Has anyone progressed in their job/career with only having GCSE's/L2 and experience/work related training?

[LondonGrimmer]

Just wondering. I'm 40 and being encouraged to get a L3 or above qualification but I'm not convinced formal education is for me, or that it's worth my time and money when it wouldn't help me in my current role (working for a small charity in the early years/family sector).

Has anyone else enjoyed a successful career without having anything higher than a L2 qualification? (maybe I'm just wishful thinking).

Yes, I joined the civil service as an AO with my 5 GCSEs and work experience. I have progressed through many promotions and am now a G6. I do sometimes get a twinge about not having a degree but 🤷

I also joined the civil service with only GCSEs. I got a couple of promotions and could have gone further but chose to get out and retrain.
It is possible but it depends on the career path. My current profession requires a degree or post grad qualification.

I'm a high ish earner (65k high to me, not to some here) and left school with no qualifications, however I am 50 now, and would possibly further along if I had left with gcses.

That said, I dont think that doing more formal qualifications at 40 would have made any difference.

It depends what you want to do

Yes, left school a year early with GCSEs and a few AS Levels, worked in customer service for years, took an entry level admin role 6 years ago and am now an executive assistant within the same company..

Do-able if want you want to do isn't solely degree-specific

Sorry! That'll teach me for starting a thread then falling asleep

Thanks for your comments. I think this is it; I've never known what I want to do and still don't. Have always firmly believed that if you have a specific goal and career path that requires a degree then go for it. But as I haven't I've just got on with using my work experience/knowledge and personality basically! Have been with current employer two years now and they're encouraging me to get a L3 or higher as they like to progress people and empower them to aim high. I'm sure I could do some studying but as I'm not set on a specific career path then don't feel I'm ready (have two children too).

@kwackerly sorry what's an AO? Have you stayed a civil servant all your life?

@dresstokillmytime what did you retrain to do please? Are you happy with your decision?

@houseoffire £65k is a shit load of money to me - well done (sounds patronising using words on a screen but it's not intended that way!).

@LondonGrimmer don't worry, i didnt think you were patronising. I'm just lucky that what i like doing is paid quite well

Oh phew, always worry about how things come across on here. That's great your field is well paid... Sadly I work with vulverable families so it's really not!

@londongrimmer AO is admin officer, it's like entry grade civil service post. I was in retail before that for many years, then took a summer office job, quickly learned excel and word etc and applied. It took nine months from application to starting in post, it's a slow process! Have been a civil servant for 20 years now and I would recommend it if you want to combine family and have a career. Its very flexible. I have been through a number of project management training courses paid for by work which although not a degree did give me confidence and certainly helped me progress.

My niece left school with no paper qualifications at all and went into caring for young adults with mental health problems. She went in at the bottom level and is now managing a residential facility in the same sphere.

Interested to know if the progressions posters are mentioning are recent ones or from years ago? Genuine question

@cushioncovers my last promotion was 6 months ago?

My niece is 25 - she progressed up her hierarchy very quickly because they could see she is good at her job. Her promotion to manager was about 18 months ago.

Thanks for all the comments. They're helping me to realise I don't want to do a L3 or L4 qualification just for the sake of it. I think if you're passionate, hard working, personable, flexible and lucky then you can go far without expensive pieces of paper saying you can read books and spew "knowledge" into your own words in essays (obvs this doesn't include actual professions like medicine or law!).