Tell me your "late in life" career success stories

[bodgersmash]

I'm early thirties and getting to the age where some of my peers are achieving huge success. My younger sister has recently got a promotion and is now earning megabucks, and it's really brought it home for me that I feel a failure.

My son has SEN, and I'm not going to be in a position to give everything to a career for another 5-6 years. Meanwhile I feel like I'm sat here watching others achieve.

I'm capable academically - first class degree etc, but also have ADHD and get very bored at work, as well a high absence/lateness rate due to DS.

I'm trying to tell myself it's not too late for me to still have a great career after DS is older!

Has anyone else who hasn't done stellar things in their twenties or thirties managed to achieve high earning positions later on?

Not answering your question directly, but I used to work at a university department specialising in teacher training, nursing, social work and associated professions. Their "average" student was female, mid-30s and a mother - and I knew many who started their training post-40, and many who were caring for disabled children, sick partners, elderly parents etc. Some of these students were incredibly bright (would probably have been at Oxford, Harvard etc if their lives had been easier) and others had fought through several attempts at GCSE maths to get it - but what united them all was their huge resilience and determination. Many of them, on thr back of that maturity and resilience, progressed relatively quickly into public sector management roles - never hugely well-paid, but usually very satisfying.

Not exactly what you are asking, but I am currently lucky enough to be supervising a ‘mature’ trainee in my profession and she is phenomenal and definitely the best thing that has happened to my team in many years. All of her life experience have given her a basic level (well not basic at all - very high level actually) of common sense, humanity and humility that the straight out of uni trainee would never give us. Yes, she sometimes has caring responsibilities but given that she is about 250% more effective than a young single graduate the rest of the time it is not an issue. I am learning so much from her that any time I have to dedicate to her training I am more than happy to give. I never resent it for a second.

In our sector she is never going to earn megabucks, but she is going to make a massive difference to vulnerable people. I wish she had more confidence in her amazingness rather than stressing about the (few) times she has had to leave early or take unexpected time off.

I compromised a lot on my career due to children, partner’s health, caring for parents etc. I had good level management roles but was never able really to achieve due to time constraints. Gained a lot of experience but never got to fly with it. Very frustrating, watching others progress whilst I effectively trod water.

In my 50s, children grown, parents gone, i made a career change and all my hard won experience - including the unpaid caring stuff - is immensely applicable and valued. I’m a CEO, earning well, still not what I would have been earning in industry but high for my new sector, and am recognised for the important contributions I make and help others to make.

Would have been nice to have had this for the last 20-30 years but still good to achieve eventually.

I don’t have a success story but I am late thirties and in the process of a career change (I am due to start teacher training next year). For similar reasons to yours, I took a career break. I had to wait until I was sure that my ds with Sen was settled in secondary. I am so excited and nervous at the prospect of what I am going to do.

I used to be a solicitor but since my dc I have spent a lot of my time at home building up to this (volunteering, shadowing and ta work), so I know a bit about what I am getting into.

I was massively worried about how I will manage but I just know I will because I want it so badly. I have been financially dependant and bored out of my brain at home. Apart from the being around for dcs, I have hated every second of it. I feel as if I have let myself down because I am capable of so much more, and I know that this feeling will spur me on. I am encouraging myself in the way that I would my children.

Many of the women that I have seen really thrive in their careers are the older ones who have older teens and young adults. They seem to thrive once they aren’t balancing and juggling as much, and this is what I am hoping to be.

I think you can do it. Think back to yourself at uni and the determination it took to get that first. You are still that person.

Me! I am in late 40s and was recently promoted to head up a team in a very pressured role after beavering away for years as a kind of dependable workhorse type. I hadn’t pushed myself forward while my daughter was young but the minute I showed myself ready my company bit my hand off. I was quite surprised really as I had quite a confrontational, rocky relationship with one of my direct bosses and not much earlier had been through a grievance procedure over an aspect of flexible working.

It is kinda hard, I have no management experience but I think ‘what would my old boss do’ and do the complete opposite. I was told it was my determination to support/bring on my team that got me the job, i’m Quite a maternal/nurturing person.

A younger man in my team has a young baby who is sick a lot and wider family troubles and is worried about how this is impacting his career (he couldn’t go for the role I got) but I told him, these things are temporary, when things ease at home I will be there to help him up the ladder but this isn’t his time at the moment, just work hard in the role you have but don’t take on anything more while everything is so fraught at home.

Good luck in your career, it’s amazing how things can change!

I took off several years as a SAHM and moved into a new industry in very junior roles earning less than I had as a new graduate. I worked 2 days a week for many years until I felt ready for a more senior role and I’m now a senior manager earning really decent manager and I still don’t work full time