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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it is not that easy to 'get a better job'

396 replies

EuclidianGeometryFan · 10/08/2025 16:33

Seen a few threads lately about people with money issues, and on low wages or minimum wage.
Then some posters say things like 'why haven't you got a promotion in the last X years?' 'Why don't you re-train / upskill?' 'Why don't you get a better job?'

As if anyone stays in a minimum wage job for years just for the fun of it!

The job market is a pyramid - there is not enough room on the higher levels for everyone. Even as you age you can't automatically expect to climb the ladder and move up - the maths don't stack up. Not every field of work has a 'career ladder'.
Some people are stuck on minimum wage or not much more, for life. They may not have the ability or skills or aptitude to re-train or get promoted, let alone the time and energy.

It smacks of blaming the OP for not being ambitious enough. Some posters seem to have no conception of what life and the job market is like for minimum wage workers.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
WeylandYutani · 13/08/2025 21:30

nearlylovemyusername · 13/08/2025 21:25

this poster is not on NMW. They are on benefits and PIP
Spending time on MN arguing that taxes have to be raised to give UC and PIP right, left and centre

Show quote history

Am I? Where did you get that?
I have never said taxes have to be raised to fund me. Ever.
The tax system is complicated and I would have no idea how to tackle it.
I was on NMW though and that is what this tread is about. What are you hoping to gain by trying to go through my post history? Make me out to be one of the people on benefits you read about in The Sun?

nearlylovemyusername · 13/08/2025 21:49

WeylandYutani · 13/08/2025 21:30

Am I? Where did you get that?
I have never said taxes have to be raised to fund me. Ever.
The tax system is complicated and I would have no idea how to tackle it.
I was on NMW though and that is what this tread is about. What are you hoping to gain by trying to go through my post history? Make me out to be one of the people on benefits you read about in The Sun?

Show quote history

I don't read Sun

But I remember your posts on multiple threads

Someiremember · 13/08/2025 21:58

nearlylovemyusername · 13/08/2025 21:49

I don't read Sun

But I remember your posts on multiple threads

Show quote history

As do I actually

WeylandYutani · 13/08/2025 22:00

Someiremember · 13/08/2025 21:58

As do I actually

Show quote history

If I post on benefit threads is is because I am worried about what is to come.
Is that a crime?

WeylandYutani · 13/08/2025 22:11

It seems some people on here think it is a crime to discuss benefits if you are on benefits.
A poster has trawled through my posts and posted on this thread that I am on benefits. So what? Does that make my opinion less valid?
That says more about them than me.

Crikeyalmighty · 13/08/2025 22:51

@WeylandYutani you are perfectly entitled to have an opinion but it’s best if you come at it from a point of honesty of your own position - it’s like me saying I would like corporation tax to be 10% for companies with less than £200k turnover - without declaring I’m in that position

WeylandYutani · 13/08/2025 23:39

Crikeyalmighty · 13/08/2025 22:51

@WeylandYutani you are perfectly entitled to have an opinion but it’s best if you come at it from a point of honesty of your own position - it’s like me saying I would like corporation tax to be 10% for companies with less than £200k turnover - without declaring I’m in that position

I have not declared I am on benefits on this thread. I said about my time in a min wage job and how not everyone can progress. My first post on here was actually about my boyfriend and not me.
Some people obviously did a search of my name to try and find dirt. None of it has been relevant. Yes I am on benefits but that is because I am disabled.

WeylandYutani · 14/08/2025 00:11

If you you have been advnce searching me then why? What are you trying to prove?

I had enough of bullying in my workplace. Sad to see it carry on here

PinkButterfly56 · 14/08/2025 00:34

I feel like people who are neuro diverse may be more likely to struggle with this in particular. I constantly feel like I'm putting a mask on at work just to fit in and get by. Some people just have better people skills and get promoted with ease. I don't think it's always fair to blame the individual I've worked with plenty of people who were far more capable than their managers but whose face didn't fit.

WeylandYutani · 14/08/2025 00:38

PinkButterfly56 · 14/08/2025 00:34

I feel like people who are neuro diverse may be more likely to struggle with this in particular. I constantly feel like I'm putting a mask on at work just to fit in and get by. Some people just have better people skills and get promoted with ease. I don't think it's always fair to blame the individual I've worked with plenty of people who were far more capable than their managers but whose face didn't fit.

Same. I am autistic. I swear the bullying I have suffered in my jobs have due to it
I have no people skills so I would never be promoted.

