Interesting

The other month I was taking a long trip and got chatting to a new railway guard who was just learning the job.
It turned out that she was a fully qualified physcologist from a London Uni who had given up of getting a job in that field and had instead taken a job as a railway guard. She said the jobs were easier to get, paid more, had better terms and conditions and was better of in that job.
It takes no degree to become a railway guard and she said they will earn £35k with ease, with driver on well over £40k.
Something to think about, no?

Reply 1

worried_mess

12

Whats a railway guard, exactly?

Reply 2

sexysax

14

Isn't it someone who does the signal things at a station?! :confused:

Reply 3

qwerty_st/n

11

InterCity125

The other month I was taking a long trip and got chatting to a new railway guard who was just learning the job.
It turned out that she was a fully qualified physcologist from a London Uni who had given up of getting a job in that field and had instead taken a job as a railway guard. She said the jobs were easier to get, paid more, had better terms and conditions and was better of in that job.
It takes no degree to become a railway guard and she said they will earn £35k with ease, with driver on well over £40k.
Something to think about, no?

who in there right mind would want to do that when you can spend 3 years training to be a nurse with a starting salary which is half of that :confused:

i think i may have made a huuuuuge mistake.....

Reply 4

Meee

It's the same with what I saw on a bus the other day. Earn £25k and over, full training given, + bonuses. Don't even need a qualification, just the right peace of mind according to the advert. Makes me wonder why I'm doing this for 4 years.

Reply 5

yorkshirelass

14

Well, money isn't what attracts me to a career. Having never had much to begin with, I'm looking for an occupation with job satisfaction, and the most important factor in job satisfaction, for me, is intellectual stimulation. That's why I personally wouldn't want to be a driver (plus I'd be rubbish at it anyway).

Reply 6

InterCity125

OP

1

worried_mess

Whats a railway guard, exactly?

Basiclly he person who cheks the tickets on the train.
They have safety reponsibilites in a crash, but for the most part they check tickets and tell the driver when to go (I.e. when the passengers are on).

Reply 7

Ferrus

19

yelwalkietalkie

is intellectual stimulation.

I agree, but are tehre really many jobs available that give you that?

Reply 8

ancientone

8

But I've never considered working solely for the financial rewards. If I had done then I'd not have been a teacher for so long. And there are many other graduate professions that pay even less than teaching- but people do it because they enjoy the job.

I certainly couldn't have stuck for so long with teaching, no matter what the pay, if I hadn't enjoyed the job.

I can't speak for others, but that old thing of job satisfaction is the key issue with me. Everytime!

Reply 9

qwerty_st/n

11

ancientone

But I've never considered working solely for the financial rewards. If I had done then I'd not have been a teacher for so long. And there are many other graduate professions that pay even less than teaching- but people do it because they enjoy the job.

I certainly couldn't have stuck for so long with teaching, no matter what the pay, if I hadn't enjoyed the job.

I can't speak for others, but that old thing of job satisfaction is the key issue with me. Everytime!

nicely said :smile:

think you hit the nail on the head there
its certainly why i chose nursing anyway

Reply 10

Luvbug

9

I don't think I could do that even if the paid me £35k a year. I'd be bored out of my mind! It's not always about the money (although that is a huge part of it!). Would you really want to do that though? Rather than find something more interesting? (I'm not slamming railway guards here I'm just saying that it must be a pretty dull job)

Reply 11

InterCity125

OP

1

You get to meet a lot of people on that job, but it is gnerally routine and dull.
However, on that money you can have a lot more fun outside of work and a better standard of living than you could on an interesting but poorly paid job of say £20 a year. Work is only 8hrs a day, and if it gives you enough to have a good 16hrs a day then perhaps?

Reply 12

bluenoxid

13

Intercity125, your train terminates here :biggrin:

I think you will recongnise the company in my avatar.

Guards at northern (Operate trains in the North of England) earn around 17K whilst drivers are on 28-29K

The job is focused on safety (It takes a year to train to become a driver and 3 months for a guard)

Once you begin working for the bigger Intercity operators like GNER, a driver can earn up to 39K per annum.

its a great job for some people and the pay is great considering it does not require a uni degree.

Reply 13

Fluffy

15

InterCity125

The other month I was taking a long trip and got chatting to a new railway guard who was just learning the job.
It turned out that she was a fully qualified physcologist from a London Uni who had given up of getting a job in that field and had instead taken a job as a railway guard. She said the jobs were easier to get, paid more, had better terms and conditions and was better of in that job.
It takes no degree to become a railway guard and she said they will earn £35k with ease, with driver on well over £40k.
Something to think about, no?

My friend has a D.Phil from Oxford, and is now a plumber (and she's earning a stack!)

Reply 14

silent ninja

19

Fluffy

My friend has a D.Phil from Oxford, and is now a plumber (and she's earning a stack!)

Does she believe her higher studies were, to some extent, a waste of time?

Reply 15

Fluffy

15

More or less - there isn't much scope for molecular biologists in the plumbing world :wink:

Reply 16

AT82

The course I am doing at the moment in Stoke is designed to help graduates get graduate level jobs. There is all sorts of employed people there from computing people like me, industrial designers to American studies graduates.

The way I look at is that even if I job dosn't need my degree I have learn't so much other stuff from university it will always be worth it. I am planning to setup my own business anyway which pretty much uses 80% of what I have learn't in my degree :smile:

so if that takes off my degree would be vital.