beyond being a principal.

A couple of years on the main pay scale, plus a TLR will put you on an extra £10,000 in the time you could still be qualifying for another job.

I'm really not lazy, I work 40+ hours, but I don't want to end up working 60-70 hour weeks. That isn't laziness, it's wanting to have some sort of balance. I've barely had a long holiday in years. So maybe think before you call someone lazy.
The other replies are helpful, I did know it was stressful, I didn't manage to get an ect role initially and thought I could manage on a lower salary but now I do need to face facts.

But I'll apply for the ECT, I'm just worried about finding it too much and maybe failing, but agree it's daft not to try

However I noticed that my friends all have husbands/partners on very good salaries, not sure if this was deliberate but I would rather earn the money myself.

Some sounds jealous.

Your ECT year will be 60-70 hour weeks min for sure.
But once you have done it, a lot more options will be open to you. You don't have to stick with being a mainstream class teacher based at a school.

I think most people who have the financial security you describe have had to do at least a few years without the work life balance you would like. You need to establish yourself first then you can start to be a bit picker over roles that suit your lifestyle.

It takes that extra level of effort to develop the skill set to be able to be able to move forward in my opinio, it's not just a case of 'doing your time', to become highly skilled enough for higher paid roles etc you need to spend a few years on a steep learning curve.

I did mainstream class teaching for 3 years, moved into specialised SEND teaching roles, Senco (with a FT Class) but last year, 9 years after qualifying I started working as a specialised teacher in the LA'S Ed Psych team, which is probably 40-50 hours pw with flexitime and about 50% the time I work from home, I feel like I've hit a good level of work life balance now.

I was only in a position to afford the lifestyle you describe from about M4 upwards. Being a homeowner and having just a basic level of financial security, rightly or wrongly, takes a fair bit of effort these days.

You sound a bit nervous about your ECT year. You have passed your teacher training, what makes you think you would struggle? And you now have extra experience from supply.

Even if you change direction, you will still need to spend most of your 20s working much more than 40 hours a week to achieve the goals you described. I work closely with social workers, health professionals etc and its exactly the same with them.

Good luck if you go for an ECT role xx

Sorry I mean ECT years... I still think of the NQT year because I'm old 😖

I'm really not, I don't care what a partner earns. Literally just posted that I'd rather earn my own money...
You can't rely on a partner's salary forevermore, nothing is guaranteed in life.