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Original poster

is 25 too late for a better life?

67 replies

LittleLeaps · 10/05/2020 10:52

I am 25 years old, I have 2 beautiful children, me and my partner rent a small 2 bedroom flat, my partner works full time and I work part time in a low skilled, low paid job that allows me to work around my partners working hours. It doesn't pay much but enough for me to pay some bill's and whatever the children need.

Due to some bad life choices, a serious lack of self confidence, severe anxiety and depression and the fact that I have never known what I wanted to do in life I have found myself with very few useable qualifications (I do have GCSEs at A-B grades, I got Bs at AS level but did not complete the full A level and I do have a level 3 degree in plumbing but I didnt do an apprenticeship and so that's pretty much useless now). I do enjoy learning, and I am lucky in that I do find it quite easy to learn new things. I want to get a job that I am respected in, that I won't be embarrassed to tell people what I do, and that pays a little better than minimum wage. Is 25 too late for me to do something about this? And has anyone got any suggestions as to what sort of job I could do? Or courses I could take?

OP posts:

mencken · 10/05/2020 11:01

25 is hardly too late, all being well you have at least another 50 years! You are a bit stuck while the kids are little but once they are at least at school you can start training. If the GCSEs include English and Maths that's a good start. There are so many options and everything is going to change - but look for a job that men do, such as the plumbing. Don't waste your time with anything aimed at women and certainly don't fall for the MLM schemes which this post may attract.

if you see a future with this bloke, get yourselves down the registry office when it is allowed. You have very little security without marriage.

as an aside I look forward to the day when a poster says 'I have two plug-ugly children but I still love them'. Sounds like you have been brainwashed into thinking that appearance is all that matters. Beauty is not an achievement.

good luck!

Widowodiw · 10/05/2020 11:03

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster

LittleLeaps · 10/05/2020 11:05

fair point I didnt really need to add the beautiful part in and there is no saying that anyone would agree with me on that anyway. I just meant that as much as I love my children very much and am very grateful for them, I don't feel i have achieved much in life.

OP posts:

Original poster

LittleLeaps · 10/05/2020 11:38

And I want to make a change I just dont know where to start.

OP posts:

ShouldWeChangeTheBulb · 10/05/2020 11:40

You need to research what job you want to do. What are you good at?

Splitsunrise · 10/05/2020 11:41

@Widowodiw well aren’t you a lovely person!

OP I don’t have specific advice but you are so young and you definitely have so many options open to you

Chewbecca · 10/05/2020 11:44

Plumbing would be a great choice if you already have skills and an interest in it?
There is decent money in plumbing and flexibility of running your own business too.

And 25 is ridiculously young still, you're in the first five years of 45 or so?!

suggestionsplease1 · 10/05/2020 11:44

Could you do the apprenticeship in plumbing now if that was something you are interested in returning to?

Original poster

LittleLeaps · 10/05/2020 11:49

I'm good at anything to do with science and health, I would love to do something related to medicine like working in a pharmacy.

OP posts:

ilovebagpuss · 10/05/2020 11:50

Do you like healthcare? I have friend who has worked in hospital and started on the lower level pay for a care assistant and now is a Nurse Assistant in around £12 hour. Then perhaps when children are older you could do your nursing or midwifery or branch off into another area?
You can do a lot of accounting courses from home Get qualified to the acceptable mid range level some good jobs out there in all offices that need a management accountant or similar mid level.
Teaching or TA
I’m 45 if I could give one piece of advice it would be really really think about what floats your boat and push for it if it’s starting your own online business selling dog treats or whatever but in an area that you are naturally interested in as you will work so much harder and enjoy it so much more.

Gwynfluff · 10/05/2020 11:51

What about an access course in science and then see?

Namechange8471 · 10/05/2020 11:52

Op I’m 30 and felt like you!

I did an access course at my local college and I’m going to uni this year! I only had 2 GCSEs and half an a level!
How about doing an access to science course?

Original poster

LittleLeaps · 10/05/2020 11:53

I was better at the theory and learning side of the plumbing if I am honest, I am quite petite and so struggled a bit with some of the practical parts for instance I can install pipework with no problems but lifting a boiler is a challenge. Someone has suggested electrical work though as it involves less heavy lifting and I understand alot of the theory side already.

