to ask what the "stereotypical 6 figure MN mum" does?

[TigerJoy]

And how can the rest of us get a job like that?!

I remember this thread from last year and keep quoting it to my two teens!

There's an accountancy firm on the ground floor of our apartment block and in the summer they often have their door open for the breeze.

I've often heard them as I walk past and they're chatting and giggling etc. The job itself is probably mundane, but I'd imagine with fewer office politics and it's one you can probably happily leave behind when you go home.

They're all early 30s and beautifully dressed.

My good friend is a forensic accountant and is v well paid, sounds v interesting too. Gets to dig about in all the nefarious financial dealings

I should also mention that my sister's new tenant earned £120K last year (she had to ask for bank statements etc).

She told her that she was an Instagram influencer, but my sister has since found out that she's on OnlyFans!

The key to earning well isn't academic intelligence. It's street smarts.
Sure, some jobs really need very intelligent people and pay a premium for their skills.
But for most things, it's people skills and political game playing that gets you promoted and earning the big bucks.
As an independent contractor you need to deal with clients, promote your work, same thing.

I'm a software engineer and of course, the super intelligent + great with people are like unicorns and surge ahead. But if I had to pick, the ones 'great with people' get further ahead than the smart ones who can't leverage their intelligence.

OP the answer to your question is really simple. Pick a high earning profession.
I get that it's not easy but wanting to earn well is a starting point.

Women, especially are socialised into choosing 'what we like'. Not for me, £££ through and through. And not ashamed of it.

I started my career in banking early 20's and I have 2 kids and work full time and definitely not on 6 figure and had the very working class average background.

Might be an unpopular opinion but a lot of these 6 figure people tend to also have generational wealth and it really shows.

I earn over 6 figures. Work at a hedge fund, investor relations. Went to state school, ex-polytechnic uni. Degree in humanities subject. Joined a large asset manager as a team secretary and worked my way over to the hedge fund team. Rarely work outside my hours but paid for my knowledge & experience (>10yrs)

@Oneigeishma good point.

A friend of ours runs a very lucrative consultancy that helps companies pitch for business successfully, and he says that the no.1 factor in winning a bid is not how great your presentation is, but just how well you can get on with each other.

He says if you gel well with a client then together you have the means to do something great. If your pitch is amazing but you don't seem like someone they could happily work.with, then they're likely to go with a lesser presentation from someone they get on better with.

I was amazed at that advice when I first heard it, but it really makes sense. He's had 30 years of experience at this.

Wondering what cyber security niche this is that needs only excel - I'm guessing something related to the data analysis

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Yes there are more intelligent people than me where I work but do they have the right people skills, are they able to communicate technical processes in an easy to understand way. Can they build relationships with people across the organisation.
As a contractor so much of this is really important if you’re being paid hundreds a day you need to hit the ground running and add value straight away. Technical people with good people skills are unfortunately rare.

Among my friends, it’s the opposite: only those who came from relative or intergenerational wealth could afford to consider careers where initial (and often longer term) pay is poor: media, fashion, journalism, theatre and the arts. You can afford not to worry about earning six figures if there’s going to be family financial help. Of my friends and I who earn the highest we’re mainly working class women who knew if there was any chance of having the sort of lifestyle we wanted, owning a home at a young age etc, it was by choosing a career with a good chance of a high salary. That tended to mean moving to London and working in finance, tech, IT, law etc. I think London is probably the key aspect.

I’m pretty sure people are referring to investment banking or senior roles in banks’ headquarters in major cities like London. I imagine a NatWest branch manager in the North East, say, is not on six figures, even though that technically falls under “banking”.

To be honest I don’t know the ins and outs, but it was a years ago and they’ve said since they’d probably need a degree and/or other experience and skills to get this role now as entry level. So definitely an element of ‘luck’ with the timing etc. It does show it’s possible though.

Agree with this.

I do think that some of these people underestimate how badly paid the interesting jobs are longterm and end up worse off overall than the less privileged who pursue high-paying careers, even with the family help (which is usually a one-time cash sum, especially if there are multiple siblings that also need support). With COL and stagnant wages, some are now impoverished and living a lifestyle very, very different from the one they grew up with.

