This is an interesting thread.
I'm 52 and left school with 9 or so CSE's with a Grade 1 and a couple of 2's. Back then in my neck of the woods, Blackpool, no-one went to university. I mean I know of no-one that went to Uni from my school. Most lads went to work for ICI, BAC or BNFL; girls did some sort of secretarial training and then had babies at 24 or so. I put my poor exam results down to complacency - I got 4 Grade 1's in my mocks and thought I was home and dry :-)
I worked in the local council rates department before going overseas at 22. To cut a long story short I did a lot of travelling in the Middle East and Asia for many years eventually in 1993 leading overland adventure holidays in that region. Subsequently I worked for a couple of companies as what is called a Product Manager - I was responsible for the creation of itineraries, planning the logistics, contracting local suppliers, costing, pricing, brochure text creation and all operational logistics including responding to and reacting passenger feedback. In my last role I have approx 135 trips to look after, though I also managed a team of people who did the grunt work.
The company I joined in 1996 was a start up, backed by money from Travelbag. There were 3 directors. me and another guy for the first couple of months. In time we grew it from loss making to a company that was bought by eBookers, then sold to First Choice. It is still going and is one of the top 3 adventure travel companies in the UK.
I eventually left the industry because it had become extremely stressful. Small companies are now gone, or are rather owned by large companies. The start up I mentioned is now part of TUI. Producing 3 or 4 brochures a year each with a dozen deadlines whilst managing people who don't give a stuff is hard. I felt that whilst it was well paid (not stratespheric but certainly way above average) it wasn't worth the stress. I was going to be a heart attack candidate by 45.
So we moved to Wales and I became a window cleaner. Sure, there is a loss of so called status in being a window cleaner - there is no doubt that people look down on you. But that's good. They all think we earn £12k a year. Let them think that. It's also good because it mainly attracts those with few qualifications; they tend to charge little, work in summer only, and come and go. This is good because as pro window cleaners our position is secure - imagine if everyone was diligent - they'd be a hell of a lot more competition.
So here I am. 52. No mortgage, working 4 days a week, 9am - 2pm and earning way above the average for the area in which I live (i've just paid a £5k tax bill, so you can probably work out what I make). I'm up to date on my cleans given the better weather. Because it was so poor in Nov and Dec I have re-jgged it all and i'm off all next week :-)
Now, i'm willing to accept i'm only a window cleaner for that kind of lifestyle. Unfortunately we now live in an age when qualifications are essential; when I was a lad it was more about experience and if your face fitted. In my time i've interviewed too many people with a degree whose English language skills were lamentable, barely readable. Why did we interview them? Because that's the standard nowadays and so many people passing through today's education system have a similar standard. It's the norm.
Qualifications mean little to me. What you have achieved in your life, however old you are, is more important (and achieve doesn't necessarily equate to owning a big house and flash car).
I'm just a lad from Blackpool with a few CSE's but I own my own house outright, have been to Petra in Jordan a dozen times, i've trekked in the Himalayas, been across the Mongolian steppe, seen Palmyra before ISIS destroyed it, been in jungles with stone age people etc, I have a thriving business, i'm well respected with a great reputation and have friends around the globe. I'm happy and am proud to be a window cleaner - a job that rewards an honest day's work with an honest day's pay.
