Just want to be minted.
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I fell into my job really. Left school and went onto college for business studies with job placement for 6 months, with the option for the employer to take you on. It was my first and only interview, I was there 22 years. Decided to leave and join an ex colleague at a far smaller firm in 2014 (Company of 4, former job large corporate) and earning a low 6 figure salary.
However, I would add, to get to where I am now, when I first started I made sure I made myself available for all and every job asked of me, from sending faxes to photocopying, so in my case I believe it was my willingness to put myself out and an element of luck that put me where I am today.
However, I would add, to get to where I am now, when I first started I made sure I made myself available for all and every job asked of me, from sending faxes to photocopying, so in my case I believe it was my willingness to put myself out and an element of luck that put me where I am today.
Agree, if all you care about is money, then life would become a disappointment. Like most people it has taken me a long while to get to the position i am in now. I had many years struggling, but I was fortunate to be earning enough to make me relatively happy. Credit cards didn't help but that's another story.
I'd much much rather settle for contentment over being minted. I can already buy most, if not all of the shiny garbage that people are told to be desirable. Along with tons of disposable monthly income, yet I can't really say that I'm 'happy' or that content. Ridiculously comfortable financially (won't say numbers as it might cause sensitive people to melt and cry 
) but work stress does cast a long shadow over my life.
I've started to realize that I'm seeing Time as a challenge to overcome due to the events within that time period (work projects) and that's not good. I'm losing valuable years here due to praying for Time to end/go faster and get out of the pressure cooker. My own fault for being an utter perfectionist when it comes to work
) but work stress does cast a long shadow over my life.I've started to realize that I'm seeing Time as a challenge to overcome due to the events within that time period (work projects) and that's not good. I'm losing valuable years here due to praying for Time to end/go faster and get out of the pressure cooker. My own fault for being an utter perfectionist when it comes to work
No, but it helps, particularly if you want their holiday and don't want to slap it on a credit card every year, or if you want to go out for a few meals each month, or I don't know attempt to save for a house deposit?
I don't even want a lot, 30k and I'd be a LOT more well off I believe.
I've started to realize that I'm seeing Time as a challenge to overcome due to the events within that time period (work projects) and that's not good. I'm losing valuable years here due to praying for Time to end/go faster and get out of the pressure cooker. My own fault for being an utter perfectionist when it comes to work
We are all guilty of it but not a good state to be in as you never know how long you have left on this planet.
Everyone hopes to make it to their golden years retirement but we all know people who had their time cut short.
Recent events have made me very aware of this and is why I'm trying to find fulfilling work rather than just a big salary.
I can understand but it all comes down to what sort of life style you want. The way I see it is as long as your health can be maintained well, you got s roof over your head and food on the table it's enough. Don't take me the wrong way as money is needed for these things but I guess what you earn and how you spend it does come into it as the focal point.
If you don't want to take any risks then you're probably never going to achieve the lifestyle you desire.
I've got a fair old amount sat in crypto - there's a possibility that it could turn into a figure that I could retire on within 1-2 years and there's a possibility I could lose every penny. I don't really care so much about the risk so if it goes, it goes. It's 50/50.
For me the ideal situation would be mortgage paid, no other debts and all bills paid upfront for the year so I have the flexibility to work whenever I want as any money earned is disposable income. Sure, it'd be great to have £100k in the bank, to be able to buy brand new luxury cars and go on holiday whenever I wanted but the main thing is less stress and a flexible lifestyle you can enjoy. Money isn't the be all and end all.
Just my 2p.
I've got a fair old amount sat in crypto - there's a possibility that it could turn into a figure that I could retire on within 1-2 years and there's a possibility I could lose every penny. I don't really care so much about the risk so if it goes, it goes. It's 50/50.
For me the ideal situation would be mortgage paid, no other debts and all bills paid upfront for the year so I have the flexibility to work whenever I want as any money earned is disposable income. Sure, it'd be great to have £100k in the bank, to be able to buy brand new luxury cars and go on holiday whenever I wanted but the main thing is less stress and a flexible lifestyle you can enjoy. Money isn't the be all and end all.
Just my 2p.
