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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask you to find a career for my DH

37 replies

MerryGoRound9 · 15/11/2025 21:47

He is 45.
He doesn't want to do his current job anymore, for reasons I support.
He wants instead to turn to a vocational type job. A job he finds rewarding on a personal level and stimulating.
Previously a high earner, he's willing to drop in salary for a job that brings a greater sense of good.
No GCSE qualifications. No A levels. No degree.
He has several NVQ qualifications but they are in the area he no longer wants to work in.
He is an intelligent person. His absence of academic qualifications are not a reflection of his intelligence or his ability to learn.
He is hard working, with a great personality, depth of character, a strong moral compass but he is lost in terms of how to spend the rest of his working life.
He is fully willing to re-train.
What can he do?

OP posts:
PictureParfait · 15/11/2025 22:11

He could be a carer.

That's about it really, with no qualifications, at his age. My relations' lives were very much improved by having good carers in their care homes.

Holluschickie · 15/11/2025 22:09

What is he doing now? Surely that's crucial.

MerryGoRound9 · 15/11/2025 22:08

XenoBitch · 15/11/2025 21:58

No one can say. What sort of things is he interested in?
A lack of qualifications wont hold him back if he wants to go into something like nursing. You can do an Access course for that. He could go into Adult nursing, kid's nursing, mental health, occupational health etc.

Nursing requires a degree

OP posts:
MerryGoRound9 · 15/11/2025 22:07

JudgeBread · 15/11/2025 22:00

I work in control for the fire service. No qualifications needed just a level head, good typing and listening abilities and a certain level of resilience. It's an incredibly rewarding job with a great work life balance and decent pay. And you know you're doing good and benefiting your community every single day.

This strikes a massive chord in him.
But isn't it unbelievably difficult to get in to? I read on a thread on her it's 5,000 applicants for every 100 application spaces! I've heard the hoops to jump through are really difficult - is that true?

OP posts:
JudgeBread · 15/11/2025 22:00

I work in control for the fire service. No qualifications needed just a level head, good typing and listening abilities and a certain level of resilience. It's an incredibly rewarding job with a great work life balance and decent pay. And you know you're doing good and benefiting your community every single day.

XenoBitch · 15/11/2025 21:58

No one can say. What sort of things is he interested in?
A lack of qualifications wont hold him back if he wants to go into something like nursing. You can do an Access course for that. He could go into Adult nursing, kid's nursing, mental health, occupational health etc.

Mandarinaduck · 15/11/2025 21:56

Well, what kind of job does he want and why does he want to leave the one he's in?
Does he want to work with people? Which kind?
Does he want to do practical work?
Indoor or outdoor?
Creative?
Technical?
There are a million things he could do, it's really hard to say without knowing his interests, values and natural abilities.

Terrytheweasel · 15/11/2025 21:56

What was he doing previously?

Swiftie1878 · 15/11/2025 21:55

Options will be very limited without maths and English GCSEs 🥴

Simplestars · 15/11/2025 21:54

Also what did he do before?

Could consider Paramedic ambulance driver (ECA route).

JudgeBread · 15/11/2025 21:51

What salary range are you looking at?

Simplestars · 15/11/2025 21:50

What about do a course at adult learning.
Plumbing, carpentry gardening etc
Learn trade skills.

Then he could become self employed and do these jobs.

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