Most economical car for £1k (or less)

[MikeHiow]

You sound desparate for a job, why you would quibble over 3 grand for a job within walking distance, a virtualy guaranteed job, when the alternative is finding a job on the mainland, London or not, is pretty bizzare.

Because that is what I need to realistically aim for to continue without massive sacrifices.

 

[L0rdMike]

Because that is what I need to realistically aim for to continue without massive sacrifices.

But driving to London in its self is a massive sacrifice.

What goods 25k a year when half of that will be spent of travelling when you can earn say 20k and pay very little costs.

 

[Janesy B]

Because that is what I need to realistically aim for to continue without massive sacrifices.

Do you not consider an epic commute or days away from your family as a massive sacrifice then? This is silliness. Much rather the 23k than 8 hours min traveling.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Because that is what I need to realistically aim for to continue without massive sacrifices.

Feel free to continue to realistically aim too high, but don't complain when you inevitably end of up missing.

 

[Scrutinize]

I can empathise with Mike's work/family situation. It really isn't an ideal situation but is doable. A more local job is a much better option. If you can get work the right side of the m25 daily commuting would be much more workable.

 

[Bubo]

Because that is what I need to realistically aim for to continue without massive sacrifices.

I'm not sure I understand, so the London job is like £35K?

 

[MikeHiow]

How is a pay cut aiming too high?

 

[[TW]Fox]

How is a pay cut aiming too high?

Becuase it's better than being unemployed or earning a few grand more but spending 10k before tax on travel.

 

[Janesy B]

Take the local job, even if it means taking the pay cut. Use the time saved to get a second job, maybe freelance work or even working evenings in a garden centre a couple of nights a week to supplement your income. ANYTHING to avoid a commute like that, its going to be so taxing on you and your family.

 

[DJMK4]

Makes my 60 mile round trip seem like nothing

No way in hell would I be doing that commute, crazy

 

[Housey]

This is another special mind fart of a thread. I wouldn't want to drive from the IOW into That London each day in my RS4 let lone on a scooter! Move, or board during the week, don't try and drive as it will burn you out and I'm used to 70 miles a day each way to get to the office!

 

[Blackhawk47]

Feel free to continue to realistically aim too high, but don't complain when you inevitably end of up missing.

Life isn't a spreadsheet.

There are so many variables that we just don't know about...because after all this is a internet forum and we don't really know Mike's situation. I could claim that you have nothing to contribute to this thread seeing as you live at home with your parents and currently have no children to worry about (see Fox's post in that huge GD thread a few days ago - basically stating that having children is essentially planned every single time life is conceived... ).

The job market hasn't been so great recently in case you haven't noticed. Yet you continue to state, imo, that salaries etc are the same everywhere. This simply isn't true and probably more so when comparing jobs in London to those on the Isle of Wight.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Yet you continue to state, imo, that salaries etc are the same everywhere.

I do wish you'd stop making things up, it's a bit irritating. I've never stated that salaries are the same everywhere. Why would I state that

If you wish to insult me for spending time calculating the figures in this thread do feel free to make a better job of it yourself? The figures I've calculated for MikeH are a lot more useful to his decision than your post. I feel everything I've stated in this thread has been realistic and accurate, but dont let that stop you making up some random point I probably didnt even make anyway and then arguing for the next 6 hours about something I probably didnt even say, that seems to be the latest trend.

 

[Blackhawk47]

How about when you think every graduate automatically gets a graduate job at the end of their degree, and get £26-30k.

EDIT: And then have a "dig" at me throughout a whole thread questioning me and claiming that just because I haven't got a degree by the time I am 21, that degree>experience.

EDIT 2:

Your view is quite clear to be honest.

You think you prove the theory? Really?

I'd like to disprove this theory - a friend of mine graduated from Uni and started a job as a Consultant at a multinational IT services company as his first job out of Uni. He earns twice what you do, and is your age. He would not have got the job without his degree, it was a prerequisite.

Sorry but earning £20k a year after 8 years of work does not 'proove' that a degree is 'not neccessary'.

What you really mean is that if you want to do helpdesk work and progress up from there, a degree is not required. Which is true - but if your aspirations after years of work are helpdesk then going to Uni isn't the best idea anyway.

The bottom line is that for some areas of IT, a degree is important. For others, it's less important and for some, it makes no difference. The earnings tend to reflect this, mind.

Experience is important but isn't the be all and end all - there are numerous people who are not really that good at what they do despite having done it for many years. Experience counts for nothing without the ability to learn from it and use it to further yourself. Heck I've got a decade of experience at playing FPS games on PC and Im *still* rubbish at them

I'd like to counter that knowledge is more important than experience on its own, but concede that experience is an excellent wait to gain knowledge

You are taking home £2k a month because you work 50 hours a week not because you've done super uber without an education. I'm sure your situation suits you well and it's great you are happy but:

a) You are not an IT contractor like most of the others in this thread
b) You are not exactly better off than people who've chosen to get a degree.

Probably, yes? Remember, your earnings are high because you work 50 hour weeks. On an average 37.5 hour week you'd be earning £18k a year on your hourly rate. This is easily acheivable as a new graduate

That you are not an IT Contractor in the sense of the word everyone in this thread is using, and that you are not 'better off' than people who went to Uni instead either, as you seem to think you are.

