In times of a creeping financial crisis and high inflation, standards of living fall. Many people ask basic questions about this. These are not only general ontological considerations, but also specific issues that are worth addressing. How to reduce the cost of living, how to make money quickly, what is the most profitable profession or what professions will be in demand in the future? There are no golden answers to some questions, but difficult times require us to rethink our life choices and our financial situation.

In 2020, inflation is hovering around a high rate of over 3%. This means that in a few years the amount of 1000 zlotys in your pocket will become a completely different amount and we will be able to buy less goods or services for it. The specter of economic collapse, the paralysis of many industries, and the accelerating increase in the cost of living are other issues that do not give rise to optimism. In such a situation, the active participant in economic life may either reduce his cost of living, try to earn more or double his capital.

When starting adult life, it is worth making some decisions quickly, because time will play in our favour later . Entering the job market at the age of twenty is a very different beginning than starting such a step at the age of thirty. 10 years of putting money aside and gathering experience can be a huge bonus, especially when the economy starts to falter and it is necessary to wait for the economic storm to pass.

Of course, each case is individual, which, for example, is well illustrated by the difficulties in determining the cost of living in Poland in the following paragraphs. However, there are a few things that are common across all latitudes – openness to change, flexibility and always willingness to learn. These are the features that will help you survive even in the worst conditions.

A graduate of Iberian Studies, currently working as a project manager at Portal in Spanish

How do you start working after a foreign language philology?

It is worth trying to find a job in places such as translation agencies, travel agencies, schools (if you have taken a course), private language schools and companies where they teach you from scratch and you rely on a foreign language (this is a common strategy for companies, it is easier to teach someone, for example the basics accounting rather than high-level language).

What gains can you count on?

Prices vary widely – from a few to several thousand zlotys. You can be a teacher in a Polish school or a teacher of the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi 😉

What is the future of language professions?

All studies indicate that the profession of translator will not disappear in the coming years. Translators use machine translation software, but the machine has no cultural knowledge. In addition, there are also such areas as literary translation, which at this stage cannot be replaced by a machine.

People learn languages ​​more and more through apps, and someone has to help create them, which opens the door to people with exemplary foreign language skills. Moreover, many students still prefer to contact a person who is alive.

On the other hand, the market is shrinking, and as in any field, you just have to be good and specialize in a particular industry.

In my opinion, the best combination is an advanced foreign language (or rather at least 2) + specialized knowledge on a particular topic. This gives you a huge advantage in the market. For example, a lawyer who speaks Polish and French, or an engineer – a translator.

Wages in Poland – the legendary national average and real purchasing power

Now let’s move on to the details, that is, first of all, to the profits that are being made in our country. The basic indicator is the country’s monthly average, published by the Central Statistical Office (GUS) (Central Statistical Institute). In 2020, the total varies from PLN 5,200 to PLN 5,300, which means about PLN 3,800 per hand. People interested in the secrets of the national average invite you to read our article: What is the current average salary? At this point, let’s look at just one point related to this topic.

The method of calculating the national average developed by the Central Statistical Office is not perfect. This is because the institute only looks at people who work for private companies that employ more than 9 people (about 40% of the workforce). Budget workers, small private businesses and the self-employed were not included in this civil society survey. It is often those who rub their eyes in amazement, listen to or read the news, with the national average in Poland being around 3800 PLN per hand .

The Central Statistics Office also provides other data on average wages and salaries, which apply to a larger number of employees. The average calculated in the national economy is usually several hundred zlotys lower than the officially published national average. However, these numbers seem to be quite high, given the situation of all the inhabitants of our country.

Only 17% of our citizens earn above the national average.

Another study that sheds more light on the financial situation of Poles is a report by the international research institution GFK, which examines the purchasing power of individual countries.

