Pick the job, then look up its route

Some people who grew up poor say it meant working harder than friends who had a parent to ask, and finding their way through forms, money and choices alone. If that is you, what follows starts from a practical question, not from a verdict on you.

Pick a specific job that people are hired into, look up what it asks for, and choose the cheapest route to it that pays you or funds you while you learn.

This is for someone with no money or family backing, mostly in the US. If you are under 18, the safety note at the top comes first. If you cannot work or study at all right now, the end of the page says what this does not fix.

Why start from the job

Some people say a specific, marketable skill, such as a trade, nursing or a technical certification, does more to get someone out of poverty than a general social science degree or a four-year route with no clear job at the end. Others say a degree in nursing or law can lead to better pay and more security, even when it takes years and means borrowing, and that you should not feel ashamed of taking longer. Both can be right for different jobs, which is why the job comes first. One person names accounting and software development as high-demand fields, and adds that community college where it is free, and scholarships, can keep the debt down. One person points to the medical field, through a nursing assistant programme, for steady work. Some people say that choosing a career for passion alone can end in poverty, and that choosing the job you dislike least that pays well leaves you time and money for the things you love. One person says advice to follow their passion, and a parent’s scorn for trades, held them back until they chose a stable trade.

Some people also warn that the old promise, that a degree and hard work lead to stability, holds less well now. One person says highly qualified people cannot always find work above minimum wage, and one says trade wages vary heavily by region, so a trade is not a guarantee. A job that looked solid in someone else’s account may pay differently where you live.

Look the job up before you pay for anything

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook lists, for each job, the usual entry-level education, the on-the-job training, the pay and the projected growth. Its page on registered nurses is an example of why to look. It says nurses usually take one of three routes, a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing or a diploma from an approved programme, that nurses must be licensed, and that hospitals may require a bachelor’s degree. One person says a nursing associate’s degree from a community college costs little, that scholarships can pay for a large part of it, and that a four-year degree can come afterwards. CareerOneStop, a US Department of Labor site, helps you find a job, free training and your nearest American Job Center.

Some people say a skill such as coding, a trade or IT can be learned through self-study or on the job, even with no degree and no money to start. One person warns that this takes hours of study every day, and another that paid coding bootcamps can be scams or lead into a crowded field. This page could not check hiring for any of these where you are, which is the reason to look the job up first.

A route that pays you while you learn

An apprenticeship is the clearest example. The US Department of Labor says apprentices earn as they learn, with on-the-job learning and job-related classroom training, and that opportunities are offered through an employer or the programme sponsor, with an Apprenticeship Job Finder on apprenticeship.gov. In England, gov.uk says an apprentice is an employee earning a wage, with time for training and study of at least a fifth of their working hours; you must be 16 or over, living in England and not in full-time education. It says that if you are under 25 when you start and have been in local authority care, you may be eligible for a bursary payment.

Paying for school when no one is paying

One person says you count as an independent student for financial aid from age 26. The US Federal Student Aid site counts more ways, and its birth-date question works out to a younger age, 24. On its form you answer yes to being independent if you will be 24 or older by December 31 of the year the form’s school year begins, which is always on July 1 (the form asks it as a birth date, and that date moves on a year each year, so go by the one on your form), or if you are married, or will be a graduate or professional student, or are on active duty other than for training, or are a veteran, or have children or others, not counting a spouse, who live with you and get more than half their support from you now and through the school year. You also answer yes if at any time since you turned 13 you were an orphan, a ward of the court or in foster care, or if a court in your state decided you are or were an emancipated minor or in a legal guardianship with someone other than a parent or stepparent. The same applies if, during a period the form names, which starts before the school year does, you were not living with a parent or guardian and were homeless, or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless. If you are independent, your parents are not required to add their information to the form.

Two limits on that page matter. If your parents simply refuse to give their information, that does not make you independent, and you will not be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant or other federal student aid; you may be eligible only for a limited amount of a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. And if you have no contact with your parents, because you left an abusive environment or you are a victim of human trafficking, the page says you may be considered provisionally independent, and it has a page on unusual circumstances to read first. The financial aid office at the school you are applying to is the place to ask how it works for you.

One person says there is no shame in taking aid: it is a way out, and a repayment to society more than a handout. One person points out that a household on government assistance may qualify for free phone service through Lifeline, a federal programme that lowers a monthly phone or internet bill for people on certain programmes or with low income.

Years, not months

Some people say getting out often takes years of very hard effort and small steps rather than one big leap. Some people say believing you are destined to be poor can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, because you stop trying for what is within reach. Some people say it is common not to be stable until your late twenties or early thirties, and that hitting rock bottom young does not decide the rest of your life.

Some people say comparing your struggle with other people’s advantages is counterproductive and steals your attention from what you can do. One person says online displays of wealth are often curated, or built on theft, and make a poor measure for your own life. One person says anger at the unfairness is justified, and that waving it away is wrong. You can be angry and still take the next step.

When your pay does go up, some people say to keep your spending where it was and save the difference, so that a bad month does not send you back. One person says that even in a cheap area a car breakdown or a sewer backup can wipe out savings, and another that financial security can be lost quickly to an accident if your insurance is inadequate. Earning more can also change what help you get: the question below on benefits covers that.

The honest odds

People disagree about whether the barrier is the system or your own effort. One person says luck and chaos play a large part, and that people who did everything right have still failed; another says that self-control, perspective and smart money moves can get you a decent life even if you never become wealthy. This page does not settle it. The steps above are the same either way. Some people warn that the success stories may be the exceptions, and that many who try similar paths stay poor.

If you are raising children

Some people say stable parenting, and teaching children the difference between needs and wants and how to budget, are kinds of wealth you can pass down that cost little.

If you are under 18

One person says the school social worker is the safest, most accessible route for a minor in poverty: they can connect you to material help and to legal contacts, and keep what you say confidential unless someone is in imminent danger. In the US, school staff and social workers are often mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect, so they may have to pass on what you tell them about that. Another person says that a counsellor may not keep things from your parents, so ask what stays private before you tell them. One person suggests working as a camp counsellor, which offers room and board and limits what you can spend, and notes that some camps ask for proper documentation for younger workers. One person advises against relying on a boyfriend, girlfriend or other partner to get out of your home or for a place to live. The numbers in the safety note at the top are for that.

Who this is not for

If depression, ADHD or anxiety is what stops you getting started, some people warn that it can look like laziness, and a doctor is the right door; these steps do not treat it. If a health problem or a caring role means you cannot take a job or a course right now, these steps do not fit you yet. Some people say that for people facing a benefits cliff, “just work harder” is the wrong advice. If what you are looking for is help for an adult child who is not moving, this page does not cover that.

If you start having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US, or call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK, and call 911 or 999 if you are in danger now. For help with food, rent and bills where you live, 211 in the US is free and a person looks up services near you.