The 5 year plan to £50k

[ExRayTed]

It's do-able with a little luck initially.

Join the railway as a train driver - that gets you around £45k a year excluding overtime. Do that for 5 years and you'll achieve your target most likely. Or drive trains for 3-5 years (depending on the company, mine is 3 years) and apply to be a driver instructor or competence / driver manager. Comp managers earn between £50k-£60k, again depending on the company you work for.

I was a driver for 5 years, an instructor for 10 years and have been a comp manager for the last 3 years.

The biggest hurdle is getting the driver's job in the first place.

 

[.Sean]

I wish I was on 27k a year.

 

[Nix]

So much aggression in this thread.

Let's play devil's advocate:

So, you're now nearly 40. You've somehow managed to get your desired benchmark of 50k, but the job doesn't fill you with meaning or content. You're working for the sake of working.

Now what?

 

[grimm]

Your attitude is poor and based on that I don't think you'll ever be on the sort of salary you're talking about. You would be better off looking for something that you will enjoy doing that will put you on a similar amount to what you currently earn.

If you are careful with your money whilst living with your parents on that sort of salary you can definitely afford to save for a house deposit with a view to buying something in 5 years or so. Even if you can only put away at least £5k a year you will soon have enough to buy a basic first home.

Also 27k is a decent enough salary for anyone to be on outside of London, so I don't think you really have any right/reason to complain or expect more than that within 5 years of starting from scratch.

 

[FoxEye]

So much aggression in this thread.

Let's play devil's advocate:

So, you're now nearly 40. You've somehow managed to get your desired benchmark of 50k, but the job doesn't fill you with meaning or content. You're working for the sake of working.

Now what?

Ugh, every time someone asks a meaningful question I can only doubt myself a little more.

These questions are so multi-faceted.

How do you fulfill your potential...
How do you find satisfaction in your job...
How do you give your life meaning and purpose...

I wish I knew the answer to any of them.

The purpose of life isn't to earn 50k and buy a house. Obviously. But I don't know of a better goal to work towards.

 

[ExRayTed]

So much aggression in this thread.

Let's play devil's advocate:

So, you're now nearly 40. You've somehow managed to get your desired benchmark of 50k, but the job doesn't fill you with meaning or content. You're working for the sake of working.

Now what?

Well not really working for the sake of working is it? He'd be doing it to fund a lifestyle he wants.

 

[Vegeta]

I completely understand Kahn and others view on this and I think you're being a bit sensitive to their suggestions OP. Kahn's probably gave you some of the best advice but the reason you're reacting to it badly is because it points out the one simple truth - what you are wanting/saying/portraying is not the kind of things a person who will earn that sort of money would be saying and it's bothering you as it shows yes you want it but are you ready to work for it yet? Probably not (and my opinion if you are ready for it shouldn't matter to you).

 

[FoxEye]

Your attitude is poor

I wish people would qualify that kind of statement. You'll need to explain, because I'm not the most socially adept person you'll ever meet.

 

[FoxEye]

I completely understand Kahn and others view on this and I think you're being a bit sensitive to their suggestions OP. Kahn's probably gave you some of the best advice but the reason you're reacting to it badly is because it points out the one simple truth - what you are wanting/saying/portraying is not the kind of things a person who will earn that sort of money would be saying and it's bothering you as it shows yes you want it but are you ready to work for it yet? Probably not (and my opinion if you are ready for it shouldn't matter to you).

This is also very vague. Maybe you can elaborate?

What are the kinds of things that people who will go on to earn 50k would be saying at the start of their careers?

How do you conclude that I'm not willing to work hard in future? You people seem to know a lot about me

 

[xs2man]

Ugh, every time someone asks a meaningful question I can only doubt myself a little more.

These questions are so multi-faceted.

How do you fulfill your potential...
How do you find satisfaction in your job...
How do you give your life meaning and purpose...

I wish I knew the answer to any of them.

The purpose of life isn't to earn 50k and buy a house. Obviously. But I don't know of a better goal to work towards.

Happiness? You should want to do a job because you want to do it well. And enjoy it. Not because it affords you a lifestyle. Great if it does that, but job satisfaction should come first.

What do you WANT to do?
What INTERESTS you?
What would MOTIVATE you to do a better job (apart from money)?

These are the questions you should be asking first. Not what can you do to allow you to buy stuff. I can't think of anything worse than spending 5 years gearing up for a job I hate, just because it allows me to buy a pokey little flat. I'd much rather be happy in my life, and rent a pokey little flat.