Haha that makes sense.
According to the old-timers tech was for the bottom set back in the day. People left school, got jobs cabling up servers etc then worked their way up. Computer science as a discipline is quite young but even then, as in now many jobs didn't require that level of academic training. Just knowing what goes where, same as a plumber or mechanic.
My current boss started as a clerk, now 30 years in the tech industry, another colleague worked in manufacturing, programming machines etc now works for a FAANG. As a 'bright young thing' I really enjoy working with them!

Starting salary as a grad is not even close to £80k, not even in London. I don’t think it hits £80k until around 3-4 years PQE, so 6-7 years post graduation.

Apparently the average Chartered accountant in Leinster, Ireland is €118k I earn nothing near that but that is pretty much my choice. I am a job with an excellent work/ life balance. I earn €30k for 3 days a week.

I know that lots of accountants do earn like that but I really don't think they have the life I'd like. I know ones who earn about €60/70k full time can work mon - fri, 9 to 5, and leave their work at the door. I only know that because I did some short term contracts before getting this job so say the payroll. IDK how people know what their friends earn.

I am so glad I went down that road though. Because I can't imagine many jobs where I could earn like that for about 21 hours WFH per week. I can also leave when I need for kids etc and catch up on work later.

Yes that is very true as well.

My role as a Senior Finance Analyst where I work compared to someone in the private sector is shocking. Might have to move to the private sector now 😂

Exactly! Shows having street smarts and being intuitive can sometimes get you further than traditional academic qualifications in a lot more roles than people think.

I'm not ashamed to admit that is me! I did economics at uni, I was going to be a stock broker and a millionaire by the time I was 30. Then my sister died of cancer when she was only 33 and it changed my outlook a lot.

I have a very comfortable job as a PT accountant and probably will go and earn a lot more when my children are older. But for now I am enjoying life. The partners where I trained never took a full day off as far as I could tell! They were always emailing.

Getting the qualifications/ experience to have that took a slog but it was worth it, even if I have not 'cashed in'

Chartered accountant/Finance Director

Those earning across my friends similar include:

• Partner at Magic Circle law firm
• Doctor
• Compliance officer
• Corporate governance
• Sales

Pharmaceuticals. Working-class background, went to uni. Worked my way up in my area of expertise in a couple of different industries then settled in pharma. Had my son at 37, been a single parent from the start so it's just my income but I'm very fortunate.

I work in the arts/media and that is quite an all or nothing career so wouldn't necessarily recommend unless it's a true gift/passion - lots of friends earn six figures quite easily, others struggle each month. But you can be a writer in TV, for example, that nobody has really heard of and easily make £250k a year once you've got a certain amount of experience.

A lot of privileged backgrounds but that is slowly changing. I went to a state school and had no family connections but did get a first from oxbridge.

Yeah, I wish my parents and school could have told me my passion doesn’t pay big bucks and when you do earn 100k the responsibility is astronomical and will affect your quality of life.

Genuine question, are some of the sacrifices and working conditions some of you have mentioned worth it for those 6 figures. It’s like living to work rather than working to live.

At the same time I absolutely LOVE seeing women in these powerful positions and smashing those glass ceilings- just remember at the end of the day none of it would be worth it and I hope your still enjoying your lives.

❤️

Not quite 6 figures, but the next job will take me over that threshold.

Pretty much failed A levels (BNU were my grades) at a crap comp. Trained as a nurse (old style non degree training). Used that qualification to get on to a degree in social policy. From there, I joined the NHS grad scheme.

Took a career break for a few years. Restarted my career in the charity sector in a part-time admin role about 12 years ago in my early 40s. Think I earned about £5kpa at the start. Did several internal moves, went full time and ended up heading up a division of the charity 6 years later. Moved across to a board role in a smaller charity then on again to an arms length public body (not civil service but associated body).

The longest I've stayed in any job is 4 years. If I don't get promoted I move on. You're far more likely to get a salary rise by moving employers than by being promoted.