02 Nov When a millennial says no to uni, then what’s next? Living and surviving in London on the breadline.
From selling shots in nightclubs to selling shots of her feet, a 21 year old woman tells us more about her struggles of independently generating an income, in the largest, most competitive city in the UK, as she regrets not taking the direct path into employment through university.
According to the ONS ( Office for National Statistics), in the UK 78% of individuals without a degree get into paid work after leaving school or college, compared to university graduates to which the employment rate is 90%. According to a recent analysis they have led, 1 in 8 young people without degrees manage to find work in graduate jobs. But how long does it really take to get into a graduate job with no degree and what are the struggles young people face to get into an industry they desire with no qualifications?
Olivia Stone, who comes from a small town in South-East England recently moved to London, after being offered a job in a recruitment agency. Shortly after she moves to South London and pays her fees for a room with all of her savings, she finds out that the job she had just accepted is an intern job that pays £3.14 an hour, which would nowhere near cover her accommodation or living costs. “I panicked as I just signed a room agreement contract for six months but had no money to pay for my rent, so I had to think fast and find a job ASAP. I was so eager to move from home that I hadn’t even asked about my salary or any questions you would usually ask when you are about to get into a job, they never mentioned that it was an internship either.”
Olivia responded to an advert on Facebook, that offered her regular work and £25.00 per hour. The job involved her going to nightclubs and selling shots, which was commission based. Two weeks after joining the agency she had made £30 in profit as there were a lot of expenses she had to cover such as paying for her own cups, mixers, agency fees and buying a bottle of alcohol from the venue which would cost £90-£150. “I’ll pay double your wages for you to come home with me.” were the types of comments she was receiving nightly from strangers and married men. “If I’d be making the kind of money the agency promised me, then I wouldn’t have minded so much the men and harassment I was getting but it was mentally and physically draining and I just wasn’t making any money.
Facebook has become a very powerful tool for connections, which led to Olivia’s next source of income. She received a message from a blank profile suggesting a “slightly crazy idea”.
The first message Olivia received from the man
He requested her services to satisfy an embarrassing fetish. “I was so broke and desperate, that it didn’t seem like a big deal to me. His first offer was to meet me and tickle my feet for a few hundred pounds. I didn’t feel comfortable with doing that so he then offered me a smaller amount in exchange of sexual pictures of my feet.”
The proposal he had for Olivia
Olivia continued doing that for a few weeks until she managed to save up enough money for her rent and living costs. “He would send me random amounts every time between £50-£100, he would insist that if I needed money then I should just ask. He worked in the TV industry.”
During the time Olivia was involved with this man, she was job hunting and got offered a place in a marketing company which she took straight away. She moved on from her old ways of making money and decided to start fresh.
The identity of the girl has been changed, as she asked to be kept anonymous.