Charltonstrek · 15/08/2025 05:47

So much ignorance on this thread you wouldn't believe the amount of jobs that carry a load of responsibility that are just minimum wage and if we all wanted to aim higher who is gonna do them. Minimum wage jobs should never be put down these workers are essential for us all.

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 11:42

This is why I tell my kids to always work hard at school. This is why I've pushed them, sent them to a grammar school and then pushed them at GCSE and A-levels and sent them to Tier 1 unis.

Your success and future is in your hands. If things aren't going well, upskill yourself. First start small. Learn to get better at excel and data analysis. Then learn to code. Do a free python course. Then maybe learn some powerbi.

Work on your soft skills and communication skills.

And also up your hours. 40 hours doesn't meet the bills. Work 80 hours. Slowly slowly up your hours and get more shifts/jobs.

80 hours a week of work is perfectly doable. There's 168 hours in a week. If you work 80 hours and sleep 8 hours a day. There's 32 hours of recreation!

Save up money, invest in yourself and/or a business.

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 22:48

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 11:42

This is why I tell my kids to always work hard at school. This is why I've pushed them, sent them to a grammar school and then pushed them at GCSE and A-levels and sent them to Tier 1 unis.

Your success and future is in your hands. If things aren't going well, upskill yourself. First start small. Learn to get better at excel and data analysis. Then learn to code. Do a free python course. Then maybe learn some powerbi.

Work on your soft skills and communication skills.

And also up your hours. 40 hours doesn't meet the bills. Work 80 hours. Slowly slowly up your hours and get more shifts/jobs.

80 hours a week of work is perfectly doable. There's 168 hours in a week. If you work 80 hours and sleep 8 hours a day. There's 32 hours of recreation!

Save up money, invest in yourself and/or a business.

80 hours a week and 8 hours of sleep each day leaves you 32 hours for everything else not just recreation. That is trying to get to sleep and things like eating and shopping and housework. Doing school runs if you have kids and general parenting. Commuting too. It is not 32 hours free time to do hobbies.

80 hour weeks are not healthy and should not be encouraged. Burnout is s thing and happens even with peopel who love their job. No one should be working more than 40 hours just to live. That is living to work.

Fizbosshoes · 15/08/2025 22:51

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 11:42

This is why I tell my kids to always work hard at school. This is why I've pushed them, sent them to a grammar school and then pushed them at GCSE and A-levels and sent them to Tier 1 unis.

Your success and future is in your hands. If things aren't going well, upskill yourself. First start small. Learn to get better at excel and data analysis. Then learn to code. Do a free python course. Then maybe learn some powerbi.

Work on your soft skills and communication skills.

And also up your hours. 40 hours doesn't meet the bills. Work 80 hours. Slowly slowly up your hours and get more shifts/jobs.

80 hours a week of work is perfectly doable. There's 168 hours in a week. If you work 80 hours and sleep 8 hours a day. There's 32 hours of recreation!

Save up money, invest in yourself and/or a business.

Getting a better job would ideally negate the need to work 80 hours/week just to pay bills. That sounds very miserable.

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 22:55

Fizbosshoes · 15/08/2025 22:51

Getting a better job would ideally negate the need to work 80 hours/week just to pay bills. That sounds very miserable.

Show quote history

Yes 40 hours in min wage should be enough to live on. It used to be.
People on the most tiring and physically exhausting jobs just get told to do more hours and wreck their bodies and minds in the process. It is not good.

nearlylovemyusername · 15/08/2025 23:05

40h pw at NMW gives £1750 net per month. It's enough to live on. Not luxurious but enough.
Many people who believe they aren't promoted because their face doesn't fit are in fact rubbish at their job. Like this thread demonstrates.

Talkingfrog · 15/08/2025 23:14

Totally agree.
It may not be that someone doesn't have the ability to perform a better paid job either. They could be applying for jobs and just not be chosen.

There could be other personal circumstances why the y can't apply for a better paid job eg caring responsibilities.
Also easier said than done to get more than one part time job. Not all have set hours each week - hard if you have shifts that change each week to fit another job around it. And people with zero hour contracts may not want to take a second zero hour/pert time job in case they risk being given less hours by the first one.

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 23:25

nearlylovemyusername · 15/08/2025 23:05

40h pw at NMW gives £1750 net per month. It's enough to live on. Not luxurious but enough.
Many people who believe they aren't promoted because their face doesn't fit are in fact rubbish at their job. Like this thread demonstrates.

