To ask if you don't have a degree and earn a good salary...

[atcrossroad]

What do you do and how did you get into it?

@MioMioMioMio yes, correct.
At a point,.when I'd just purchased my house and had a renovation to fund, I had three contracts.
A fair amount of my friends, working in similar fields, do the same.
However my work is delivery / outcome based as opposed to output and bum on seat. Not necessarily a traditional 9 to 5 which is what I need to have a degree of work life balance.

I've worked at companies where they refuse to interview anyone without a degree (in tech) despite their being seniot managers earning over £100k without a degree. I think its more difficult now than it was 20 years ago. Degree is often a basic requirement now.

I have a degree and a postgrad and a well paid job BUT… the lady I work with all day every day, who is bloody brilliant and earns just more than me (we are paid on results) doesn’t have a degree.

my degree made is easier to get the job, but she had more experience when she joined and picked up a really complicated industry fast.

I work in sales. There are lots of jobs, but you at the minimum need some kind of sales role before you get one of the higher paid positions.

honestly if you’re good at just talking to people, then it’s a good career, lots of earning potential if you avoid the scammy mlm style things.

Sorry to be dense, but do you mean financial trading or physical market trading..? If the latter, do you make/produce what you sell..?

(My DD has ADHD, and some physical limitations, and is struggling to work out how she can earn a living whilst still enjoying how she spends her days.)

Is that a normal wage for a nanny, or do you work abroad/travel a lot/long hours/for v demanding people...?!?

Just over £85k, I manage a change team in financial services. Fell into it, needed a job so got an admin role in mortgages data entry, really awful money . Then applied for a project manager role and progressed from there. I’ve got a levels (and some professional qualifications gained whilst a project manager).

No degree, left school at 16.

Im a senior service delivery manager for an IT company.

I worked for a financial services company in a pretty shitty job in my early 20s, there was an internal vacancy for a trainee IT administrator so I applied and got it, worked my way up from there.

What I would say is that I relocated for the job, and again when the relocated the offices to another county, I found that if I offered to do the shitty jobs that no one wanted to do, and did them well, was proactive and flexible it's amazing how quickly you can progress in a career. But the biggest thing is to have a happy, helpful and positive attitude. People remember that when it comes to appraisals and promotions. I found I was shit at the technical stuff, but good with customers, so I took the customer relationship route in IT rather than technical. I'm now on a very good salary, in a job I love with the flexibility I need. Even at 50 I've just won an internal award for contribution.

@HBGKC my hourly rate isn’t exceptional for my experience and the area I live- I wouldn’t work for less anymore. I’ve never had a pay rise in a job, only between when I’ve put it up and this is a relatively new job (about a year). I work a 50 hour week for my base salary but babysit approximately one evening a week too, which is money on top. I haven’t been abroad with this family yet but I’m contracted to, for up to 2 weeks if they want me to. They are also heavily reliant on me day to day, I order the nappies, and anything the cleaner needs, cook food for them to have at the weekends, do all the baby’s washing, stay late last minute if I can.

i think this is so depressing.

I can only assume you’ve worked with shitty HR people (there are plenty!) or in businesses where HR isn’t valued.

A good HR professional can add a lot of value to a business.

I know several HR colleagues who earn well in to 6 figures and have a seat on the board.

how is it depressing @Notwavingbutsignalling ?

I have a degree and before maternity was earning £38k as a Marketing Manager.

Partner doesn't have degree and earns £130k as an accountant but obviously you have to do your ACA.

@MegaManic what field do you work in? I have similar (sounding) qualifications and want to earn £200k thanks!

I think it's very difficult to achieve the best salaries without a degree now. It was much easier to achieve decent salaries until the whole 'everyone needs to get a degree' malarkey started.

In my company now even the PA need a degree which seems daft to me and was unheard of when I started out but it is what it is. I'm an accountant no degree low 6 figure salary plus bonus.

I know a lot of tradies earning £50k+, some whilst working 3-4 days a week but you do have to tend to retire early and self-fund pension pots.

At work we've recently taken on an apprentice from A levels for an accountancy position. Starting on £22k, will be on £25k after first quals within a year, probably £35k by the end of qualifying in 3-4 years so before they're 25. Depending on the route they choose within the company they could easily be on £60k without needing to get into senior management.

For anyone who is interested in a career change, most apprenticeships are open to anyone at any life stage. I'd definitely recommend exploring them as an option if you're thinking about your earning potential post-mat leave.

Chartered Accountant via a training contract and the olden days term "serving my articles" that nowadays would be equivalent to taking the apprenticeship route.

IT. A talent for logical thinking.

I also know someone in sales that earns an exceptional salary for their age (in their 20s). They don't have a degree but they have skills and natural temprament that suits the industry they are in. I also guess the money is not guaranteed - I think her basic isn't much above the NMW but she never earns that level as she is soooooo good at sales.

Not me, did accounting quals, working in finance not practice, 6 figure salary (not the bottom end). Very clever and extremely strong work ethic.

I think it’s a shame recruiters aren’t more open to non degree holders. There are plenty of very able intelligent people who never did a degree. Also know a couple of people who went to the big 4 on their apprenticeship schemes straight out of uni and doing well.

I'm in construction - no A-Levels or degree earn about £50k

Husband is a Welder Fabricator - no GCSE's, Alevels or Degree - earns about 60K

Neither DH or I have a degree.

He is MD of a sales company and earns £120k
I am an accountant (did professional exams on the job) and earn 80k

Both of us have worked bloody hard and are 'work-clever' if that makes sense. There are lots of people that we work with that have numerous qualifications but are just not business-savy.

DSis is an HR Director and sits on the board of a large company. She earns £150k plus bonus (generally about 30%), very expensive company car, decent pension contribution. She's 45.

Partner earns over 100k, no degree and works on high voltage power lines.

DD is a branch manager for a big bank. She started at the bottom, meeting people on the door, and worked her way up. Now manages a large flagship branch.

No degree

Left school at 16 and went into an apprenticeship upto the equivalent of a level

Currently work under 25 hours a week and on around £60k a year

BiL earns circa £50k as a self employed chef.

Colleagues without degrees earn good money as Chartered Legal Executives and as solicitors qualified via the non-graduate route.