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I'm not minted but ok off and live in the south... whenever I want to feel rich I just search right move for random northern towns and look at the mansions pretending I would actually move...
of course it can buy you happiness... or alternatively a lack of money can get you plenty of unhappiness - you can frame it either way, sort of a glass half full/half empty scenario
but, only up to a point - once people have "enough" money then more money doesn't generally make them any more happy - IIRC a salary of circa 70k according to one study was the sweet spot (I'm sure cost of living in different areas affects this though), beyond that then you perhaps can but some nicer toys etc.. but without much more significance to your general happiness from having more money
My career never took off until I hit my thirties, I left school clueless. I was a big disappointment to my parents. My old man is old school, start at the bottom and work/earn your way - which I have done. When in my late twenties my social peer group were earning far more than I was, it was humiliating. I drove an old £200 90's Rover 214 in my late twenties. You learn to develop a thick skin. It still hurts when some t*at judges you purely based on material items.
Hard work, dedication and belief in yourself. Money has never been a key driver for me, as long as I can live comfortably. My main goal is obtaining the right work-life balance and being able to live.
Hard work, dedication and belief in yourself. Money has never been a key driver for me, as long as I can live comfortably. My main goal is obtaining the right work-life balance and being able to live.
plenty of high earners or wealth people aren't necessarily all that flashy (some are, I'm not going to try and generalise) - but people who judge you based on material items are a bit superficial not to mention often inaccurate
for all they know Bob with the Barratt Home in Essex, entry level German car on the driveway, Ikea 'art' on the walls and the OCUK favourite of a corner sofa (in white leather of course) etc.. is stressed 24/7 about the amount of debt he's got himself into + his wife Sharon's credit card bill despite doing his best to make it appear like everything it going well
I always get wound up when jobs such as 'flipping burgers' are so derided - If you are prepared to show determination, common sense & build a reputation; you can progress in any organisation. Drive and ambition is usually recognised by any large organisation and can open doors.
I know someone like this, mid 50's and mortgage due in 5-6 years. More credit/store cards than they can fit in a wallet. Interest only mortgage and all the endowments are being used to remove the credit/store card debt, which they then have to spend to live day to day.
Yet they insist on spending 100 quid a week on going to a fancy restaurant, 50 quid a week on getting nails done, 120 quid every 2 weeks at the hairdresser, always getting amazon parcels delivered. The latest smartphones etc.
They just had a 50k or so extension done on the house, which has put them into negative equity as well.
I tried to help them out a few years ago but showing how they could re-organize their finances with easy changes, but theyd rather wait until the clock hits zero. Will be frikkin hilarious when it blows up.
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Broadly speaking I work in the chemicals sector but more towards the R&D/innovation side of things as opposed to chemical manufacturing. I started as junior researcher in a lab-based (analytical chemistry) position and have since gone on to do roles that encompass technical sales including grant/bid/tender writing, project management, ISO certification, Health and safety including chemical process safety i.e. hazard studies, and finally bog-standard chemical engineering, and product formulation... As I said, I have never been promoted once in my career, have never managed people, and have never busted a gut outside of putting in a decent 9-5 shift most days. I have however, always changed job every 2-3 years and have always realised the benefit of taking on extra areas of responsibiliity that will benefit my next move (CV builidng). I generally look to find a new opportunity whenever I feel I have pretty much stopped learning in my current role or have exhausted the opportunities to further my CV. I always take the view that it is much easier to find a new opportunity that provides a step up as opposed to busting your gut for 1-2 years seeking a promotion which may or may not happen for reasons outside of your control despite fully deserving it.
And to build on that, the recognised value that you deliver is arguably even more important. I've seen scenarios before where senior management have expressed gratitude for a piece of work / resolving a problem, but they may be oblivious to other activity that has arguably given more value to the business. Mid-level managers may be able to identify that, but often they won't have the authority to financially recognise that and/or not all organisations have adequate development frameworks for their staff, so exceptional performers are not developed and eventually leave.
If I contrast my current employer with the first one I had after uni, the difference is night and day when it comes to the processes around gathering feedback, assessing performance, identifying and developing talent etc.
I agree somewhat with the comments above around 'luck' in the sense that I believe there is a degree of luck in what opportunities present themselves. How you handle those opportunities is of course influenced by your response to them, your attitude and aptitude, but the actual opportunities themselves are not completely within your control. Some examples of what I'm talking about:
- Internal vacancies (promotions) come available because the previous post holder has moved on.
- You 'accidentally' build an effective network (e.g. LiE's experience with a former colleague becoming a recruitment agent). What if that person had never been at Currys?
- You gain experience in something without actively seeking it (at least initially) that enables you to build a career. This has happened to me twice. In particular I think I got 'lucky' by being assigned to a particular project shortly after joining a new company that gave me exposure to an IT sector I didn't really know much about at all. I was then able to build on that exposure.
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