You are trying to put across the point that Uni is pointless because you have a temp job paying £10 an hour. You then go onto express doubt that anyone who has just finished Uni could do as well as your salary (Which seems to change every 30 seconds, now suddenly its a 35 hour week..)

You are in a worse position than most people in that you are working in temporary positions where they can at any point simply bin you, but you are being paid the going rate for a permanent member of staff without getting any of the benefits!

Way to totally miss the point.

Your average grad finishing an IT degree and going into IT would be earning between £18k and £32k (Depending on role - £18k for entry level stuff, £32k if you are elite enough to join the grad scheme of one of the multinationals following a succesful placement). Quite how you think that working in a temp job for £10 an hour makes Uni pointless is beyond me and probably the rest of the posters in this thread.

There are people in this thread who HAVE demonstrated that for some people, Uni is not required nor is it the best route.

You are not one of them.

The sensible ones do a Sandwich degree at Uni - you work for a year during the course.

This means you finish Uni with a years experience *and* a degree, not just a degree.

Yes, absolutely. I graduated from Uni, started on £27k and was on £60k+ within 2 years.

As Fox says, you earn what you earn (which is hardly big money) because you work 50+ hour weeks, not because you're somehow more special than those that went to Uni.

I have made no reference to how I am doing as I don't have an IT degree and this thread is about the pros and cons of a degree for IT. If you are going to hold yourself up as evidence of how university is worthless then you must be prepared for people to question you.

As for my car, you remember wrong, I bought it myself and my dad had a similar one at the time. But then I am not the one using car ownership as proof university is worthless, you are. And just lol at discussing car value, what is that supposed to mean? Well done, cars depreciate, I have owned it for years, lol.

And as you told us it isn't yours anyway I don't even see why you are discussing it

Getting bored now, you are just using cool sounding words to big up what you do and make yourself sound like youve got a great deal. You are not doing 'project work' you are doing data entry, you posted the job description!

Honestly... just get over it, for some people, Uni helps them get where they want to go in life.

The reason why people snapped at you is because generally speaking if you say 'Yes, I am an IT Contractor, I do project work' the initial impression is not that you do data entry.

Your whinging on about it is doing you a dis-service because you are not really doing that badly at all for somebody of 19!

But dont try and say that Uni is pointless, as it isnt.

We've explained countless times why you've had the reaction you have.

Doesn't the fact everyone who has offered an opinion thinks the same thing tell you something? I don't think you'll ever get it, I think as soon as you started talking about the value of your parents car in a thread about IT and degrees as if it was some sort of qualifier was the point at which it was clear you are just on another page to everyone else.

Fox doesn't. The industry, industries in general, do. Everyone needs to sing from the same sheet. Most of us are. If someone says they are an IT Contractor then most of us know that this entails certain things - certain things that've been gone over about 500 million times in this thread already.



Doesn't matter, because you're not deciding what terminology is used to describe what positions/roles/etc, and nor is Fox deciding them - he's explaining them.

More experience in what? What about your average graduate who leaves with a degree *and* a years experience through a sandwich course?

What happens in 10 years time when you go for a higher end role when the graduate has a degree and 8 years experience, and you have 10 years experience but not a degree? What happens then?



See thats the funny thing here - I don't! I've never once made any claims about me personally. It's nothing to do with what I think, it's about what you are telling us about you. You are giving us graphic detail about exactly what you do, why you do it, what you think it is, etc etc and are then suprised when people pick up on it? Eh?

Blackhawk,

It is fine to be temping. Seriously. You're 21 (I think?). That is fine for a first job. There is NO need to be defensive about this sort of thing and comparing yourself with people who have been working years longer than you.

Contracting versus temping...very different things i'm afraid. Apply for the jobs you have linked and see what happens. No harm in applying but the people who have commented are almost certainly right. You aren't experienced enough for those roles...but in time you will be.

 

[Janesy B]

How about when you think every graduate automatically gets a graduate job at the end of their degree, and get £26-30k.

Do you really need to ruin every thread because of your personal vendetta against Fox?

 

[[TW]Fox]

Do you really need to ruin every thread because of your personal vendetta against Fox?

The more I read from him the more I realise that rather weirdly his personal vendetta is based on a weird perception of what he thinks I say, not what I actually say. Given I'm usually quite careful to make sure I'm pretty clear when expressing an opinion I'm not sure where he is getting these things from.

None of the things he's had a go at me for saying in the last 3-4 posts are things I've actually said.

 

[Wicksta]

Isn't it about time blackhawk has a holiday for trashing so many threads just to have a dig at fox? He is kind of creepy and obsessed. It's almost like twoblacklines Lite.

 

[Janesy B]

Most of it is in his head and 9/10 I genuinely have no idea what he's talking about. Anyway let's not drag this off topic any more.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Quite why I'd ever have said every graduate ever gets a grad job when I know many people who didnt I've no idea

 

[Fuzz]

Sorry but move closer to job or find job closer to work..

Don't play the "cost of moving" card either..

Own a house? Then sell it and buy one closer (smaller if necessary)
Rent a house? Rent a house closer.

Rocket science it is not and neither is a 1k car an option worth contemplating IMO.