Where were you at age 33 did you follow your passion

[talllady1983]

I feel that I am at a cross roads n my career, I have a degree in Business. I recently moved from a job I held for 9 years earning £23K a year, I loved the job and people, but in 9 years there were no promotion opportunities and in a couple of years the office could have been closed due to downsizing.

I spotted and got a job which pays £28K a year, for the money it is an incredibly basic job, I organise meetings and pull reports together by crunching data in Excel. I am 5 months into the new role and I'm not sure it is for me. I have far less responsibilities than in my last role and some days I don't have enough to do. I am trying to suggest improvements and new ways of doing things, but being a junior grade this is being looked down on.

I am basically already bored of the new role, in comparison to my old role do a lot less for more money!!!! My boss is really pleased with what I am doing, but I am not fulfilled. I have to stay in the role for 2 year before I can apply else where in the company for a more exciting role and hopefully promotion.

At 33 where were you? How much did you earn? Did you enjoy your job?

I just think corporate life is not for me I love food and would love to retrain as a nutritionist, but it would cost thousands, and I mean thousands to do and take 3 years to be fully qualified. I would then need to set up a business, which would take time to develop.

I am single and have a mortgage so I feel trapped in a role I don't have a passion for. Food and healthy eating is a passion how do I follow this.

[calilark]

Following with interest. I am in a very similar position to you and would love to retrain as something healthcare based, but we can't afford to lose my income (I am breadwinner) so I feel down in the dumps at the moment. Interested to hear from others though :)

[OllyBJolly]

At 33 I was a single parent and my only "aspiration" was to earn enough to pay the bills and cover childcare costs. I had returned to work two years before following a career break. I had a job I didn't particularly enjoy although I worked with great people which made it easier. Salary was probably about £24k. (had earned more than that prior to giving up work)

By 38, I'd doubled salary but decided time was running out if I wanted to get a career I would enjoy. I started an MBA with the OU, changed jobs (twice, first was a bad move!) and worked for a start up. Learned so much. Aged 40, I was approached by a former boss to run a company he had invested in and did that for a few years.

Now I'm running my own business. I sometimes wish I'd done this earlier,but not sure I would have had the savvy - or the credibility - to make a living from it then.

[violetbunny]

I am 34 with a business degree and earn £80k in a job I enjoy. I have moved jobs / companies every few years which has helped me progress.

I think you need to consider whether it's the type of work you're doing that you don't enjoy, or the company. I've stayed in the same line of work my whole career but have enjoyed working in some companies much more than others. If I were you I would be inclined to stick it out to 12 months in your current role then move on to a similar role elsewhere and see how you go. Going down another career path altogether is expensive and time consuming so if it were me I would want to be sure before I committed to going that route.

[violetbunny]

Also you don't mention what kind of company you work in, but could you perhaps do your current role for a food company? I've worked for food companies before and it's always a bonus if you're passionate about the industry.

[talllady1983]

violetbunny that is a very good point about moving to the food industry with my current skills, I'm a management accountant/ deputy relationship manager. The thing is I am not sure I can face those spreadsheets anymore and I love the idea of helping people improve their lives with diet and exercise. It's just retraining would cost a fortune I don't have and I would not want to give advise without he appropriate training like some.

[BeBe32]

I'm in a similar position - 33 and 6 months ago moved from a 21k to a 28k job and I am now really unhappy (but for different reasons). I'm not enjoying the job, the workload is huge and I feel continually under huge pressure which is making me ill. I would love to retrain or just find something else I'm more passionate about but I don't know what. Like you I'm single so I can't afford to just leave. It's really difficult, I'll be following this thread with interest.

xx

[tropicalstorm]

Also following with interest

OllyB can I be really nosey and ask what you covered on the OU MBA, would you recommend it with hindsight?

And how did you double your salary on the back of that?

[Ratley]

I'm 33, I work full time, I earn £13,000.
I have a degree, its in a traditional subject - it does bugger all to help me.
My dream is/was to teach that subject but I only got a 2:2 so it's not good enough.
I expect to spend the rest of my working life wishing I'd tried harder at my degree.

[springwaters]

My dream is/was to teach that subject but I only got a 2:2 so it's not good enough.

You can teach with a 2:2. What subject is it?

[Kimchi]

So I'm the same age, a dietitian and writing my first cook book - very scary

I work in the food industry part time and I earn a lot more than had I stayed in the public sector.

My only tip is if you are interested in nutrition then train to be a dietitian as that will open more doors for you in future. I agree with the other poster about moving companies every so often as that is the only way my pay has gone up so much.

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

At 33 I was married with two small children and had a great job which I loved and for which I earned good money. However, I finally followed my heart and commenced a PGCE in Primary Education to qualify as a teacher. I'd had places to train as a teacher at 18, 22 and 30 but something always held me back.

I don't earn nearly as much now and it's very hard work with little recognition and we are constantly frustrated and held back by the most infuriating interference and idiocy from the government but I'm about to start my fifth year of teaching and I love it completely.

If you have a dream, 33 is the perfect age to follow it!

[Ratley]

springwaters
Its History, unfortunately every training provider (Universities and Teaching Schools) I have approached have told me that it is one of the most popular programmes and only those with a 2:1 or First stand a realistic chance of getting a place.

[Ebbenmeowgi]

I'm 33 and currently pregnant with my first child. I've got a masters degree and work in the charity/not for profit sector. It's wonderful, I've done so many different things over the years (all in same sector) and love my current job which has flexi time and are happy for me to return part time after mat leave. I feel really lucky in this sector, there are a lot more interesting opportunities for part time work, I've previously chosen to work part time before having a child so I could study and pursue creative hobbies. I don't earn a lot though! Not sure I ever will, but I love the creativity and flexibility of my work.

[katiej12]

Ratley, I left teaching to go into HR and this is NOT a recommendation that you should go into teaching, it's horrific. However, the bit about a 2:2 isn't necessarily true, look at Schools Direct/ on the job placements - I worked with someone who was training to teach geography with a 3rd. She did struggle but got there in the end and got her QTS.

I did Teach First (for which you do need a 2:1) so can't speak as to what those programmes are like, but it doesn't sound like you've got anything to lose by getting yourself some work experience and trying?

[actino]

I'm 32 and earn 27K working in a STEM field doing a job that I love. I'm currently making up for lost earnings because I moved to the UK 3+ years ago and it took me almost 2.5 years to get a good job in my field. I am also married, no mortgage (yet) and no children (yet).

I don't earn as much as I could had I pursued a different field, but I never wanted to be one of those people who only works to earn money. Loving my career and my work is hugely important to me, which is why I decided against a higher paying, but less satisfying, career.

[Hannah4banana]

I changed jobs at 32 to become a firefighter and I've never looked back! Totally different careerfrom what I trained and worked in but I love it. Don't waste time and follow your dreams, it all works out in the end x

[thiswayplease]

I'm 33 too, married with 2DC, earn approx £23k

I hate my current job which I've been in over a year after I left my previous job because my boss was awful (ironically he left 6 months later).

I would love to retrain or bake for a living but I can't afford to give up work with a mortgage to pay and a DH currently retraining himself.

Part of me wonders if I can be bothered with the hassle of retraining and what if I don't like it? My current job is convenient for school run etc but soul destroying.

I'd quite happily settle for a job I don't mind rather than a career if it meant a better family life