This indicator is better than the national average of the Central Bureau of Statistics, as it takes into account all employees and takes into account the inflation issue. Hence, you can learn about the true power of money that the Poles have at their disposal. The amount generated by a GFK survey is well below the national average and amounts to about PLN 2,600 . What other interesting facts does this report provide?

• In Poland, there is a “strong contrast between the poor and the rich” – the average income of residents of rich provinces is two times higher than the average income of residents of poor countries.
• The income of a statistician resident in Warsaw is the highest in the country and amounts to 4,500 PLN, which is 87% of the European average.
• Sopot, Pozna, Wroclaw, and Katowice rank second in the wealth scale.
• In the poorest counties, such as Szydłowiec, the income of the population is only 1,850 PLN, which is 2.6 times less than the income of residents of Warsaw.

city	Average income of a resident
Warsaw	زلوتي 4515
Sopot	زلوتي 3983
Poznan	زلوتي 3755
فروتسواف	زلوتي 3684
Katowice	زلوتي 3618

According to a survey conducted by CBOS in 2019, Poles believe that a wealthy person earns more than 10,000 PLN. 75% of us believe that people do not have equal opportunities and that only a few can get rich. Our countrymen consider diligence and complete dedication to what you do, as well as courage and willingness to take risks as necessary qualities for enrichment .

SEO Analyst working in the financial industry

How do you start your SEO adventure?

I went on an internship as an SEO engineer during my studies, and then somehow succeeded. I recommend this path for beginners.

What gains can you count on?

very different. From typical prices for a cashier working in a hypermarket, up to several thousand zlotys in the case of running your own small agency.

What do you see in the future for the SEO industry?

SEO will be developed towards user experience and analytics. It will move away from buying links and synthesizing the validity of the code towards responding to the user’s intentions, getting their attention and increasing engagement.

The cost of living in the country on the Vistula River – an issue that is difficult to solve

The cost of living is another issue that causes sleepless nights for many residents of our country. Some are thinking of creative ways to cut it, while others are thinking about where you should decide the lowest cost of living – perhaps immigration. However, it is difficult to clearly define the actual costs of living in a particular country, after all, everyone has their own individual needs.

However, foreign magazines and portals often publish ratings of the cheapest and most expensive countries to live in. The so-called cost of living index, the base number (100) is the amount required to live in New York. Thus, according to the summary prepared by Ceoworld magazine, the most expensive country is Switzerland (122.4), the cheapest is Pakistan (21.98), which is 4 times cheaper than New York .

What is the arrangement of our country in this arrangement? The Polish index is 40.04, which gives us the 81st place in the world in terms of cost of living. Thus, we are in the middle of the risk, because we are neither a particularly expensive nor a cheap country.

How does this translate to the true cost of living? According to the popular comparison site numbeo.com , in New York it’s PLN 4,940.89 per person – thus for Poland 1,976.40 PLN . However, this is the amount without taking into account the cost of renting an apartment, which is a giant in this American city. In this way we arrive at the basic problem, i.e. the question of how renting out our four corners disturbs the perspective of calculating the cost of living in our country.

Someone may pursue a paid career, for example in the technology industry in Warsaw, but pay 3,500 PLN for renting an apartment in the city center and using more expensive services. After deducting the costs, it may turn out that the man will leave an amount similar to the teacher’s or official living expenses in the provinces that own, for example, an inherited apartment with low fees and pay 15 PLN for a visit to a hairdresser.

Another issue is the average income of a Polish citizen, which we mentioned, which is 2,600 PLN. Could the average cost of living be higher? In this case, most Poles would live in permanent indebtedness. According to the BIK (Credit Information Bureau), about 40% of us pay off some form of liability , such as a cash or loan.

So it seems like quite a few people really live together, eagerly waiting for the first one. In the recently published loan report, taking into account up to 60,000 individual cases, the average income of an ordinary borrower was PLN 3,246 per destination, and the cost of living PLN 2,726, saving a potential PLN 520 per month.

