Life Since Your Degree?

Oldernotwiser

torizia wrote: »

I haven't graduated yet, but am starting a graduate scheme with a certain banking group (!) in September. I'm in my final year at Bristol UWE studying Psychology, and will be earning 28k on the scheme. I really recommend applying for graduate schemes as a lot of companies offer them, and they give a great sense of security!! Also it's a really good way to get into the business, plus it actually feels like my degree will be worthwhile...

You've obviously done the right thing and applied in good time for graduate vacancies. The number of graduates who think they'll start job hunting after they finish their courses (or even after having had a couple of months' "holiday" after that!) never ceases to amaze me.

JemJam

I totally agree with lulaloo and sarah, my brother has 1 ALevel and some O levels and he's now on 26 grand a year having gone from job to job but moving up a level every time, my mother also has a 26k job with no degree.

I got my BA in Dance/Theatre back in 04 and went to study a HNC in business as thats what i was more interested in at the time, then i fell into a teaching job finished the HNC cos had no time and did a PGCE instead. Did that for 3 years which was around 11grand a year but with no sick pay, no pension, part time hours so no guarantee of anything as get paid for the hours you work so it wasnt an annual salary, and didn't get paid through the holidays. Then i left cos i couldnt bare teaching any longer as its not what i wanted(!) and started temping. I'm on an slightly lower wage than before despite my doing the same job as colleagues who earn 5 grand a yr more than me!

I want to do my MA as thats the only way to get into the sector i want to move into as its so competitive and experience (which i've a good batch of but need even more) only doesn't cut it, but saving for that whilst earning pittance and paying mucho bills n rent (still live with me mam :rolleyes: poor woman!) sometimes feels impossible!

It's not for the want of trying, I do well over a dozen applications a month but theres very little going around me or in a 30 mile radius at the mo thats at an acceptable (i.e. higher) salary, or with better prospects, etc.

Feedback i've had from previous job interviews have said i'm too overqualified or not qualified enough!!

But I troop on nonetheless!! I dont think my degree was useless cos I worked in the field for years after it and still have a finger in the pie despite working in a totally diff field at the mo, but i do think looking back i'd have planned post grad life better!

mellymeep

My sister has absoluely no A-levels, and minimal GCSE's.
She's just started as a PA for a director of Network Rail and earns 22k a year, and after 2 years has the chance to earn anything up to 40k a year.

Whereas I'm struggling to get through my degree without bankrupting myself, and I know its going to be a struggle getting a job in teaching once I've graduated. And even then the average starting salary is 20k. I wish I'd know that then.

farso

Wow, some people really get stressy about this one.

I think what was mentioned was that some people without degrees CAN only get 20k a year.... Not that its impossible! (Funnily enough it is the people who do not have degrees who failed to notice this.. perhaps unable to read? I dont know.)

Do you who are not happy with your rate of pay after a degree do some research into job availabilty/rates of pay after graduation? Im doing a masters degree in engineering and am looking for between 32-40k starting salery. It pays to do research.

horrorhag

this thread is depressing- especially regarding english lit

redmel1621

I think people are missing the bigger picture here....Doing a degree is not, or at least shouldn't be, all about the money!!!! It is about joining a career path that you love and want to work in.

I was a low level retail manager earning 16000 plus about 4000 a year bonuses, and was well on my way to moving up the ladder. I worked in retail for 9yrs (starting as a part time temp) and could probably go back into it, maybe slightly lower and continue to work my way up.Within 5yrs I could be on about 35-40k

However, I choose to work part-time and study for my degree, which will ultimately get me a job in my chosen career of teaching. I have always wanted to be a teacher yet cannot pursue this career WITHOUT a degree.

My husband has also left a relatively good wage (IT Consultant) to follow his heart and pursue a Physics degree. I believe it is more important to be happy in a job you love than earn a bit of extra cash doing a job you will come to resent 30yrs down the line.

And that, is what doing a degree means!!!!!

Mel x

sophisticated.

horrorhag wrote: »

this thread is depressing- especially regarding english lit

I've read quite a few comments recently about how 'worthless' English degrees are and I've found these articles useful in putting this belief into perspective:

http://www.english.heacademy.ac.uk/archive/publications/reports/gradcareers.pdf

http://www.english.heacademy.ac.uk/archive/publications/reports/employability_combined.pdf

LittleMissAspie

redmel1621 wrote: »

I think people are missing the bigger picture here....Doing a degree is not, or at least shouldn't be, all about the money!!!! It is about joining a career path that you love and want to work in.

It used to be, but now people leave owing thousands of pounds. No point borrowing 10 grand for a low paid job.

The_One_Who

I went to university to be educated, not to get a golden ticket to a job. Of course, a well paying job at the end of it would be good but to get the job I'm looking at will require a masters degree. I don't mind that, I like learning about things. If I could I'd be an academic, but I'm not rich enough to afford to pay for and support my way through a PhD.

redmel1621

LittleMissAspie wrote: »

It used to be, but now people leave owing thousands of pounds. No point borrowing 10 grand for a low paid job.

But people who don't do degrees also owe thousands..... Just think how may people are on this site alone with enormous amounts of debt...do you think they have those debts because of degrees?? In fact most people say their student loans aren't the debts that don't bother them!!!

We were in debt (some years back) to the tune of £20.000 and had a mortgage to pay...and were running an expensive car, and everything else that comes with trying to maintain an 'image' of happiness, when really we were miserable and hated our jobs and therefore got in debt to buy ourselves happiness!! It doesn't work.

I am not saying it is all rosy on the other side, but I don't believe it's grey either.

Mel x

edit - Just to add that I agree many, many people earn over 20k without degrees, as I pointed out, I could if I wanted to. My dad also earnt up to 50k pa (variable according to contract) that was over 10yrs ago!!!!! He barely finished school!!