Marketing/Mystery Shopping - Ideas Needed

[Octopus37]

Hi, sorry this is a bit of a brainstorm. In the longer term, I would love to retrain if I knew I was going to get a job at the end of it, however I think this will need to wait until my kids are at Secondary school (no family support, DH works shifts). Bit of background - got a Sociology degree (fully admit that I chose the wrong degree, didn't know what I wanted to do etc), worked as a Secretary for years which wasn't great. Prior to having DS1 (2007) had nearly 3 years as a temp with some truly awful experiences. After having DS tried to get a part time role, failed, started working as a Mystery Shopper after trying a couple of other things (Avon etc). This progressed to doing more market research and things were relatively good for a couple of years. Thing have been more turbulent since, a lot of scrapping around for work, my Supervisor left. I have been accepted to work on the staff bank at my local hospital but tbh they are messing me around, telling me there is work then not getting back to me, stuff obviously going on behind the scenes - it is already starting to reek of how I was treated as a temp last time around and I'm not even there yet. The idea was (and still is) to work school hours with the possibility of two longer days when a vacancy comes up at after school club (difficult) or could find a child minder. Problems obviously in marrying this up together especially for a hypothetical temporary role. Really I would love to work with people again, had enough of the down sides of being self-employed, feel as if I cannot get out of my own head. Yet at the same time need to be flexible for the kids. Firstly I was wondering if anyone knew of any side steps I could take with my job to do similar in a more stable way. In the longer term, would quite like to do a marketing degree and take it from there but don't know how feasible that would be. The main thing is that at nearly 41 I feel like a total failure cause of all my career mistakes and the fact that I have no stability and next to no pension. Any advice would be very welcome Well done if you have read this far.

[BBQueen]

I don't have much advice, but didn't want your post to go unanswered?

Which area of marketing are you interested in? A marketing degree might not be that useful, but the Chartered Institute of Marketing Certificate/Diploma would be.

I work in business development (more sales-y than marketing) but have that same sense of having missed the boat on finding my true vocation. I always thought there would come a point where I find a job I loved and was proud to tell people about, but I'm starting to think it just won't happen for me.

Hope someone comes along with some more sensible advice soon.