Why Career Advice Doesn't Work for the Working Class

Career advice is often presented as a universal roadmap to success. We're told to network, tailor our CVs, and exude confidence in interviews. The underlying message is that with the right strategy, anyone can climb the career ladder. However, for working-class individuals, much of this advice is detached from reality. It overlooks structural inequalities, financial barriers, and the profound ways in which class shapes access to opportunities.

The Illusion of a Level Playing Field

A significant flaw in mainstream career advice is the assumption that everyone starts from the same position. Imagine a race where some participants begin at the starting line, while others are positioned several metres behind. Advising everyone to run faster ignores the inherent disadvantage faced by those starting further back. Similarly, career strategies that don't account for systemic disparities fail to address the unique challenges encountered by the working class.

Networking is a Privilege, Not a Given

Building professional connections is frequently touted as essential for career advancement. Yet, this is considerably easier for individuals from affluent backgrounds. Wealthy families often have established networks, allowing their children to access opportunities through family friends or acquaintances. In contrast, working-class individuals may lack such connections, making the directive to "network more" both daunting and inequitable.

The job market is built on nepotism, whether it’s explicit or informal. According to a 2019 study by The Sutton Trust, 70% of job vacancies in the UK are filled through personal networks before they are ever advertised. This means that if you don’t already have contacts in an industry, you are at a severe disadvantage before you even submit a CV. Many working-class people simply don’t have family members in high-paid professions who can set up an internship or introduce them to a hiring manager over drinks. They are left applying for the limited roles that are actually advertised, competing against people who already have a foot in the door.

The Hidden Costs of Entry

Entering certain professions entails upfront expenses that can be prohibitive for those from lower-income backgrounds. Beyond the obvious costs of education and training, there are subtler financial burdens. For instance, attending networking events often requires appropriate attire and travel expenses. Relocating to urban centres, where many industries are concentrated, involves significant costs that many cannot afford. These hidden expenses create additional barriers for working-class applicants striving to enter competitive fields.

Internships, often unpaid or offering below-minimum wages, act as another form of economic gatekeeping. Some of the most desirable industries, such as journalism, politics, and the arts, still rely on unpaid internships as a prerequisite for entry. For working-class individuals, who cannot afford to work for free, this effectively shuts them out of entire career paths. While wealthier applicants can rely on parental support to sustain them through months of unpaid work, many working-class job seekers are juggling part-time jobs just to survive.

Confidence is a byproduct of privilege

Confidence and assertiveness are often highlighted as key traits for career success. Private schools, with their emphasis on public speaking, debating, and leadership training, instil these qualities in their students from an early age. By contrast, working-class individuals are often raised with values of humility, deference, and hard work over self-promotion. This cultural divide means that working-class job seekers may be perceived as less competent or ambitious simply because they do not conform to middle-class norms of self-presentation.

Accent bias is another obstacle. Studies have found that candidates with regional or working-class accents are less likely to be hired for prestigious roles, even when they have the same qualifications as their middle-class counterparts. Employers may unconsciously favour candidates who speak and behave in ways that align with their own backgrounds, reinforcing class divides in hiring. A 2020 study from the University of York found that job applicants with 'non-standard' accents were 16% less likely to be shortlisted for professional roles.

Career Progression

Even after securing employment, working-class graduates often face hurdles in career progression. They are overrepresented in insecure, low-paid positions with limited advancement opportunities. Research indicates that individuals from working-class backgrounds are less likely to be promoted and often earn less than their middle-class peers, even when performing the same roles. This stagnation is not due to a lack of talent or effort but is rooted in systemic biases and workplace cultures that favour the privileged.

A 2021 study from the Social Mobility Foundation found that working-class graduates earn, on average, £6,800 less per year than their middle-class counterparts in the same industries. The report also found that working-class employees are less likely to receive mentoring or leadership opportunities, which are essential for career progression. While middle-class graduates may have informal support networks in the workplace-managers who take them under their wing, colleagues who introduce them to key figures-working-class employees often find themselves excluded from these networks, making advancement more difficult.

The Compounded Struggles of Race and Class

It's crucial to recognise that the challenges faced by working-class individuals are often intensified by other factors, such as race. People of colour from working-class backgrounds encounter compounded barriers, including discrimination and stereotyping, which further limit their access to opportunities. Career advice that fails to consider these intersecting identities falls short of addressing the realities faced by many in the workforce.

Black and Asian working-class graduates, for example, experience even greater pay disparities than their white counterparts. Research from the Resolution Foundation found that Black graduates from working-class backgrounds earn, on average, 10% less than white working-class graduates, with factors such as racial discrimination and lack of access to industry networks playing a significant role.

Rethinking Career Support

Instead of promoting a one-size-fits-all approach, career support should acknowledge and address the structural barriers that working-class individuals face. Employers need to create accessible entry-level opportunities, eliminate reliance on unpaid internships, and value diverse backgrounds. Educational institutions should provide tailored support that accounts for financial limitations and the realities of class disparity. Additionally, there must be a concerted effort to address discrimination in hiring, particularly against those with regional accents or non-traditional backgrounds.

Government policies should also play a role in levelling the playing field. This includes banning unpaid internships, increasing the minimum wage to a genuine living wage, and funding mentorship and training programmes targeted at working-class job seekers. Without systemic change, the career ladder will remain tilted in favour of those who are already privileged.

A System Demanding Change

The prevailing career advice paradigm does not serve the working class because it was never designed to. The job market disproportionately rewards those who already possess wealth, confidence, and connections. Until these systemic issues are addressed, working-class individuals will continue to be told to "network more" while doors remain firmly closed. It is time to redefine career success in a way that is inclusive and equitable, ensuring that talent and hard work are genuinely recognised and rewarded.