Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

356 replies

Watermelonlollies · 14/06/2025 12:34

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?

OP posts:
Plotzbluemonday · 17/06/2025 13:38

GRex · 14/06/2025 20:16

No, no you do not remotely work investment banker hours. Investment banking is a mug's game if you ask me, so high stress and ludicrous hours. I'm not an investment banker BTW, but had a little time working with them and have friends.

Juniors will be in for 10-16 hours on 5 days and often working a day at weekends. They might get a call at 4 am to respond to immediately. They don't get teacher holidays, but they also respond to email on their reduced holidays, and it never lets up until they fully rise up the ranks. Then there's the risk of being thrown out for the smallest mistake, and everyone knowing everyone so you can't make a big error and work again. Some people thrive on being constantly needed, but they see little of their families, they have to be comfortable with the incredibly rough behaviour at work, and "hobbies" mostly involve client meetings... all to die early of a stroke. At least consulting relaxes more after the first few years with just the inconvenience of travel and random meeting times. Yeah, there's money in investment banking, and teachers don't finish at 5 (newsflash that few jobs do these days!), but it's really not remotely comparable and comes across that you simply don't understand.

Edited
Show quote history

Not all jobs at “investment Banks” are investment bankers.

Many jobs are similar in hours and commitment to other industries but the pay is so much higher.

Have experience doing same job at Ad Agency & Investmenf bank. Job & hours similar (tho Ad Agency boss an impossible Diva). Left the Ad Agency thinking, bank could not be worse. The bank more interesting, more fun, and the bonus was heavenly. Money a huge incentive if you enjoy the job.

Ad agency had 2% raises, slow or no career progression. It wasn’t even fun culture.
Bank had total pay increases year on year of over 6-10% and mobility. No one cried or died.

Crushed23 · 17/06/2025 14:29

TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis · 17/06/2025 09:28

Everyone else I know spent their summers working in retail/hospitality back home and/or going on holiday.

In Iceland, it's normal to spend several years doing this sort of thing before you do a degree.

You travel to other countries, have a lot of fun, get a better sense of self outside of the narrow confines of school/your community, THEN you do your degree.

I am saving so my son will have the freedom to do this too. Not to give up learning - but to live life to the full whilst he's young. I deeply regret not having a gap year.

And for what it's worth, I regret not having a basic summer job too - we lived remotely and my parents were against it, so no way to do it myself. They were dead set on worthy, academic employment.

I'd probably have plumped for a more lucrative career if given the time off to enjoy myself, because graduate careers were in the doldrums when I graduated anyway.

Are gap years not a thing in the UK anymore? I’m only a millennial and about half of my friends/acquaintances took a gap year, either before or after uni. Working in a call centre for a few months to save up to go travelling is a rite of passage!

Fiver555 · 27/06/2025 21:51

LavenderHaze19 · 15/06/2025 20:17

I’ll get flamed for this.

I agree that career choice is incredibly important. However, what I wish I’d fully understood when younger is that, if you choose to get married, the financial circumstances of your partner will have just a significant (if not more significant) bearing on your lifestyle as your career choice.

In other words, marrying someone from an affluent background can make life a hell of a lot easier - and it’s important to consider earning potential and ambition into account when choosing a partner.

Totally agree. My financial director friend (who has also had a number of large inheritances over the course of her life) married a delivery driver. He's had a lovely lifestyle that he possibly could not have afforded himself.

benfoldsfivefan · 27/06/2025 22:19

I've been thinking of this thread a lot over the past couple of weeks, as I've found many posts very thought provoking, so thanks to all who posted. I don't beat myself up about it, but I do wish as a teenager I 'd had the - what? Gumption / self-awareness to look at my family environment and tell myself I deserved more, and make steps to obtain that, like many other people on this thread did. I guess the journey takes some of us longer than others.

BraOffPjsOn · 27/06/2025 22:38

Exactly the same for me OP!
I love teaching (the actual teaching part) and the money is fine but I feel like should have chosen something less stressful and for more money.

I grew up working class and my parents wanted us to choose something we enjoyed but actually I think I could do something dull and make a lot of money and I’d be fine with that if it meant my personal life was easier money wise and stews wise because of that!

bittertwisted · 27/06/2025 22:45

My mum very much wanted her girls to be looked after by a man, whilst being overjoyed when I got a private school scholarship. I love my mum, but that view has kept her in a horrible unhappy marriage to my dad. I am so glad my career gave me choices, including the ability to leave a very abusive marriage knowing I could support my children. I don’t have daughters, but if I did I would let them understand the power of choice and independence

New posts on this thread. Refresh page