Senior Ad Copywriter, working in an advertising agency and as a freelance ad owner

Copywriting – How do you get started?

Studies (eg Polish studies) are not necessary to start working as an author. Reading and writing are even more important – constant practice is the foundation of this profession. It is worth reading everything – from advertising slogans on jam jars to literary classics. The first steps you can take are to try to get into a content agency as a beginner or do low-paying writing assignments. Content that challenges almost every industry – like steel cut articles – is a true school of copywriting.

What gains can you count on?

Between 2500 – 4500 PLN. The most valuable are copywriters with experience in niche industries, because almost every one of us will create a description of pans, shoes or patches. Authors of attractive viral content who create advertising campaigns using, for example, the method of storytelling, can count on higher salaries (more than 5,000 PLN). A good level of profits can also be made by freelancers who work with many big brands.

What do you see in the future before writing ads?

There will come a point where most content is generated by algorithms. There will be the best and most creative copywriters on the market who will have more to offer than just creating a dry description or relationship, so it’s easy to replace with AI.

How do you reduce the cost of living? memorization methods

Once we know more or less how much the average Pole earns and his cost of living, it’s time to move on to answering how to financially boost in tough times. The first idea is very classic – saving money is a good solution when our profits are not at the highest level and the cost of living exceeds our means month after month. There are many ways to save, starting with classic deposits, giving up the fun, moving to a cheaper apartment or to another place in Poland.

However, we must point out one thing – any form of storing money and spending it somewhere does not make much sense. The money in the kitchen jar regularly loses its value due to the mitigating effect of water on inflation , which can explode dangerously in times of crisis, as governments look positively to reprint the money.

And how is it with deposits? In 2020, this will be quite bleak, given the significantly lower interest rates. In the chart below, we can see interest plummet as we welcomed the onset of the slump caused by governments’ allergic response to the pandemic.

So what do you do? It is certainly better to invest than to wait for our money to be swallowed up by the inflationary monster. For people who are looking for ways to invest, we have prepared a special article:

How to invest in 2022?

But let’s go back to saving, which must take creative forms. Here are a handful of our suggestions.

1. Analyze all signed contracts – often for peace of mind, we sign a contract for years, and then never return. It is possible that there are already more attractive phone offers on the market than there were a few years ago. Perhaps it’s time to change your personal account to a cheaper one (take advantage of our banking promotions ) or take care of an electricity supplier who wants less for its services.

2. Don’t buy new items – cars, electronics and home furnishings get cheaper in the early years of use. See also outlets and second-hand shops.

3. Quit doping and live healthy – Poles spend nearly PLN 17 billion on beer alone, and PLN 11. On vodka, total spending on alcohol rises to 37 billion PLN. It also does not arouse interest in cigarettes – the Poles burn up to 28 billion PLN. Candy? 11.3 billion salty snacks? 3.7 billion. Restricting this can lead to annual savings of up to several thousand zlotys. Thanks to this decision, we will also be healthier, thanks to which we will be able to search for a new form of employment, investment or further work more actively.

4. Do not live alone – Maintaining a family of one person is more costly to the individual. It is much better to share the costs of rent, bills or food.

5. Learn how to cook and invite your friends to house parties – frequent visits to restaurants can ruin your budget, and perhaps when the epidemic is over, we will crowd the city.

Product designer with experience working for international companies and institutions

How do you take your first steps as a UX designer/producer?

As with programmers, you first implement a project and then use it during hiring (the project can be created for a non-existent product – recruiters appreciate creativity), such as an AI-powered soft oven.

What gains can you count on?

UX (User Experience) Specialist:

Junior : 3500/4500 PLN

Middle : 5500 PLN / 7000 PLN

Senior / Chief : 10,000 / 15,000 PLN

Product designer:

10,000/15,000 PLN

What is the future of your profession?

There will be no UX people in the future, because companies will need product designers with a background in UX. Sometimes you can meet ads on UX researchers who don’t need a designer background, but there are few such offerings and they won’t make a decent profit.