 

[xs2man]

What are the kinds of things that people who will go on to earn 50k would be saying at the start of their careers?

I REALLY want to be a Doctor / Lawyer / Geologist / Dentist / Architect / Banker etc...

That's what they would be saying. "Not what can I do to make £50k +?"

 

[Vegeta]

Having motivation 2am Saturday night on a forum certainly won't get you there. Keep a diary of what you've been doing the rest of your month and see what those activities coincide with. My advice personally would be to force yourself to become the person you want to be - quit your job shock yourself into it make it life and death.

 

[KaHn]

I've known what I want to do (within general direction) since I was 15/16 and have worked hard to get into the position I'm in, I've been very career motivated and have been relatively well rewarded and the fact I love my job makes it easy to push my self with it.

What did you study at uni? What did you want to do previously?

None of us are saying we know you well, its the manner in which you come across when asked questions. Why should any of us believe you are willing to work hard when for the past 10 years you haven't?

KaHn

 

[dowie]

So, you're now nearly 40. You've somehow managed to get your desired benchmark of 50k, but the job doesn't fill you with meaning or content. You're working for the sake of working.

Now what?

this is exactly what I was getting at

OP - find something you're actually interested in first - there may well be a varied subset of careers related to that interest and perhaps you'd find it practical to pick the one that pays the best but most importantly you've gotta be interested in the general area because you're going to be spending most of your adult life doing this.

 

[Vegeta]

I would just like to add once you reached 50K if you didn't like your job you will feel EXACTLY the same now - you will have become accustomed to your new money/lifestyle and still be unhappy so yes choose something you would enjoy that pays well. I bet when you were on 15K the thought of a 27K a year wage seemed amazing? Well you're on 27K now and you want more that's just human nature - do something you might enjoy and if you do it well enough bingo.

 

[FoxEye]

@xs2man: If I said there is no job I want to do, people would mis-interpret that as not wanting to work. What I actually mean is that I don't have a pull towards any particular job.

It's for me not an easy question, sorry

What interests me? I guess technology in general interests me. But I'm sure there would be other things that would interest me had I been exposed to them. I haven't done that much in 34 years.

The only thing that would motivate me at the current time is money. Not a thing else. Largely because of what I said above.

Maybe you're right and I'm approaching this from the wrong angle. It's all food for thought.

 

[Nix]

Well not really working for the sake of working is it? He'd be doing it to fund a lifestyle he wants.

The job is part of that lifestyle.

You don't work for most of your waking hours, just to spend a small amount how you want to.

You don't work five days a week just to have two days on your terms, that is if you're not being forced to work the odd sixth day due to pressure and 'responsibility'.

Why is 50k the arbitrary figure of success? Why not 100k? 1 million?

Will you look back on your death bed and smile to yourself 'Well, at least I made 50k PA.'?

Why is earning more money so important? Is it status, prestige, elitism, snobbery?

Think about what really matters. To me, it sounds like you want to have a job worth getting up for, not the salary.

 

[Things change I've changed]

How fulfilling is your life outside of work?

 

[KaHn]

@xs2man: If I said there is no job I want to do, people would mis-interpret that as not wanting to work. What I actually mean is that I don't have a pull towards any particular job.

I don't really know what help you expect from us then, maybe take on agency work doing anything and everything till you find something you like?

Having no idea for you self is quite bad.

KaHn

 

[FoxEye]

The job is part of that lifestyle.

You don't work for most of your waking hours, just to spend a small amount how you want to.

You don't work five days a week just to have two days on your terms, that is if you're not being forced to work the odd sixth day due to pressure and 'responsibility'.

I think for a significant number of people the reality is exactly the opposite. They do work in jobs they hate, in order to be able to enjoy their off-work time. Maybe it's a class thing, but I know loads of people who hate their jobs.

Additionally, I imagine some of the most rewarding jobs are voluntary. But you can't support yourself with voluntary work, no matter how much you enjoy it. Conservation work falls into this category. I imagine that has a really good feel factor, but most conservation work is voluntary, as you may know.

You have to compromise, and a lot of people take work because it pays. How many bin men or miners enjoy their jobs? They need the income and society needs the work done.

The people who hate their jobs and earn little are the worst off. They stay poor, and what money they have ends up in the hands of the better off.

The question is who is happier? The man who hates his job but earns a lot, or the man who loves his job but remains poor?

Aren't the people who hate their jobs but earn a good amount in a better place? They still hate their jobs, but they aren't exploited by everyone else.

I don't know. It's late and I'm probably starting to waffle now. Time for bed.