The Official "How Much I Earn/What Job I Do" Information Thread

arknor said:
yea like the guy on 60k before he was 26 with only level2 education?

yet theres people with lvl4 etc much older earining under 30k :confused:
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Just goes to show that uni or slightly less isn't everything when it comes to earning the big money, it's purely hard work and determination. Maybe a little bit of luck as well.

I have quite a few mates who have finished their education from universities within the top 20 of the rankings and earning an average wage, whereas one of my mates who is 20, is earning 50k a year (and increasing) as an insurance sales manager or similar to that. He quit his education half way through the first year of A-levels.
 
The paper-round comment is there because most of my peers 'couldn't be arsed' to get out of bed at 6:30am to earn a crust doing a SINGLE round, I got up an hour earlier so I could squeeze four in. The ONLY reason I did it was for money, I hated the early mornings, I loathed the uphill rounds and I disliked the changeable British weather - but all that hate was endured for financial gain.

You either want it, chase it, grab it and fight, blood, sweat and tears for it... or you sit idly by complaining about your lesser position, all the 'ifs' and 'buts'. I've worked in office environments where 90% of the staff are this way, they hate their jobs but they do little to nothing about it, they just sit and habitually moan!
 
Some good results in here, it shows that qualifications isn't everything but it does help get feet through doors. If you no someone and very competent with the right skill sets and matching personality + experience it out weighs qualifications.

Good thread.
 
iDroid84 said:
Some good results in here, it shows that qualifications isn't everything but it does help get feet through doors. If you no someone and very competent with the right skill sets and matching personality + experience it out weighs qualifications.

Good thread.
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Not really, it shows that in this small sample of a demographic that a few members have made their money by taking risks and working hard instead of going to university.

You can't make judgements based on this thread, really its that simple. Some people will always make different choices than you.

KaHn
 
SideWinder said:
Out of curiousity, what is your website Bleek? Assuming you're still running it. :)
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It died back in 2001, I officially left as editor in 2000 (after 3 years running it). The website was an early adopter, the days when gaming led tech really started to take-off. I remember VIA sending me a box from China with about £3,000 of prototype and future tech in it for testing, they only wanted a single article... the rest was up to our discretion and didn't require returning!

I left because it was taking up ~150-190 hours of my spare time each month, with a full time job I had very little time to do anything else and by that point my contracting was paying enough to not warrant a second job.

I'm not at liberty to disclose the site because I wrote under a pseudonym that I still to this day and for a number of reasons I'd like to remain discrete, only a select few people close to me are aware of my pseudonym.
 
Bleek said:
Your education question is quite simple, I started working in IT at the age of 13, by the time a student has left university I'd had 8 years experience on them, which is considerable. I had market value, they had a piece of paper.
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This is because education is a long term thing.

In 20 years time you'll have 28 years experience (Though I hasten to call time spent fiddling around with PC's when under the age of 16 experience so lets call it 25 years) but they'll have 20 years and academic credentials.

By the time you get to those numbers, the fact you had 5 years more experience will be completely immaterial.

People who look at the position they are in mid 20's and use that to judge the value of undergraduate and masters degrees are either missing the point or trying to convince themselves it doesn't matter.
 
KaHn said:
Not really, it shows that in this small sample of a demographic that a few members have made their money by taking risks and working hard instead of going to university.

You can't make judgements based on this thread, really its that simple. Some people will always make different choices than you.

KaHn
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I was talking about in general. I know people make different choices and different risks but it's not all about qualifications.
 
26-30 (only for a few more months :()
£40,0001-£50,000
Management
Level 6, currently working on Level 7 qualifications.
41-50hrs (though sometimes more)


Quite happy in my job and enjoy it. :)
 
[TW]Fox;18186476 said:
This is because education is a long term thing.

In 20 years time you'll have 28 years experience (Though I hasten to call time spent fiddling around with PC's when under the age of 16 experience so lets call it 25 years) but they'll have 20 years and academic credentials.

By the time you get to those numbers, the fact you had 5 years more experience will be completely immaterial.

People who look at the position they are in mid 20's and use that to judge the value of undergraduate and masters degrees are either missing the point or trying to convince themselves it doesn't matter.
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I understand the argument but it still doesn't counter the fact that a select few of us with no paper to our names can make our way through life being significantly more successful (for this example, measured in wealth) than those with qualifications.

The role I left I hadn't stagnated in, my next move would have been a director of my profession but instead I took the decision to start-up and direct my own company and not work for 'someone else'.

I'm no Alan Sugar, but I'm doing just fine without any papers to my name, I won't be stepping back inside an academic facility in my life-time... unless it's to give a lecture.
 
I'm 30. Lv6, about 70-90k, depending on how hard I want to slave the over time. Probably not much this year so might even dip below 70. I work as a Project Manager on very large civil projects.
 
Bleek said:
I understand the argument but it still doesn't counter the fact that a select few of us with no paper to our names can make our way through life being significantly more successful (for this example, measured in wealth) than those with qualifications.

The role I left I hadn't stagnated in, my next move would have been a director of my profession but instead I took the decision to start-up and direct my own company and not work for 'someone else'.

I'm no Alan Sugar, but I'm doing just fine without any papers to my name, I won't be stepping back inside an academic facility in my life-time... unless it's to give a lecture.
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On average, I would say, that someone with a good degree (not kite making or media studies etc) earns significantly more over their lifetime than the average person without a degree.


Also since when is an NVQ lvl 5 worth more than a Bachelors degree?


Obviously there are those that succeed without a degree, such as yourself, but you would be more an exception than the general rule.
 
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Bleek said:
I understand the argument but it still doesn't counter the fact that a select few of us with no paper to our names can make our way through life being significantly more successful (for this example, measured in wealth) than those with qualifications.
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Think about it another way. You've done well without Uni - but this is because you've clearly 'got it'.

Imagine how much further you'd be able to go with your drive *and* the professional qualifications?
 
Sukh said:
On average, I would say, that someone with a good degree (not kite making or media studies etc) earns significantly more over their lifetime than the average person without a degree.


Obviously there are those that succeed without a degree, such as yourself, but you would be more an exception than the general rule.
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I agree entirely and I realise that most people rely on academia to 'get places' in life, but my argument is this is a safe/traditional way of thinking and greatness is often a result of taking the risky path.

I know I'm in the minority and not the general rule, but I still stand by the old 'where there's a will there's a way' ... and I'm a born cynic!
 
If you want the opportunity to make serious money then work for yourself. I was happy as a 30 something earning £35k as a web developer. I could see my career progression taking me up to £50k in the next 5 years or so, but due to various circumstances broke away from the agency and set up with the senior designer. Within 3 years we've expanded and now have a team of 8.

As long as you are good at what you do the pay ceiling that you imagined all your working life has suddenly disappeared, and you have the potential to earn sums that previously you would have thought completely unattainable.

I'm not going to post my exact earnings, other than to say I'm extremely happy with it, especially as I only have a 35 hour week, which gives me a great work / life balance......and that's with a Level 2 education :)
 
They dont 'rely' on Academia, they use to add to the portfolio they have. It doesn't change you as a person - it just gives you another edge.

By being really great without any education you can be as good as somebody average with an education. Great.

But what if you were really great *and* had the education...
 
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