To want to start a new career after 50

[Sadusername]

I'm a qualified nurse , but my main focus over the last 25 years have been my lovely daughters. But with the youngest off to uni soon , I have started to think about what I would REALLY like to do. I am not sure what that is, but I am sure it isn't nursing.
Has anyone got inspiring stories of over 50 year old single ladies who have changed their life's direction.

[OurBlanche]

I hope YANBU as, having resigned from teaching and turned 50 last year, I am about to start up a small business. So I'd say, if you can afford it, go for it.

I am not single though!

[wineoclockthanks]

I was 47 when I retrained as a Teaching Assistant and I'm loving it. It helps that (at our school) a number of the TAs are in their 50s. The pay is awful though

[manicinsomniac]

If you want to do something that involves you being self employed or freelance then I'd say go for it (if you have a financial cushion for possible difficulty).

But, if you want to get interviews and employment in a totally new field after the age of 50 I'd be careful. It's not right but I believe there's an awful lot of age bias from interviewers once you hit 50.

[nanetterose]

My husband has got numerous jobs in his 40's and 50's after being self employed. So l honestly think it depends on just trying.
I feel employers are more open to 'older' candidates these days.
Good luck with it all.

[doitanyways]

One of my close friends was 47 when she retrained as a teacher. We were NQTs together: she was 48 and I was 22!

[Mistigri]

I know a few over 50s of both sexes who have changed career but most have done it via self-employment. The problem with self-employment as a single person is that there is likely to be an initial period of low income, and even when your revenues increase, you still need to budget for slow periods and holidays - this can be tough if you haven't got a partner bringing in a regular income.

Among my friends, one started an Internet-based cheese retailing business, one works as a self-employed rep for a big currency exchange company, and my OH started his own translation business three years ago. All were around or over 50 when they started up so it certainly is possible :)

[loooopo]

The reality for many careers is that you will need to retrain to do something else in later years -- I have just (last year) left a v senior position in a big company after many years......just disillusioned with stressful corporate life after decades. Since then many of my colleagues of the same age (late forties) have been "made redundant"....

Would look to try things out and have a "portfolio" of jobs/careers running alongside each and remain flexible until you work out what you want to do.

In my case it meant taking a low paid temp part time office job in the area that I was interested and it has been brilliant brand new life..... v happy.

[mrsfuzzy]

go for it, good for you op, live is short so get out there and do something you enjoy, it will be good for you in more ways than one.

[liinyo]

I left school with only O levels and worked in retail, finance and eventually data management. After I had children in my 30s I was a SAHM. In my early 40s I volunteered for a charity who trained me as a couples therapist. Two days after my 50th birthday I went to Uni for the first time to study for an MSc in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. I am now a qualified and experienced Pyschdynamic therapist and am in the process of setting up a private practice. I prefer to work for myself (although I also do volunteer counselling for two local charities) as it gives me control over my working hours and allows me to maintain a work/life balance. And I love my new work.

[LaurieFairyCake]

I have trained a good mix of social workers, TA's and nurses over 50 as psychotherapists. Your nurses training makes you the perfect candidate

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I'm trying to be a piano teacher. Not sure I'll succeed, but I've done some Grade 8s, and hoping to do a Diploma this year. I'm finding it hard, and feeling very old. I'm 56. I've also lost the tiny bit of confidence I had.

I think it's possible. I don't want to be one of the "reliable oldies" working in Homebase, I want to have a proper career again. Maybe I'm asking too much...

Good luck, Op, with whatever you decide.

[FairyDustDreamer]

Absolutelynotfabulous, a relative of mine came to music teaching later in life after a career in something totally unrelated. He did grade 8 and some sort of players diploma and is now, years later [in 70s] very well respected in his role. Never too late!

I too, am around half a century and am dipping toe in water of new career- I hope. Prepared with volunteer work [ongoing] and now doing a related course too.
Good luck op!

[WitchWay]

My son's teaching assistant left to become cabin crew for Easy Jet - she was 55

[Sadusername]

Ok-so there are brave people out there, deciding to, or being forced to change career. Writing it down has made things bit clearer. I have been so poor for so long, I probably don't want to revisit that.
When I first trained as a nurse my plan was to do a tropical medicine course and work in far flung places. A pregnancy put paid to that, so if I wanted adventure that could still be an option. When I was young I had a real sense of adventure, I don't know what happened to that.
Or yes I could think about something sideways, which builds on what I already have, like a psychotherapy type course. I am currently doing a qualification in CBT. Maybe take that a bit further. Given CAHMS waiting lists maybe there is a scope for private practise there?
Anything else I could start volunteering to build up those skills, or even try a business small scale on the side. A bit like looopo says, have a few parallel things going on.

[junebirthdaygirl]

Friend who was a nurse retrained as a counsellor. Had a lot of life experiences that made that an area of interest. Doing really well 8 years later. Works a few days a week but her children are finished college so financial pressure is off

[liinyo]

One downside of training in counselling/psychotherapy is the expense of it all. On top of the costs of the course , most in-depth courses require you to be in personal therapy at a cost of £40-£70 a week depending where you live. Then you have to do many unpaid counselling hours to build up the experience to become a member of BACP/UKCP or other professional body. Also, although many agencies provide the volunteer/student counsellors with the necessary clinical free supervision free of charge some charge for this.

I was lucky as my husband could afford to subsidise me as I trained and accumulated hours but some people on my Masters had to leave because it became too expensive and one good friend actually sold her flat and lodged with friends in order to finance her training.

[JenniferYellowHat1980]

I'm reading with interest as I'm looking to get out of teaching this year (I'm younger, but only by a decade or so). I'm quite interested in nursing but not interested enough to do four years of unpaid / low paid training. I'm considering a diploma in journalism which includes worse experience placements, or perhaps HR. Quite a mixed bag, but I know for certain that I have no interest in trying to make teenagers jump through hoops they don't want to go through to get a compulsory GCSE that they resent.

[DramaAlpaca]

I changed career completely a few years ago in my mid-forties. I don't want to say what I do, but I've never been happier work wise. I also have a couple of friends who are returning to work in their early fifties, having raised their families, and who are doing completely different things from their early careers.

[Debsmumof3]

Wow. I feel inspired.
JenniferYellowHat I feel the same about teaching. There are so many hoops there's no time to inspire. To be creative. Measure. Target measure. How can our children grow if we treat them like carrots and keep pulling them up to measure them.
With all the mental health issues abound I would like to retrain in counselling.
Got a lot to get through this year though. Maybe I will do the prep in 2016. And start in 2017.

[ditherydora]

Jennifer - I would be very careful about journalism at a later age, especially print. Although not one myself I know a lot and it seems to be one of the most ageist professions about. DBIL is a very experienced and respected news journalist on a national in his early 60s and he is constantly worried about getting the push, particularly due to his age.