How to earn, which profession to choose?

Once we’ve made some savings decisions, it’s also worth considering additional earnings. Many pages and ads tempt us with ways to make money fast. However, it is not so easy, and no one will give us anything for free.

An interesting way to earn additional income is long-term investments in the stock market or trading, which are based on the most dynamic daily buying and selling of shares or CFDs on a particular asset. In March 2020, when the epidemic and financial problems began in Poland, our compatriots began to look warmly at the way to multiply capital. Over the next six months, nearly 80,000 new investment accounts were opened.

Below we present the most interesting brokerage accounts:

The offered financial instruments, especially those that are leveraged, carry the risk of experiencing losses in excess of the invested capital.

However, when we are overwhelmed by the risks associated with this type of investment, it is worth considering changes in your career. What profession for retraining? What profession should you choose to earn a lot?Let’s take a look at the report prepared by the Central Statistical Office for data based on a reliable study, rather than subjective answers.

What are the highest paid professions in Poland?

Profession	Average gross salary
General Managers and Administrators	PLN 14,789,69.007 PLN
ICT Managers	PLN 13,944.72.00 Zloty
Workers of maritime transport, inland navigation and aviation	PLN 11337.72.007 PLN
the doctors	zloty
Computer systems analysts and programmers	PLN 9,509.66.00 zloty
Electrical technology engineers	zloty
Academic teachers	PLN 6,357.85.00 PLN
Master of Production in Mining, Manufacturing and Construction	PLN 6282.17.00 PLN

As we can see, most of these classes are not available to the man of the street – without the skills, experience and professional education. To take on similar positions, political connections (managers and directors in state-owned enterprises), many years of difficult studies (doctors) or thousands of hours of specialized training (pilots) are often required.

So how do you sidestep the system and get closer to the high profits we can get in traditional management positions?

The answer may be the digital revolution, which has given self-taught and enthusiasts of the Internet and the mobile world the opportunity to earn a lot of money. In recent years, many new professions have emerged that work on the interface between programming, web and mobile app development, design, UX, SEO, data analysis, and software testing.

Most of these professions can be performed at home ( already 5 million Poles work remotely ), it helps to receive applications for freelance work and the path from low to high salaries is certainly shorter here than in the case of classic professions.

A doctor, lawyer, or university lecturer often needs several years to double his or her income. In modern professions related to technology development, this leap can be achieved in a few years.

What else has the epidemic taught us? Online and online jobs are certainly more resistant to economic shifts than classic live customer service jobs . So what are the gains in professions related to new technology?

Profession	Total potential earnings of mid-experienced employees
Production Manager	5,340 – 9,290 PLN
UX designer	5860-9900 PLN
Search engine optimization specialist	4020 – 5820 PLN
java developer	7080 – 11010 PLN
marketer	4000 – 6000 PLN
Social Media Manager	4000 – 10000 PLN
Business Analyst	6300-9500 PLN
software lab	5160 – 8000 PLN

Of course, these are indicative amounts for employees who are more or less between junior and senior positions. Possible amounts may be much higher, which can be seen by visiting websites such as justjoint.it or Rocketjobs.pl. In order to get a better understanding of the market situation, let’s quote two additional interviews with people working in the new technologies sector.

Software tester working for an international company

How do you start your adventure as a software tester?

You need to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of the user interface of pages and applications. Knowledge of IT and operations will also be beneficial. In addition, it pays to have an analytical mind and be communicative, because it usually starts out as a manual tester who has to collaborate a lot with the programmer.

What gains can you count on?

From PLN 2000 net manually to PLN 15,000 net as automation.

What will your profession look like in the future?

The saturation of the market has not yet reached its peak due to the ever-increasing Internet services – however, over time, the demand for manual testers will decrease due to the advancement of automation.

