AIBU to ask you to help me become a high/higher earner?

[VivaForEva]

I’m in my mid 30’s and currently work in a nursery earning a pittance.

Alongside this, I am doing a BA (Hons) Business Management (Accounting) degree through the OU.

DH earns £45k a year in a public sector role with a set rate of progression. His pay will always go up bands/increment levels, but it’ll be very much a gradual rise.

I have two years more to do of my 6 year degree (part time) and I really need some advice on how to use it to become a reasonably high earner? I know it’s not as simple as getting a degree and walking into a job and I’m totally content with beginning on the bottom rung of the ladder, as long as I’m working towards something more.

I just want to be able to offer more to my children than I can at present and really want to better myself.

Im very grateful for any advice.

Just popped on as I think a pp mentioned it's hard to find high paying roles where you can do the school run. That's not correct. I work in tech as suggested by another pp. I and lots of my colleagues who are parents can manage pick up and other things quire easily. I can work my diary to suit as the role is more outcome and delivery focused.
If you go into accounting and finance then do take a look at the roles which pay what you're after as my husband works in accounting (charity and Public sector) but doesn't earn well (for our requirements).
Good luck. Some really useful responses from others so hope it's useful.

Can you say a bit about what your talents and attributes are in addition to your degree? If you are a technical whizz or a deep thinker the suggested direction might be different to if you are a strategic thinker, a creative or an inspirational leader.
And also what you are willing to do for it and what you are not eg work long hours, travel, complete extra training in own time, work in a high stress environment, be competetive, go for promotion every year or so, self-advertise, sell your soul.
I was going to say take a look at opportunities within NHS or Social Care Commissioning (look at NHS England jobs for example). Its a business environment but opportunity to progress to the higher end of public sector salaries.
I am extremely happy earning two thirds of your goal salary and feel like I have won the jackpot doing a job that I love too.
If what you really want is to be a high earner, then that will make you happy. Good luck with your career exploration.

Oh I don't work in that sector btw, I made it sound like I do

I would look at the various financial services companies which have operations in the north. It will take you a little longer to reach £80k than if you were based in London but very possible to earn that figure after a few promotions so potential is there. Another alternative is to start in London, have a dreadful commute to the office for the required days (most in office at least two/ tree days a week the test from home) and when you have build trust you may be able to ask to be at home more permanently.

Things have changed now.

All learning is now done online so no need to go to college.

And yes you do get paid £80k in the regions - and even better you don't have to deal with the high costs from living in London.

Still three years to become CIMA qualified and if you fail an exam, you pay for the resits.

*£80k within 5-6 years

@Keepyourmummysboys you're an embarrassment to the internet. I hope you have a rotten hangover today

Wow. Just absolutely wow. What a nasty person you are.

I don't have anything to add, but good luck. I earn your target salary but have dine it via the medical route which I would not recommend.

I just wanted to say being a trailling spouse is bloody hard work and it really limits your employment options. Is dh planning to retire and support your children on a day to day basis?

Depends. BPP do all of their training online these days but Tolleys very much do still offer a face to face option, and some teams insist on the face to face courses. (Why?)

£80k in the regions is not impossible, but it will take a lot of time to get there, especially if the OP turns out to 'only' be 'average' and not a prize-winning prodigy. I just want her to be realistic about how long it will take to achieve her higher-earning dream if she stays in the regions.

Hopefully he can read though, so he is already doing better than you!

Thanks for the support everyone. It’s given me a lot to think about. IT type roles is something I’ve never considered, so will look into the options there.

Some posters pointed out that as a military family, we move frequently. We are hoping to buy a home in one area, however this could mean having to go what’s called “married unaccompanied”, if my husband ends up assigned away from the family home - which is quite likely. This will make my life very difficult, working long hours, potentially studying at the same time and being a solo parent on a long term basis.

I am really driven though, I’ve had to be to complete my degree whilst working and at times my husband being deployed.

Id say my key skills are that I am determined, good at maths and good with numbers, quite a logical person. I am someone who has always been valued by my employer because I’m a very positive person and can lift the spirits of a team, although I’ve never been in charge of a team so I’m not sure how I’d do with that.

Im willing to work really hard to get to where I want to be. After all the replies, I’m feeling really positive about it all. Thank you.

Look at typical salaries for roles and sectors.

Look at the main sectors and employers in your potential future geographical areas.

Look at emerging trends ans opportunities, where skills are in short supply and where skills will be needed more.

Get some careers advice through the OU.

Have a solid understanding of your own strengths and interests.

Set up a LinkedIn profile and follow people, companies and sector groups you might be interested in.

Think about how you can start building a professional network. Are there local "women in business" groups that could help (once you move)?

Set your husband's expectations that he'll need to step up re childcare and domestics while you get started.

Believe in yourself.

This is not correct I think maybe you are looking at median household income. Around 33k is median annual salary .

Depending on where in the country op lives Id say that is pretty decent

You've been getting good advice op and definably agree at looking at grad schemas now so you can start to prepare. Do think about work-life balance as high salary does sacrifice a lot and often not without stress.

There are lots of different accountancy and finance careers. It isn't simply a case of pick one and that is what you will be doing until you retire.

The job I do now didn't exist when I started work and the job I did when I started work doesn't exist now.

If you are going to be an accountant then get qualified. I have met too many people who didn't knuckle down to it then find themselves trapped in roles they have outgrown because they get rejected by CV sifting.

Getting qualified is hard not because the subject matter is particularly difficult but because getting through it all takes commitment. Life gets in the way. The people who lack commitment allow themselves to be side tracked.

There are different types of qualification. The main ones are ACA (chartered accountants), CIMA (management accountants), ACCA (certified accountants). Once qualified it's the experience you pick up which matters.

How rude are you? Not sure where you got the figure of 37k being the average salary. 45k is not huge but is a good salary. Did you just come on to be a bit of a twat?

I am in Ireland so you may need to look for local equivalent. As pp have said secure a job with a good reputation. I would suggest you approach it in two steps. Get the employer that is family friendly and then identify a key area to aim for.

Our education body publishes a future skills report it sets out growth areas.

Cyber security, project management, risk averse strategy, process review skills would have been predicted and jobs in these areas are paying high salaries.

@Keepyourmummysboys how nasty are you.

'Relatively low' and 'above average' are contradictory terms.

I think you might need to go back to maths classes - you understand that "above average" means earning more than 50% of the population? Hence not really a low wage?

If you were just wanting to point out that you earn above this, they make your brag and move on.

Exactly. Well said.
I can’t advise you, OP, as I don’t work in the line(s) that you’re aiming for, but it looks like you’ve had some good advice here.
Plus - I thank your husband for his military service.

Being irrelevantly bitchy doesn’t make you cool. Are you 13 or were you just pissed?

I earn about 50 thousand as a senior secondary teacher. But obviously I need childcare during term time. Don't get to do the school run! It's a pretty intense, busy job and not family friendly, apart from the holidays.

You’ve had some good advice on here and you will absolutely do very well - you are on the right track and have a great attitude.

The one thing I would say is to keep a open dialogue running with your husband. If you decide to become an accountant, you will eventually need to know where you are going to live, and it may be at some point it makes sense for him to leave the forces as you become the bigger earner. You don’t need to bring that up now, he might find it a bit alarming, but just open a general dialogue. A forces career can stand you in very good stead for a career outside. One of my relatives for example ended up working his way up to operations manager for one of the big accountancy firms (dealing with property moves around the world and all sorts) and did extremely well.

It may also be worth looking at the option of state secondary schools with boarding facilities should you need to bridge any gaps as you return to the Uk. They are usually very good schools.

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