Not all jobs have prospect for promotion though. I have been told on here several times that I was not promoted due to be an awful employee or rubbish. Fact is that if you are in a dead end job you dont have an appraisal and be offered promotion. The only way to progress in my cleaning job was to apply for the supervisor roles. It was not offered to people. You had to know there was a vacancy to start with. It was advertised to the public too.

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 23:28

Talkingfrog · 15/08/2025 23:14

Totally agree.
It may not be that someone doesn't have the ability to perform a better paid job either. They could be applying for jobs and just not be chosen.

There could be other personal circumstances why the y can't apply for a better paid job eg caring responsibilities.
Also easier said than done to get more than one part time job. Not all have set hours each week - hard if you have shifts that change each week to fit another job around it. And people with zero hour contracts may not want to take a second zero hour/pert time job in case they risk being given less hours by the first one.

That is the thing with zero hour contracts now. You are pretty much on unpaid call incase they offer you more hours. And if you dont do them then you dot get offered them again.
There is a program on the BBC about this. A young man on a zero hour job who ended up in loads of debt and took his own life.

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 23:33

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 22:55

Yes 40 hours in min wage should be enough to live on. It used to be.
People on the most tiring and physically exhausting jobs just get told to do more hours and wreck their bodies and minds in the process. It is not good.

Show quote history

Of course it "shouldn't be". You're not entitled to anything. If you're physically healthy it's on you to make your own career future.

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 23:37

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 23:33

Of course it "shouldn't be". You're not entitled to anything. If you're physically healthy it's on you to make your own career future.

Show quote history

You miss my point. 40 hours in min wage should be enough to live on. It wont be luxury but it should be enough to have a roof over your head and pay the bills and have healthy food and a social life and hobbies.
If someone is not capable of more than the menial min wage jobs then you are basically saying that they have to live in poverty and not have anything nice.
The people dong menial min wage jobs are vital.

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 23:44

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 23:37

You miss my point. 40 hours in min wage should be enough to live on. It wont be luxury but it should be enough to have a roof over your head and pay the bills and have healthy food and a social life and hobbies.
If someone is not capable of more than the menial min wage jobs then you are basically saying that they have to live in poverty and not have anything nice.
The people dong menial min wage jobs are vital.

Show quote history

No it shouldn't be. They aren't entitled to a single thing. If they aren't capable of anything better that's really on them. I've told my DC that this is what would happen if they didn't work hard at school.

If 40 hours isn't enough. Work more. Get another job. Do night shifts, do Uber/Uber eats. Don't increase your hours immediately. But do it slowly and gradually.

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 23:46

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 23:44

No it shouldn't be. They aren't entitled to a single thing. If they aren't capable of anything better that's really on them. I've told my DC that this is what would happen if they didn't work hard at school.

If 40 hours isn't enough. Work more. Get another job. Do night shifts, do Uber/Uber eats. Don't increase your hours immediately. But do it slowly and gradually.

Show quote history

Some people are not capable of more due to disabilities.
The pot washer in a restaurant might have learning disabilities as does the person collecting trollies in the supermarket car park.
I am disabled and struggle with work. Are you saying we should have to live in poverty because we cant do well paid jobs?
Yes the benefit system is there to help us but people on here moan about that too.

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 23:56

WeylandYutani · 15/08/2025 23:46

Some people are not capable of more due to disabilities.
The pot washer in a restaurant might have learning disabilities as does the person collecting trollies in the supermarket car park.
I am disabled and struggle with work. Are you saying we should have to live in poverty because we cant do well paid jobs?
Yes the benefit system is there to help us but people on here moan about that too.

Show quote history

That's why I said physically able in my previous message. At some point disabilities can't be constantly be used as an excuse. What's so "struggling" about work? You have time to go on Mumsnet. Why can't you learn to use excel?

I'm saying just work more. 40 hours. Slowly raise to 60 and then to 80. Use extra money to invest.

WeylandYutani · 16/08/2025 00:00

BluntIcePick · 15/08/2025 23:56

That's why I said physically able in my previous message. At some point disabilities can't be constantly be used as an excuse. What's so "struggling" about work? You have time to go on Mumsnet. Why can't you learn to use excel?

I'm saying just work more. 40 hours. Slowly raise to 60 and then to 80. Use extra money to invest.

Show quote history

60 and 80 hours are not healthy. You will have no work life balance at all.
ANd the only people who would have to do so many hours to live will be in jobs where it is their body their use and not their mind. They will be become ill and end up not able to work at all after a while.