Don't kid yourself.

[John Galt]

expat is right: a lot of people have really crap jobs that pay sh1t, they get in debt and their only hope in life that their kids will move out early enough to enjoy retirement which they ain't going to get because pension system will collapse by then.

But why have they got really crap jobs? What is stopping them trying to better themselves?

[AtW]

Marx did not take into account that abilities are often very limited, but needs are infinite.

But why have they got really crap jobs? What is stopping them trying to better themselves?

Some jobs are more commodities than others: call centers, nurses, army etc.

[Dundeegeorge]

I disagree

Marx did not take into account that abilities are often very limited, but needs are infinite.

And that was slightly watered down I have to say.
Needs are few, wants are infinite.

[Pondlife]

But why have they got really crap jobs? What is stopping them trying to better themselves?

FFS. Maybe their husband died of cancer and they need to be flexible in their three part time jobs to look after the kids.

[expat]

<ahem>Foff.
Having a degree is down to hard work. Having the right skill set is down to smart choices. Getting the right contract is down to honed negotiating skills.

OK right place right time helps, but without my effort none of this woul;d have happened.
To misquote a great wit. The harder I work the luckier I get.

Yes you put effort into it, and that is a factor. But not as much as effortmost other people put in for less result; and I don't see that it's a big factor.

There's not a lot of hard work in getting a degree, not compared to working for a living.
Having the right skill set, or the wrong one, is often more down to luck that judgement.
And "honed negotiating skills"? You mean searching Jobserve, sending emails, waiting for the phone to ring because agents (spit!) are finding contracts for you. Laugh? I nearly shat myself!

[The Lone Gunman]

Yes you put effort into it, and that is a factor. But not as much as effortmost other people put in for less result; and I don't see that it's a big factor.

There's not a lot of hard work in getting a degree, not compared to working for a living.
Having the right skill set, or the wrong one, is often more down to luck that judgement.
And "honed negotiating skills"? You mean searching Jobserve, sending emails, waiting for the phone to ring because agents (spit!) are finding contracts for you. Laugh? I nearly shat myself!

Glad you know so much about me and all the others on this web site.
Just because you have had it easy does not mean the rest of us have.

[expat]

Glad you know so much about me and all the others on this web site.
Just because you have had it easy does not mean the rest of us have.

I don't know about you. I do know a few people in and out of IT, and I have seen enough to generalise a bit. I maintain that most people in IT have it easy, and I mean not just compared to other people, but compared to how they would have it if they hadn't found IT as a job.

[shaunbhoy]

Having a degree is down to hard work

Not these days it ain't!!

[expat]

Not these days it ain't!!

Oh come on, it wasn't when I got one: not compared to real work.