To wish i’d known when younger the importance of going into a career with money

[Watermelonlollies]

I don’t remember my parents stressing this to me.

I’m a teacher and used to have an okay lifestyle, got by happily and could have holidays and a few treats here and there.
Life isn’t like that now, as i’m sure it isn’t for many.

I’m not materialistic in any way, but as I’ve got older it’s really dawned on me the importance having money makes and I wish i’d gone down a different path

Does anyone feel the same and do/will any of you be expressing this to your kids?

I completely agree.

I imagine the thing with teaching is that it is so full on - the noise, and constant overload with so many people in the room. For me, a classroom setting would be so exhausting. (I have done some teaching during my career, but adults, and not for full days, so probably quite different to the noise/ responsibility/ crowd-control aspects of teaching children).

My parents were always counting the pennies at the end of the month, sometimes electricity and gas were cut till they would find a relative who could lend the money to pay the bill.. I was top of my class and the only thing my mum told me is work hard and find a job that pays. I worked my ass off, went to get a phd at a very very good uni and I have a very good salary now. Job is ok but the ability to pay for hairdresser when I need, go to the supermarket without having to add up the total amount, enter a shop and buy some clothes not because I really really need them and without looking for sales or the cheapest option just fills me with joy. I bought my house and I can pay the mortgage, I bought my parents a flat so they are not renting anymore. I can suck up and job or any boss for this freedom.

What you say is true IF you have reasonable parents, mine were very controlling, it was not my decision what I did, they decided what they thought was suitable and what jobs I could apply for, they chose my A level subjects even though it was pretty clear I wasn’t very good at them, the school asked me to leave before the first year of 6th form was over.

They basically thought I’d get married, have a couple of kids and never work again, so it didn’t really matter what job I had.

So long as there's food on the table, I'd sooner be happy than have money.

By there is money to be made in teaching if you want it. Plenty of headship roles that pay well with few applicants. Not applied for because they don’t want the responsibility. Any career with serious money will involve a lot of stress.

Would loved to have been academic - struggled at school - I wanted to get a good career and earn a good salary sadly could not go to university as no ‘o’levels so became a typist! Sadly admin work pay scales are rubbish - hence why I will be working until I am 70!

When I grew up being a teacher was aspirational

Thing is a job that looks good when you finish school/uni will almost certainly change a lot in your working lifetime. Mine has - pension is still good but no longer excellent, working pattern & responsibility (in a niche subspeciality area) has changed hugely. So what looks good now might be a loss leader in 10 years, and the job that'll make you loads of money might not exist yet

I agree. And wasn't it Einstein who said compound interest is one of the wonders of the world?

I also think that the adage of living within your means should be more publicised (possibly rebranded?) because as I get older I've very much noticed, and as evidenced by many posts on this thread, there's a strong connection between earning enough (and not getting into debt) to afford the life you want with a positive well-being.

I went into the profession I’m in entirely because of the salary and the career path. I don’t mind the work, it’s challenging and I’m good at it, but I have no real interest in it or passion for it. I chose it solely to provide a lifestyle I want, and it does that in spades.

So many jobs that used to guarantee a good lifestyle now leave people on the poverty line. My dad was a polytechnic lecturer on a low salary grade due to having no further degree. My mum was a housewife. He was able to buy a big house and raise us all on that one salary, retire very early (mid fifties) and live very comfortably on a good pension and savings. Most people I know who teach at unis now are on casual or part time contracts and earn less than 30k pa.

But as a PP said, most people I know who earn big salaries are real company slaves - working very long hours, and expected to be available to socialise with clients at weekends and in the evenings. They rarely see their families and spend very little time in their beautiful homes. I do know a few who really enjoyed it, but most seem to spend the vast majority of their lives doing something they don't really enjoy, just for the money.

The ideal, imo, is a job you really love, which earns enough that you don't need to worry and can do some of the things you really want to do, because you have the time and headspace for life outside work, too.

I’m exactly the same. I read a chick-lit book when I was 13/14 in which a character lived in London and worked in the City. The lifestyle described sounded amazing. I had no idea what working ‘in the City’ actually entailed day to day, but I knew then that I would be moving to London and pursuing a career in Finance, which is what I did at 22.

Some people are influenced by their parents or careers advisors, for me it was trashy chick-lit books of the early 2000s. 😁

i understand that there are complex calculations around the salaries but the salaries published are generally annual salaries aren’t they which come with a certain amount of holidays (school holidays less time during holiday for prep/marking etc) so not different to other jobs

When I was growing up, the sector I'm in now was pretty well paid. Pay has decreased by about 25% in real terms since then. I'm not sure that my parents could have predicted that. I definitely went into it for love but my expectations around salary helped to cement that choice. I think I'll still say to my kids they definitely should look at jobs they will enjoy but should factor likely income into it too and that there are certain jobs which aren't valued as much as they should be by society.

This is true if you don’t have high earning potential yourself. A lot of people on the thread have mentioned that money gives you freedom, and one of the freedoms for me has been the ability to chose a partner I actually like instead of one who’s going to fund my lifestyle. I’m self-sufficient, I don’t need to marry some rich guy to do the things I want to do in life. I would never make myself financially dependent on a man - it’s literally unthinkable.

I've gone into what I guess is a 'solid' job, I'd never be fired unless I did something bad (as long as the NHS doesn't privatise I guess). However I now feel stuck in the job, if I was to leave it would be unlikely I could just walk into something with similar pay. Love the job itself but it's so difficult to do shift work when you've really young children, there's barely any jobs within that do child friendly hours or Christmas off

I'd probably push my kids towards training for a job that pays well...

if I thought they'd take a blind bit of notice of anything I say, on that or any other subject.

Exactly this

Following!

Dh and I are constantly saying this

Money doesn't buy happiness.

But it gives you choice

My parents never advised me, or pushed me to work hard at school. I did this and pursued a well paid career knowing I wanted to earn decent money and have a certain lifestyle. I don’t think this is your parents’ fault. It’s clear to everyone what careers generate a high income and the difference having a high income makes.

I don't think it is clear to everyone. You're speaking for everyone?

And even if it were clear to everyone (it isn't), then not everyone believes they can achieve it or even know how to access such a career.

I’m a journalist (sure you may have guessed from the title) I will likely never earn more than £50k but my GOD I still love my job after 25 years. I’d hate to do anything else…so swings and roundabouts!?