Developer/IT Manager, working in the financial industry

How do you start your adventure as a programmer/developer?

Whether you’re in college or in training, you have to work hard at home. Just “doing the job” will do you no good, because you have to constantly develop, see more experienced people and try to do more and more complex and innovative projects. I would refuse studies, but only because you can learn faster, and you don’t need the paper for anything. Only this profession should be approached specifically, not like working on a construction site that ends at 5 pm and you can turn on Teleexpress.

What gains can you count on?

It all depends on the company and the developer – usually from 2,000 to 30,000 PLN depending on the training period. But the differences are different, because a beginner in a company will receive 3000 zlotys and another 8000 zlotys. It also depends on the company, what their approach is, the technology used, what projects someone has worked on before, etc.

What will your profession look like in the future?

It depends on the technology. The future of the web programmer will look different, because it is not known how the Internet and browsers will develop, as well as the way online content is consumed. Other than that, it’s programmed for integrated circuits, because quantum computers or some more advanced processing mechanism might come out on top. It is also possible that some work may be performed by artificial intelligence.

Or maybe your own company?

Some are structured in such a way that they are unable to work for someone else. They may receive huge wages as full-time employees, but just being aware of the need to follow orders can be unbearable for these people. So instead of annoying 40 hours a week as an employee, these people should become their own boss.

The Internet environment in particular opens up huge opportunities for all those who dream of their own business. For example, the e-commerce industry is developing with great force due to the pandemic shutdown of some terrestrial sectors of the economy .

However, it should be noted that it will be very difficult to hack your online store by offering typical products. Just creating a spacious and comfortable shopping platform and putting it to common phrases (such as “sneakers” or “utensils”) would cost tens of thousands of zlotys. However, let us now give a word to the owner of the company who has successfully developed his business for many years.

Stanisław Duda, CEO of Finelf, specializes in affiliate marketing

How do you start your business adventure?

It is important to be identified, focused on the goal, respond flexibly to market responses and adapt. The idea is of little importance. When I started, there were over 1,000 other comparison sites. You should choose a place where you want to work and start building your business center there with minimal capital. It’s a truism, but you also have to work hard.

What gains can you count on?

Zero or low profits in the beginning. When setting up your business (as long as it is not a service business), you need to keep in mind that you will not earn anything within the first year or two. Later, when the project begins to grow, you will be able to pay the average salary yourself. With well-developed companies from the SME sector, the fixed salary of CEO / Board of Directors ranges between 10 and 25 thousand. PLN on hand, does not include earnings.

How will managing your own business change in the future?

In the future, starting your own business will be more capital intensive and will require specialized skills (or hiring someone like that). Big tech companies occupy more areas and it is difficult to find a profitable niche for starting a business “in the garage”. Hence the growing interest in venture capital and non-bank financing.

How do you start your business? Check the corporate loan arrangement.

Careers of the future – is your workplace disappearing?

In our short interviews, many professionals spoke of their concerns about automation. The trend is clear and unstoppable as companies are looking for continuous cost optimization .

So when it becomes possible to replace employees with cheaper robots, the owners of large corporations and corporations will not hesitate for a moment . Automatic machines are not only paid for, but also not covered by labor law. Paid leave and health holidays will be a thing of the past when the factory has automatic service.

Now let’s look at some of the events that herald complete changes in the labor market.

• Smart hospitals are being built in China, where doctors help robots – robots that aid in diagnosis and care for patients? This is a real possibility – China uses algorithms that are 95% effective in correct diagnosis of patients.

• Amika has built a high-altitude automated warehouse – it has up to 25,000 pallets, and is served by only one employee! The rest is fully automatic through the intelligent system of controlled machines. In a traditional warehouse, dozens of people have to be employed to handle the release of goods using forklifts.

• In the United States, prototypes of automatic steered trucks were created – the Embark self-propelled truck traveled 3800 km (from Los Angeles to Florida) without a driver. This was made possible thanks to machine learning, that is, the way algorithms acquire new information and use it themselves – in this case, data about the environment.

