Career change, mad to or mad not to?

Do you really think teachers work 8-4? Really?

It seems odd that this is coming from him. Only do it if it’s your idea.

Surely there are marketing jobs across the country, including largely remote ones, and some scope to move up from current salary too. I don't get the obsession with teaching (unless it's something you want to do, but doesn't sound like it)

I’m not sure I’m understanding what the benefits are as he sees them? You currently have low stress and a family friendly job, your pay isn’t that much less than teaching.

I would say you really have to have a passion and desire for the job, it can be super stressful and isn’t very family friendly - don’t expect to just work school hours, no matter what kind of teaching you will be working at least as much as you do currently, if not longer, especially in the early years whilst you sort out how to do the job. What you’ve got at the moment sounds great and there would be many teachers that would love to swap with you.

Its absolutely not selfish to do a job you are happy in that gives you flexibility, but to go into something because your husband thinks it will have benefits for the family, when some of those just aren’t true and you’re not passionate about it is crazy,

my friend quit her well paying job in finance to become a teacher. She did a year as a TA to get some classroom experience, realised it wasn’t at all what she’d envisaged , then went back to finance. I think you need to find a way to get some experience to see if you’d enjoy it and how it could work for you. DH had a career change to become a teacher and it works really well for us as a family, I love that we never have to worry about holiday childcare, and that he’s home relatively early to get the evening started. I work full time but I’ve always been able to do the mornings so that he can get to school very early and spend 1.5 hours in the classroom doing his admin before school starts. It’s worked out well for us all and on the whole he would tell you that loves the job and does not regret the decision to change careers.

Don’t commit to it until you’ve spent some time in schools shadowing and talking to teachers.
It’s an amazing job but utterly relentless and massively draining.

You can’t go into teaching because someone else wants you to. It’s a really hard job and breaks even people who have a passion for it.

Oh my goodness no. In the first few years you are talking a 55 hour week, if not more. Total inflexibility. I ended up leaving this year with a 4 year old. I had 18 years experience and 10 years in the same school but I still

Does he want to train to be a teacher? If not why not?

is this to ensure his AL is at leisure - not taking time off to sit in a park with 2 kids.

i would be pretty peeved with him - and I would take the marketing job.

This is very much not the case in england.

So DH has suggested a career change for you, for the good of the family. I really wouldn't. It is you giving up your career and starting again, going into a field that is well known for being stressful, and teachers leaving en masse. You should only do it if it's your choice, not 'nothing against it'.I find it bizarre he is so keen. Does he know a lot of happy teachers, or, where is he getting he info from?

If you want to improve your employability this is never a bad idea - but I'd start from sideways / upwards moves in marketing

It’s not “being selfish” to consider your own interests as well as other people’s.

Your husband’s plan sounds daft to me.

Why don’t you get DH to retrain? Why is it always on the mum in the relationship? If you’re financially comfortable as you are I can’t personally see why anyone would want to be a teacher I consider it a vocation like a nurse or doctor it’s got to be something you really want to do. I know a lot of teachers both primary and secondary who are so stressed out. Although they get the holidays off it’s rarely accurate of what’s actually involved. You only get one life it’s not a rehearsal going by someone else’s thoughts on what they think you should do. The days are long with your own children but the years go quick, they won’t be young forever. Please do you and no one else.

You have to specifically want to be a teacher to make it stick, it's not just a job. By it's very nature it cannot be. It's a vocation, I truly feel it was a calling for me.

It will test you more then anything, but it will reward like nothing else if you stick the landing.

Hi OP. I'm a Secondary Teacher. After 5 years the salary is 55k (in Scotland anyway) and you get to advance quickly up the scale if you have experience in another sector. So I moved to the top of the scale after 3 years rather than 5 for example. You could find out if that's the case where you live. I do agree with others that all jobs have pros and cons (I LOVE it. 4 children at home) but it does need to be something you really want to do and not something someone else just thinks is a good idea. Good luck 🍀

Teacher retention is not great and it can be a stressful job and includes working in the events with parents evening etc. I think those who stay are the ones who are truly passionate about teaching and that doesn't sound like it's you. Plus there is no flexibility in term time. There is no guarantee you'd work in a grammar school and they can be stressful, high pressure environments. Why not focus on building your on your existing skills and experience?

I think maybe you need to talk to someone in real life about this - there is probably too much nuance to be captured here on MN.

It does seem a bit concerning that your DH is putting pressure on you to retrain into something you sound very lukewarm about, because of fear of the future/ a sense that the UK is over. I'm not quite sure I understand his reasoning.

Do you have someone sensible and impartial to speak to about this? Could you arrange some therapy? There's a lot going on here.

@New2Mumming what marketing do you work in? I'm a CMO and there are equally as many marketing jobs outside of London (saying this as someone who lived in London for 10+ years and moved out).

Would doing more qualifications in marketing help?

Then you both need to have a proper conversation - not a 'get out of jail free' option which seems to be you retraining to do something you don't want to do and there being no guarantee of it working anyway.

We're all scared by the way, we're all at risk for so many reasons. But you can't let fear control your lives and, more importantly, you can't let fear let your husband dictate what you do as a career. He's supposed to love you, remember?

Absolutely not. Teaching doesn't offer flexibility amd you would find you had much less time for your own children. You would still also have plenty to do in the holidays amd would probably spend half of it recovering from being burnt out from being so full on the rest of the time