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.

Was this aimed at me? I'm not civil service but I also haven't skipped any levels, there were a couple of pay rises applied to everyone whilst in the £42k job so it may look like I skipped but didn't. Mat leave definitely delayed me moving on sooner (had fertility issues also so was stuck in a less than great job longer than I wanted to be). I side stepped out of specialism for one role but it was a deliberate move to fill gaps in experience and I always planned (and did) to go back to my specialism. Every job has been a move working with new people that have never met me. I wouldn't have had the same amount of opportunity if I wanted to stay with people I knew. But I haven't had to relocate or anything.

I've done well in my sector, but compared to others on re grad scheme there are some (particularly men) who have moved up the ladder faster than me. Mostly because none of them have children, but also because they have more niche experience and opportunities came along at the right time, think restructures etc. I won't go for a job based on it just being a step up, it's also got to be something I want to do and that fills whatever gaps I feel I have. Long term I'll be in a much stronger position for very senior posts should I want them. It has been commented on in my current post that I have breadth and depth of experience that the majority of others do not, meaning I have a variety of options going forward.

So far the only role I've had formal line management experience in was the £32k one, but I am pushing for formal line management now as I do miss it. It's a bit weird not to have it but often there has been dotted reporting lines it's just not been me being the formal manager.

If you manage to get a truly remote role you’ll be very well set, whatever field you choose. I can literally work anywhere with an internet connection currently. Keep an eye to the future and the huge changes coming down the line in AI.

I’d go against the grain on a grad scheme especially with the big 4. I’d only entertain that as an option if your husband was in a position to put your career first for a few years as it would be intense - and it doesn’t sound like he could do that if he could end up being posted somewhere as married unaccompanied.

Financial services could be a good option though - the regulators are pushing heavily on diversity & inclusion. A lot of firms have attained or are going after various D&I accreditations (Women in Finance, Armed Forces Covenant, Disability Confident Leader etc). This means they should be more open to women returners and all other under-represented groups.

You don’t need to be on a grad scheme to progress and get study support. Any decent employer should be funding your accountant exams and courses and giving you some paid leave (although admittedly the leave won’t be very generous unless you are in one of the big practices). The advantage of doing it outside a grad scheme is that you can manage your own pace more. You can decide when to push hard on exams and when you need to slow down for family life (although you’ll still be expected to be committed to it).

In my experience £80k plus roles expect a lot of hours of work and dedication. Me and DH both earn this in our thirties in different roles, recruitment and marketing. It can be really tough juggling with family life. I think sector is really important, we both work in tech and there's lots of money to be had, plus great perks like long paternity and private health insurance etc.

I have a similar background to yours and done it by getting a master's from a reputable university and working in finance. You will need to look into consulting or investment banking type of place, some of the boutique / smaller ones are more family friendly. The expectations are however so high at all times that even if you don't do 80 hour weeks it's very stressful. I'm sitting here on a Sunday evening freaking out about a presentation tomorrow and wondering if it's worth it. A close friend of mine was signed off from work because of inexplicable high blood pressure after a very stressful period at work and ended up changing industries and he isn't the only person I know who experienced similar stuff.
I think maybe put yourself a limit in terms of how long you would do it and then use the experience to go to a less stressful role in an industry with high margins.
There is a lot of emphasis on diversity at the moment and many places are still lacking women, so there is an advantage there.