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

[EuclidianGeometryFan]

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.

If they’re living alone, they’re going to have to live in studio or move substantially further away

Not everyone wants to or can live in houseshares. Would you want to be house sharing in your middle age?

nope I wouldn’t
But for some who are single and have worked for decades and on full time NMW and can’t afford to possibly live alone on £1750 net a month (unlikely) then yep, that’s what they’ll have to suck up

Geographic area effects job opportunities. I live in a rural area and there’s a lot of minimum wage jobs, or skilled jobs but mainly for men eg hgv driving, a few professional jobs and corporate jobs but many of these are wfh, and many self employed people. If women aren’t a teacher/nurse/similar or self employed in something other than cleaning there are not many opportunities other than nmw.
Yes people could move to a different area but that’s not easy with schooling, renting or selling own home. We’ve become a very immobile workforce mainly due to housing

It is extremely difficult to get a job or another job. There are those with power and influence who went to the right schools and the rest of us.
I have recent experience of supporting somebody trying a job, admin, low wage.
Absolute nightmare.

Try getting a full-time position in retail or hospitality or door management or many other NMW jobs. Most zero-hours contracts pay NMW. Or they’ll give you an 8 hour contract, and you just have to hope you have colleagues off sick or on AL so you can pick up extra hours.

When people are living in this heightened state of worry and stress, living hand to mouth, it is nigh on impossible to plan for the future. The brain won’t let a person focus on anything other than the here and now.

@WeylandYutani in agreement. I was recently without a car for a few days. Wasting hours on public transport.

Well even the government recognises that a full time min wage job is not enough to live on hence why UC exists and tops up their pay so they can have a roof over their heads.
But then there are people on here who think that is wrong and that people in low pay jobs should just "get a better job" and here we are with this thread.

Nope

Up top ups aren’t for a single person earning £1750 NMW a month

It would be if that person had dependents (but on £1750 month would be limited to childcare costs only) and or disability benefits

Sorry I meant they would get help with rent

I hear you! I looked at a course a while back and it was going to cost £1000 - money I just don’t have.

I just wish I had done better at school is the reality for me

Only if they have children
a single person on NMW won’t get anything except the 25% council tax discount

I haven't heard of PowerBi. I will look into this thank you. Maybe I actually need to specifically take admin courses

"Stagecoach" 😂
You do realise how expensive that is don't you? Not available in every area. Some kids can't cope with it, or sports clubs, scouts etc.

Exactly.

It doesn’t help that British cultural norms carry a deep disdain for minimum-wage jobs and those who work them. There’s also a tendency to severely undervalue vocational and manual labor, along with the people who choose those paths.

Unfortunately we are heading for a period of modern day serfdom where the majority will (eventually) earn only enough to eat, put a modest roof over their head maybe in HMO and clothe themselves cheaply. The wealth will become more and concentrated in the 1% and the middle class will effectively disappear. This is already happening. Already in London if you are single and on min wage, unless you hold down two jobs, you will be struggling to survive in a HMO full or randoms.

There’s also a tendency to severely undervalue vocational and manual labor, along with the people who choose those path.

A couple of guys who mend roofs ( it is usually guys) or can put in a toilet are coining it in.

Do you think it is 1% who are ferrying kids about to exclusive schools and worrying about Pilates or whatever? I can't weigh it up. It seems way more than 1%

When you talk of admin roles, what is it you want to do within admin? & have you spoke to your current employers to see if you can gain the experience in house? Even offering a couple of hours for free each week will do more for your CV than a course

Secondly, the extent of free content online is brilliant. YouTube has a whole array of content and is my go to a lot for excel formula knowledge.

There was someone earlier this year who posted that her full time data/admin job now took her a matter of hours as she had managed to automate so much. I asked what she used as I thought it could come in useful. The main areas she advised was SQL, PowerBI, Power Automate, API and Power Query. These are the skills of the future and usually come with the very well paid salaries.

Lastly, I found checking out some of the job posts on LinkedIn helped me. I could see what those good salaries are looking for and target those skills.

I thought I would be able to do payroll for example or things like creating spreadsheets for customer order databases etc. I haven't used these programs you have mentioned though I am just experienced in handling data in itself using Excel and in the software my course used. It was a large part of my course and I quite enjoyed it .I have applied for a few voluntary roles but still no luck. Thank you for all the info on software I could learn to use

Again
no
a single person with no dependents on a full time NMW on £1750 a month net would most certainly not receive “help with rent”

and… rightfully so

Thank you. Yeah, I'm not able to work anymore either. I hope things improve for you and your partner x

An extra 30p an hour is an extra £12 a week or £50 a month. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck then that extra £50 is going to make a difference. Provided the upskilling means you stay at the same company (ie no additional commute costs from a change in office location or whatever) the I don’t see why you wouldn’t take the opportunity. If you can’t be bothered, fine, but own that decision, don’t pretend there is absolutely ZERO CHANCE WHATSOEVER of improving your financial situation when there is. I think that’s what people take issue with. It’s fine to have low ambition (and it really is…) as long as you’re honest with yourself and others that that’s the reason you haven’t strived to get upskilled, promoted etc. and improve your financial situation.

In some cases I agree with you. But in the case of my ex it was pure laziness and he was happy with me getting promotions and picking up the bills.

Whilst I don't think it is the catch all answer, I do think it is worth asking the question. If the OP is bemoaning not having enough money, but is actively sacrificing career progression for job satisfaction then that is something they need to own.

Some people really can not handle the responsibility that comes with that extra 30p an hour. It is not about not being bothered.

look some people in life aren’t blessed with looks and / or brains and / or social skills

I could go on

Always been the same.

It is bad luck for them but we can’t all adjust and accommodate those that’s sadly didn’t win in the gene pool