To feel like some jobs are a total con?

[Changeusern8me]

I'm not talking about sales or timeshare or multilevel marketing businesses which are obvious cons. I'm talking about low paid jobs where you slave away for low pay and have the carrot of promotion dangled in front of you which is even slightly more money for poor pay. I'm talking about care, shops, bakeries, fast food, childcare, telesales. I despise these companies which are such a con and prey on the weak, the vulnerable, the desperate, the kindhearted and innocent. They dress up these roles and oversell them but in reality it's hard work, huge time commitments for shitty poor pay. Am I completely paranoid or are these careers just a total con? My niece is thinking of leaving sixth form to get a job in carework and I worry she will end up trapped in hamster wheel of low pay. It just made me think that if she does decide to leave it will be a Sliding Doors moment she will regret. Sorry for the rant but am I being unreasonable in saying these jobs are a trap or am I in fact correct?

These careers allow you to start with no qualifications and get to management level with higher pay. Unlike being doctor or a lawyer. You can’t do those jobs without qualifications. Surely you know this.

Would you rather she not work?

My friend is head of a reception team - and is only on £12 an hour. And has been a middle manager on the same or lower pay too. Both NHS (doctor/dentist) admin roles. So you don't always easily progress to higher pay.

So the point of low paid jobs is for those with no/little poor education. My mother made me work part time in retail at 16 to try and get across the point of an education working hard and progressing. You then of course have people who end up in those jobs due to the hrs for childcare - supermarkets and retail some of who are vastly over qualified

Personally think care work and childcare need to be paid more and as such need to have relevant level of education and skill set to attract and retain appropriate staff.

So yes if your neice left college without decent qualifications and no clear plan to progress within the industry she will just likely be part of the grind. Part time job whilst studying absolutely good skills.

If she wants to go out and earn and get out of college she needs to enroll in a training programme e.g. store management to have a ladder up and out of scraping by

How is it a “con” when there’s no deception involved?

The deception is that it is sold as a career but not paid or valued any more than other jobs which require ittle little to no skills or previous experience. The con is that you do much and give so much of your soul for so little financial reward. It's disgusting she won't be able to get a mortgage on those kinds of poor salaries. I worry for her future that's all.

You do know that everyone is not career driven.

It's nothing to do with you.

Whatever drives you is going to be more achievable when you aren't scraping by though @Mademetoxic

But they are jobs that have to be done...

Minimum wage is still too low really but its vastly improved

You don't really believe that working in a shop or as a carer is a career? They are jobs, which as pp has pointed out, work for some without the need qualifications, but are not careers

That's my point. They are cons @InterGalacticc not careers

Don't knock anyone working an honest living.

These posts really piss me off.

No, not a con. I think we don't appreciate many of the lower paid jobs. At my mum's care home there is one of the carers who is not very clever, probably wouldn't be able to do a job earning higher wages and when it comes to paperwork etc needs someone else just keeping an eye to make sure it is all ok, but she is so kind, so cheerful, so caring and adds so much to my mum's life. She can relate to my demented mum on a level mum can cope with and is always so concerned with making sure mum is comfortable and feels secure. But she is never going to be able to have a high paid job or career with any real responsibility and we need to be comfortable with the idea that not everyone can.

Minimum wage is a hell of a lot more than it used to be but companies will do anything to pay the least amount possible.
Some are now offering apprenticeships is customer service that gets you a level 1 qualification ( worth less than gcse’s) so they can pay apprenticeship wages.

there are jobs that should be paid more but never will be as they’re not considered essential (even though they are)

I don't think con is the right word. I doubt many people go into any of those roles because they see them as a path to great wages and/or a managerial role.
I believe that care work is a calling and they should be paid much more. Anybody working a full time job (36 hours a week) should earn enough to keep a roof over their heads and live a comfortable life, but that's another issue.

This is lovely and I hope the young woman in question knows you appreciate her and the care she provides for your mother.

As long as people are working and are paying their taxes, NI etc, why does it matter what job they do?

They contribute to society, earn an honest living.

Not everyone wants to have a career or to 'climb' the ladder.

The snobbery on mumsnet.

I started in telesales at 17, then moved to customer service, then team leader roles -> manager -> IT service delivery management -> GRC management -> Senior management

Now 40 and current role is Director level Cybersecurity and GRC.

If she wants to build a career then those opportunities are available in every sector, it will be up to her to push for development, take opportunities to self study and upskill, apply for promotions.

It's not snobbery. You misunderstand @Mademetoxic

I don't think jobs are a con, they're just jobs, normal jobs. Some people will gain promotion through them and others won't either due to skills or inclination. They're equally valuable roles to the career professions mentioned above, just a different route with different benefits/disadvantages. Not sure what the apparent con is tbh. I wish more people appreciated the value of such jobs and those who do them.

Again she might not want a career. Not everyone does.
People manage fine working in shops etc.

she is so kind, so cheerful, so caring and adds so much to my mum's life. She can relate to my demented mum on a level mum can cope with and is always so concerned with making sure mum is comfortable and feels secure

This lady and others like her are worth their weight in gold. Should be paid so much more. It doesn’t matter how clever you are, you can’t learn how to be kind and have empathy.

My Mum is in a nursing home, and I have met many people that shouldn’t be in the job. Access to these jobs is far too easy.

Many unsuitable people are working with the most vulnerable members of our society. This is so wrong.

Pay them more, and attract better people to these roles. The homes can’t get staff, so use agencies all the time. It’s got to change.

My husband left me suddenly, with 3 kids, when I had been a SAHM for 13 years. I had to get a job quickly with my no/out of date qualifications. I applied for a job as a carer because

1. I knew they would take anybody with a clean record.
2. I knew I'd only have to work 16 hours a week and tax credits would top up the rest.

My youngest was 13 so I knew all the child related money would come to an end in 5 years time and I like nice shit so I worked my way up from carer to manager in 5 years and was on a very good salary in the end, just when all the child money finished.

How many industries can a woman walk into, with no qualifications, and work their way up to management on 80k in 5 years?

Care is a great career. Thing is, you have to use your employer, not let your employer use you.

This is a really inspiring story @PutMyFootIn

Very well said.