• Żabka has developed an automated shop – it will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service will be carried out thanks to cameras that track movement and sensors placed on the shelves. Experimental nano frogs will appear in Poznan.

What professions will disappear in the future?

• money changers _
• security guards,
• reception staff,
• factory workers,
• drivers / couriers ,
• Call center staff.

Activities that depend on simple and repetitive activities that the device can easily perform will become extinct. We feel some changes in our skin. A large portion of us use self-checkouts or chatbots. When algorithms and tools, such as the self-directed Tesla character, are improved, recognizable images from science fiction films will become a reality for us.

What professions are in demand in the future?

Experts say that those professions that are based on creativity and creative analysis will stand up and develop, because these are the issues that are difficult to replace with artificial intelligence. No doubt it will not be easy for us to say goodbye to someone else’s presence, for example in the case of teaching. What professions may arise in the future?

• A processor that uses the latest technology of the type of virtual reality ,
• A personal trainer who will work on the basis of nanotechnology and genetic testing of his student .
• A digital coordinator who will erase content that is inappropriate for us.

Unconditional Basic Income

Another issue with automation is the so-called guaranteed basic income. What is that? It is the same amount that the state pays to every citizen, regardless of his financial status . The payment is not accompanied by any consideration, which means that you do not have to do any work to receive your basic income.

Economists argue fiercely about this solution, but what does it have to do with robotics and automation? When most of the work is done by robots, people will lose their jobs. Businesses and organizations will still want to sell products and services, but people without jobs will not be able to afford them. Thus, for the automation-based economy to function, it will be necessary to support consumers with regular money transfers.

What are your earnings and cost of living? What ideas do you have to save or increase your income? What kind of work would you like to do or how would you retrain? Share your story with us in the comments section!

sources:

https://www.nbp.pl/home.aspx?f=/statystyka/bazowa/bazowa.htm

https://www.gfk.com/hubfs/20201020_PR_GfK_Purchasing_Power_Europa_efin.pdf?hsLang=en

https://cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2019/K_105_19.PDF

https://ceoworld.biz/2020/02/03/most-expensive-countries-in-the-world-to-live-in-2020/

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/New-York

https://media.bik.pl/publikacje/read/492399/kredyt-trendy-raport-bik-za-rok-2019

https://www.nielsen.com/pl/pl/press-releases/2019/nielsen-what-kind-of-spirits-do-poles-prefer-to-drink/

https://www.portalspozywczy.pl/alkohole-uzywki/wiadomosci/raport-polacy-puszczaja-z-dymem-105-tys-mieszkan-rocznie,178018.html

https://www.portalspozywczy.pl/slodycze-przekaski/wiadomosci/polacy-kochaja-przekaski-na-slodycze-wydajemy-11-3-mld-zl-a-na-slone-przyjemnosci-3-7-mld-zl-rocznie,161185.html

https://www.pb.pl/przybylo-kolejne-10-tys-rachunkow-maklerskich-998981

https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/rynek-pracy/pracujacy-zatrudnieni-wynagrodzenia-koszty-pracy/struktura-wynagrodzen-wedlug-zawodow-w-pazdzierniku-2018-roku,4,9.html

https://praca.money.pl/wiadomosci/rewolucja-na-rynku-5-milionow-polakow-pracuje-z-domu-6571908833106624a.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/18/how-china-is-using-robots-and-telemedicine-to-combat-the-coronavirus.html

https://przemyslprzyszlosci.gov.pl/o-tym-jak-powstal-i-jak-dziala-magazyn-wysokiego-skladowania-we-wronkach/

https://embarktrucks.com/press.html

https://www.wiadomoscihandlowe.pl/artykul/nano-zabka-i-nie-tylko-aifi-uruchomi-330-sklepow-autonomicznych-do-konca-2021-r

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