This may be a little controversial to start with...
1.Go to school everyday and work hard to achieve decent grades.

2.Use said grades to go to a good University, where you should study and degree that gives you a vocational skill if you know what you want to do with your life or a well rounded degree that emplyers will like if you don't.

3. Do work experience whereever possible.

4.Get a job.

5.Work hard, maybe stay late if you need to, help out your colleages and generally try and leave the role better and more efficient than when you arrived.

6.Save money every month.

7.Get promoted, make more money.

OR

1.Make sure you are born a "princess/little suck up" to Daddy who has contacts.

2. Fuck about constantly and sponge money from said Daddy.

3. Use nepotism.

4. Eat croissant on balcony.

5.Laugh at the poor people who actually work their tits off day in day out.
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 4 Aug 2008, 15:31, 9 replies)

.
I ate a croissant on a balcony once.
( browser still relating boring anecdotes into a void on, Mon 4 Aug 2008, 15:47, closed)

Me too,
in France - it burnt my neck, I didn't like it.
(Vikingheadache, Mon 4 Aug 2008, 15:55, closed)

Croissant
How did you burn your neck on said croissant? surely you were putting it inside your head at the time in order to digest said item?

NM
(Neostenine's maker, Mon 4 Aug 2008, 16:04, closed)

Another option

Oh and Mr Ape sir, monger thickos who don't go to University but still work hard and know stuff Uni people don't are welcome as well, surely?

NM
(Neostenine's maker, Mon 4 Aug 2008, 16:05, closed)

or alternatively
go to university, study a vocational degree in a field in which everyone says people are well paid. do well in this degree and get a job in said field. find out that they aren't as well paid as anyone thinks.

realise that most people don't know shit, and shouldn't be listened to
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 4 Aug 2008, 16:23, closed)

Neither options...

Seem very quick to me.
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Mon 4 Aug 2008, 16:26, closed)

Hmm...
I'm taking option A.

My manager is taking option B.

Guess who earns more and will probably continue to do so for the next 5+ years.
(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Mon 4 Aug 2008, 16:33, closed)

Non University

is an excellent option for many people, I was really highlighting the "who you know not what you know" school of career management.

Not quick, but that's life unfortunately!
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 4 Aug 2008, 16:41, closed)

I dunno
From my experience of the world of work the idea that points 5 and 7 are connected in any way is VERY optimistic
(danthegpi, Tue 5 Aug 2008, 4:45, closed)