MOST people think starting at the bottom and working your way through the ranks of a company can take years, if not decades.
But Shahid Aslam, 40, started working in a minimum wage job at KFC after moving to the UK from Pakistan in 2014.
And within four months he had been promoted to assistant manager earning £18,000.
The dad of three briefly took a job working at a well-known pub chain.
However, in 2016 he decided to come back to KFC into his role as assistant manager.
By 2020, he had moved up to the role of restaurant manager.
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In that job he now earns £35,000, but including bonuses his annual salary comes in at around £39-40,000.
“Loads of people have the impression it’s just chicken and chips – it’s a lot more than that,” Shahid says.
There is a big emphasis in the company on development, explains the dad based in Dudley.
He adds: “It’s a proper career – loads of KFC staff end up becoming restaurant managers within two years.”
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Last year he started studying a business management degree, sponsored by the company.
It is arranged that he takes a couple of days out of work each month to attend classes.
With three young children under nine, he said he wouldn’t have been able to study if it hadn’t been for KFC.
“It was a brilliant opportunity,” he says.
The course is spread over three and a half years and by the end of it he’ll have a degree without any of the debt that most students end up with.
Shahid says: “When I first started [at KFC] it was just a normal job, there was no career plan, but suddenly after six or seven years I’m in a position where now there is a plan, my kids see me and feel proud.
“I never thought KFC would offer a degree."
He added: "I’ve started from nothing… It’s been an amazing journey for me.”
Shahid has an especially emotional connection to KFC after his son was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2016.
He says: "It's the worst thing for any parent.
"I was all over the place. [The company] were really supportive."
During this time he was moved to a branch closer to his house so he could go to Birmingham hospital for appointments with his son.
His son is now well on the road to recovery and Shahid currently manages a restaurant in Wolverhampton with his sights set on becoming an area manager.
As manager, he has moved around lots of different branches in his current role.
He enjoys training people up and moving around to get more experience.
He says: “I don’t like staying in one restaurant.
“I go out to different restaurants to help team members with my experience…”
“When you see your team members doing better than you – someone who was trained by you – I really enjoy that.”
Shahid says: “I think this role would be perfect for someone with lots of potential and drive who enjoys taking new challenges.
“Someone who can adapt to changes quickly.”
How to become a fast food restaurant manager
Anyone can start off as a team member at KFC. Many students do the job at weekends to fit around studies.
Even if you are only working part-time, the company provides opportunities for development.
There are loads of programmes for team members such as apprenticeships, according to Shahid.
He adds: "There’s a career in fast food.
"They are investing in people.
"There's a big focus on how many people have developed."
Working your way up after starting at the bottom of a company ladder is one way to boost your earnings without needing a degree or extra qualifications.
But some companies do more to promote staff than others.
So when applying for jobs or looking at companies to work for, find out about development opportunities and career routes that are available.
Ask for examples of people that have been promoted and find out how long it has taken for them to earn more.
We've spoken to someone who was able to retire at 47 after working their way up the ranks of a company.
And someone else who works in their dream job earning £54,000 with no degree.
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