career changes

[hatter]

has anyone done it? I'm (still) contemplating law. I find the government legal service very attractive. Does anyone know anything about it? My biggest problem is that it would take me til I'm 38 ish to qualify - is that just too mad? And what if I invest 3 years of my life (I need to do a law conversion course) to find I don't like it?

Does anyone know if the GLS is flexible enough to acknowledge pre-lawyer skills (which are quite relevent) and allow a 38-year old a more rapid career progression?

I'm feeling really stuck in a rut where I am (which is a whole other story) and I need to do something where I will start moving upwards again - but is three years back at the bottom of the ladder really the best way to go about it?

[moosh]

Sorry hatter don't know anything about law but plenty about changing your career. I was a visual merchandiser for a fashion co. for 10 years previous to that I have three diplomas in fashion design, illustration. AFTER DS1 (4) I decided to change careers but never had the guts to do it and returned to what I knew best. Since ds1 was 3 I decided to study at homre while working in my job part-time. I am now qualified Complementary Therapist and when ds2 was 1 month old (now 8mths) I began studying Yoga and in about 2 yrs time I want to teach it.
Go for the career change you'll be suprised how many more opportunities there are once you begin on the road. I am 33 and I feel it is never too late to learn something new. Best of luck making your decision

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I changed careers in my early 30's, from PR to teaching (did 1 year post grad course).

I liked teaching, but all my previous skills and experience went completely unrecognised and I started on the bottom of the salary ladder.

After 2 years, I became very disenchanted with the profession because of the way I was treated. I was given a very heavy workload on top of my usual teaching from the word go, plus student teachers to mentor etc, basically because the school knew I could handle it.

When it came to salary review (I had been told that it would be reviewed properly, given that I clearly wasn't their usual NQT (newly qualified teacher)material), the school told me they couldn't pay me for the extra responsibility as I wasn't experienced enough!

What a bunch of !!!!

I was never expecting anywhere near my previous salary, but some recognition of 11 years in a previous career, would have been at least fair, particularly as that experience was thoroughly exploited!

The Teacher Training Agency was always banging on about the need for mature entrants to teaching and that their skills and experience would be recognised, but in reality the pay structure in teaching is very antiquated (although it is improving slowly) and inflexible.

I've banged on a bit, but if you want to change careers and hope to have previous experience recognised in some way, make sure its a real possibility.

Good luck .

[pixiefish]

I changed from advertising to teaching at 25. Feel a bit like Puff that previous experience was not recognised. Took a massive drop in salary which I didn't mind at the time but am a bit disenchanted with the whole system at the moment (think that's an education issue though not a change of career issue).

[Twiglett]

Hatter .. whatever happens you're going to be 38 anyway .. so which would you prefer .. being 38 and a solicitor, or being 38 and not?

[Twiglett]

BTW I was a marketing director before becoming a SAHM in 2002 .. thinking of re-training in 2009 (when both kids at school) as a SALT (2 year course) which means I won't be qualified until 2011 by which time I'll be 44

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Twiglett, what is a SALT?

[Twiglett]

Sorry .. Speech and Language Therapist

[hatter]

hi again,

Twiglett - that is a very good point - about being 38 anyway. My greatest fear is bing 38 and doing the same thing I do now. I've just got to work out the best way of ensuring that I'm not. In my dreams I would leave the organization where I am for maybe 4-5 years and then come back to be at least my boss, if not my boss's boss. I've just got to work out what the best thing to do in those 4-5 years are. Qualifying as a lawyer would be good - but so would a number of other things. arrgghhhh. Has anyone ever been to a career adviser and did they find it any good? My fear in taht regard is that my current job/area is pretty unique and I really can't imagine a careers adviser knowing more about it than me.