Comments on: Ten tips for Britain’s blighted young things

By: The Investor

The Investor — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:27:54 +0000

@Al – Glad you’re enjoying the blog. Thanks for sharing, and good luck with your dreams and achieving your potential!

Just make sure you’re climbing up the right mountain before you set off…

By: Al

Al — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:25:11 +0000

I’ve recently discovered your blog and I’m so excited about the advice you have to give – not always because i’m able to follow it right now but because I feel more positive about my earning potential and, as you intend, I feel motivated! Not being too old myself yet, this article in particular has been very inspirational. I came back from teaching in Japan two years ago and I found I was falling into the trap of wanting to get in the property ladder and settle down sooner rather than later. Now my feet are itching once more and I’m off to look for job opportunities in Singapore (where I was born incidentally).

By: Tobias

Tobias — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:41:45 +0000

Excellent advice there, everyone should be focusing more on their career when the recession puts such strains on the labour market. Start with the bottom up I say, you can’t command respect from others until you have respect from yourself, that sort of motto. Do you know your cv well? career development is all about retrospective learning and self awareness.

http://www.tobiasbishop.blogspot.com for my upcoming career blog.

By: Steven

Steven — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:01:59 +0000

Great article! It has completely confirmed all the decisions I have made over the past several years. I am so happy to find comments from others that share your point of view.

I am one of the ‘recent immigrants’ you have written about previously but I had originally intended only to spend a summer in London going to festivals and making the most of the vibrant music scene here.

Six years later I have managed an amazing career that is based here in London and has taken me to all the four corners of the globe. I was lucky enough to not be burdened by student debt as I was on a gap year when in London. But this hasn’t held me back in anyway (IT tends to lean more towards experience than qualifications).

I also kept my feet firmly on the ground; at twenty one I had a £50k a year job (apparently nobody else in the UK wanted the job or they couldn’t find the skills) but I pretended to only earn a third of that. Not having any Jones’s to keep up with sure helped.

Now on the cusp of purchasing my first pad with a huge deposit in a great London location, and these ideas definitely helped me in getting to where I am today.

By: The Investor

The Investor — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:49:42 +0000

@Makeda – Thanks very much for sharing your views, and congratulations and good luck with your four sons.

By: The Investor

The Investor — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:48:35 +0000

You're welcome Niklas. It's relevant to this thread, so for anyone interested, here's the link to the Cambridge students in debt video again. In my view it's ludicrous we're spending money funding tens of thousands of pointless degrees across the UK, while genuinely bright young people are running up big debts (or worse, avoiding University because they feel they can't afford it).

By: The Investor

The Investor — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:45:27 +0000

@Tony – Indeed, it has become a significant risk if you’re a high earning man over the past two decades. The law of unintended consequences comes to the fore once more.

By: Niklas Smith

Niklas Smith — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:15:43 +0000

P.S. Although we all helped in getting pictures for the video, the actual mixing was done by the excellent Joe Rinaldi Johnson. (Credit where it’s due.)

By: Niklas Smith

Niklas Smith — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:14:19 +0000

Thanks so much for the link! I’d missed that I’m afraid (I blame exams…). It would explain why the video has had a few hundred extra views since I last checked

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:37:59 +0000

I would add don’t get married (if you are a man), and absolutely, definitely don’t get divorced!
.-= Tony on: 7 Useful Simplifying Techniques =-.

By: Makeda

Makeda — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:51:58 +0000

Hi love the article. I have 4 children spanning over 38 years. The first is 38 with law degree two homes. The second is 27 married ans separated with 3 kids. Rents a home no degree but studying. has lupus. just got in the house market. that is the difference od just 10 years. The 18 year old is doing a skill before a degree. looking for apprenticeship. But has the benefit of living in two countries. Listens to his mum. I was talking to him about much the same things you’ve mentioned. Of course you have added much more and i really appreciate your clarity and frankness. The 16 year old wants to be a dentist. Make your money while you are young. Keep as young as possible. You are so right. What a wise head on young shoulders. keep writing because I’ll keep reading.
Makeda

By: Forest

Forest — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:41:54 +0000

Awesome post…. I grew up in London. Love the city but you could not be more right!!! It’s a living breathing Vampire. It’s alluring and it sucks all your blood out at night (and replaces it with Guinness and Tequila shots).

I live in Cairo, Egypt right now and have been building my income online so I am not tied down to one place. Sadly most of my cash comes from USA so I am ties to their economy in a small way…. But I am getting there.
.-= Forest on: Is Minimalism a worthwhile form of activism? =-.