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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To start a career from scratch in early 30‘s?

51 replies

LouiseJo90 · 29/03/2022 09:01

Any ideas? Inspiration…I would also need to do my maths and science GCSE to do further education? Anybody been in this position? I’m 31 with 2 kids 😊 I have a part time job but want more

OP posts:
TopCatsTopHat · 29/03/2022 09:07

Will I am doing that in my 40's and its going well so at a decade younger you shouldn't count yourself out yet. I didn't know myself well enough when younger so my direction came late.
I knew I liked people and practical things and didn't want to be sat at a desk ALL the time, so I considered vocational stuff like audiologist, orthotics, environmental health. Very happy now.

Butchyrestingface · 29/03/2022 09:08

Do you have any idea what you want to do? The OU, for example, admits students with no formal qualifications.

BubblesThaDragoon · 29/03/2022 09:10

Go for it!! When I did nursing at Uni I was one of the younger ones on the course - some of the best students were 30/40/50 and completely changing career. Look at an access to HE course if you don’t have a levels - you can study gcse maths and science alongside it.

caulkheaded · 29/03/2022 09:12

What do you want to do- is it that you want a degree simply because a job requires it, or do you want to do a vocational subject ie nursing, coding etc and work in that field?

Original poster
LouiseJo90 · 29/03/2022 09:14

I feel the jobs that pay well require a degree, but I also want to do something I like, nursing appeals to me.

OP posts:
gingerhills · 29/03/2022 09:14

YADNBU. Do it! You are so young. I changed career at about that age and loved it. Get the qualifications you need and think about what you are effortlessly good at that other people find a bit challenging, because that is your major work strength.
Are you calm and polite in crises? - good for customer facing roles.
Are you brilliant at grammar and spelling? - copywriting and editing
Are you naturally organised and easily remember details of who should be where when? PA, HR, project management etc.

magnolialove · 29/03/2022 09:15

Do it! I changed career in early 40's to an industry that is notoriously competitive and difficult.

Can't say I don't have the odd moment where I feel frustrated I didn't do this sooner, particularly when I'm faced with people at least a decade younger who have achieved much more in the same field...but I figure you have one life and don't regret it for a second. 31 is still really young...go for it and good luck xx

JudgeRindersMinder · 29/03/2022 09:20

Go for it! I always get the impression (totally non scientific!) that people who start to build a career when they’re a little bit older, seem to do better than if they’d started younger/grab it with both hands

GoldenApple · 29/03/2022 09:25

I left my career when I was 30 (no kids, single) and went back into education to study. I had to retake my GCSE maths and complete an Access Course to apply for university. I'm about 6 weeks from finishing my degree course now and I'm 36 this year. I will be starting my teacher training this September. I now have a toddler and it's been a challenge managing everything but it is possible. Have you looked into taking an Access Course for Nursing? I'm assuming you don't have Level 3 qualifications (A levels)? Some access providers allow you to take your GCSEs alongside the access course, others want you to have them in place before enrolling. Best to check.

mrsjackrussell · 29/03/2022 09:28

Do it. I did my nursing degree at 39. Had to do an access course first. There were a few older people including a mother and daughter. The mother was 50s.

Lastqueenofscotland · 29/03/2022 09:35

Go for it. You will probably need to resit maths and do an access course.
Do you have VERY reliable childcare? Nursing degrees are quite demanding of time and you will be expected to do nights etc

WildCoasts · 29/03/2022 09:50

You're really young and so many people do this or get their first degree later in life. Go for it.

Original poster
LouiseJo90 · 29/03/2022 09:54

I just want to make my children proud of me

OP posts:
elephantpyjamas · 29/03/2022 10:01

Absolutely go for it - I'm 30 and spent the last year and a half retraining into a totally new profession. I was burned out in my old job, didn't enjoy dealing with clients and wasn't earning very much, and now I've tripled my salary, my whole quality of life has improved so dramatically because I adore my job now and I work completely from home.

What sort of requirements do you have for your new career? Do you want to work from home, or work part time, or work school hours? Do you want to do something physical, or computer-based? The world is absolutely your oyster at our age!!

Original poster
LouiseJo90 · 29/03/2022 10:06

I feel like a complete failure! Mucked around at school to be miss popular! I have a decent job now but I want so much more! I really want to be a nurse, I have called the college to do my GCSE maths, they said they don’t do the access course alongside it, so by the time I start that I will be 32, but also next September my youngest starts full time school? Is it good timing?

OP posts:
CheekySwifter · 29/03/2022 10:06

Same age, about to qualify in brand new career. Go for it.

Original poster
LouiseJo90 · 29/03/2022 10:08

I love being a mum more than anything in the world but I want more!

OP posts:
puffyisgood · 29/03/2022 10:10

It's never too late to start a new career, provided you're realistic about what your new career can be [some spheres of work really are deeply ageist] & how far you can go in it [the very top of the tree will for obvious often be unattainable for late joiners].

31 to start in nursing sounds more than fine to me.

alexis4theppl · 29/03/2022 10:14

Go for it. You are never to old to do something you love and you have years of work ahead of you.

I did an access course and am now in my 1st year at uni. I am 36 with a 3 year old. Lots of my course peers are also in the same boat with young families and having a complete career change.

Some of my peers also did functional skills alongside their access course. You can find these courses separately if your college doesn't provide them. You normally will only need English and maths level 3 to progress to HE.

Good luck x

Kukdoos · 29/03/2022 10:18

For sure. I'm starting again. My degree is 4 years, will qualify at 41 into a brand new area.
Got a lot of working years left, and I'm going to age/live that 4 years anyway

TottersBlankly · 29/03/2022 10:23

LouiseJo90 you need the Mature Study and Retraining board, here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students

  • where you’ll find yourself in good company. Several threads with posters doing Access courses or retaking GCSEs.
1Wanda1 · 29/03/2022 10:35

Lots of well paid jobs you can get without a degree. Or you could look at degree apprenticeships - a great way to get trained whilst being paid "on the job".

Definitely go for it. The time will pass whether or not you do.

Original poster
LouiseJo90 · 29/03/2022 10:37

I really want to be a nurse so degree is my only option really.

OP posts:
Original poster
LouiseJo90 · 29/03/2022 10:37

I just feel old 😔 is the course going to to be full of 18 year olds? Haha

OP posts:
GrowThroughWhatYouGoThrough · 29/03/2022 10:39

I've just got into uni at the age of 36 to do nursing if you want to do it go for it!