OP posts:

TooTrueToBeGood · 10/05/2020 11:53

Absolutely not. I bounced around a variety of mediocre jobs until my mid to late twenties. A change in personal circumstances gave me a kick up the arse and aged 28 I enrolled in a two-year college course to hopefully retrain for a better career. My very first job after finishing college paid more than I'd ever earned previously. I'm now early 50s, my total earnings are 100k approx and I have a job that I love. If I can do it anyone can.

You have potentially 40 to 50 years working life ahead of you. Doesn't that make investing in yourself a no-brainer?

topcat2014 · 10/05/2020 11:54

My graduate DB gave up an IT job to be a plumber and loves it.

Granted not so much right now, of course.

MamaGee09 · 10/05/2020 11:57

ABsolutely not! I went back to college at the age of 43. Course due to end in June though may be July due to this pandemic. On course to a new career.

Life is for living, grab every opportunity with two hands.

Pinkblueberry · 10/05/2020 11:57

I think what Widow said perhaps sounds harsh, but it’s true! You’re acting like you’ve reached middle age when you’re 25 - it’s not the year 1799.
Perhaps having two kids makes you feel a bit older than you are - I’m in my late twenties, and since having my DS I feel I’ve aged about 5 years in 1 but 25 is very much still young! People your age who went to uni only graduated 3 or 4 years ago. Many decide to go and study something else and work towards a career mid 20s (I did this through teacher training at 23, my sister became a social worker at 26 and two of my close friends are becoming nurses and midwives in their late twenties). A lot of people don’t start their real career until mid or late twenties.

therona · 10/05/2020 11:58

TooTrueToBeGood Do you mind saying what job you're in?

Original poster

LittleLeaps · 10/05/2020 12:01

Healthcare definitely interests me more though, to be honest the plumbing was something I sort of fell into when I wasn't sure what I wanted to do and it just turned out that I did quite well on the course.

OP posts:

proudownerofplants · 10/05/2020 12:03

25 is no age! you have decades and decades to build a really great career in anything at all. I am 33 and working towards retraining in something really long drawn out so you've nothing to worry about.

You have time to do absolutely any job (other than maybe some professional sports) and have had your kids so don't need to worry about embarking on something challenging and fitting in having a family. You're in an enviable position!

Plus, apologies if I am wrong but I thought plumbing was a higher education not a degree level course so you wouldn't have used your student loan allowance if you wanted to study something else?

The key is to work out what you want. This is what took me a long time.

Research online, speak to your old college careers service if you can.

If you enjoyed plumbing, could you pick that back up, or if you like the practical element but wanted more of an academic challenge maybe you could look at what you would need to do to study engineering?

A levels at college wouldn't take too long if that's what you need and it very much sounds like you have the ability to get good grades.

And I think you can cut yourself some slack. You have plenty of qualifications to start with. A lot of people don't have GCSEs and start from scratch.

AnnaFiveTowns · 10/05/2020 12:06

You're a baby! I qualified as a.lawyer at 28 and I've just qualified as a teacher at 48. You have your whole life ahead of you. If you're good at studying and you like science then do an access to uni course at your local college. You can then decide what you'd like to.do after once you have more of an idea: nursing, physiotherapy, medicine, biology...The list is endless.

Baboomtsk · 10/05/2020 12:07

I went back to education in my late twenties and went from a low paid, low skilled job to a well paid profession with excellent prospects. It's definitely not too late at 25.

Studentnurse92 · 10/05/2020 12:08

I went back to college at 25 with 2 children and I’m almost qualified as a nurse now! Hard but worth it!

Frenchfancy · 10/05/2020 12:10

You are so young. You have your life ahead of you.

If you liked plumbing take a look at refrigeration technician. Better paid than plumbing and requires more scientific knowledge.

SmileyClare · 10/05/2020 12:11

Your finances need to be factored into your decision. If your current job is needed to pay bills and provides some disposable income, will you be able to manage if you stopped that and had to pay for (possibly) lengthy courses? I was horrified at the price of Open University courses when I looked!

I think an apprenticeship might suit you well. You will be trained while receiving some income (albeit low) and get a qualification at the end of it.
Why not see if you can resume plumbing? You've got the basic qualification, it's decent money and good plumbers are a rare breed so there's always demand.
In light of your current circumstances, it might suit you to set yourself up as self employed after qualifying and getting some experience. You can then fit work around your children?

As an aside, there's no need to feel embarrassed about any job you do. I used to have a fairly glitzy job in marketing, took time out to have children and never returned.
I work as a self employed cleaner now. It fits in with my family, I enjoy it, the money's not bad and I'm not ashamed of my job. I can earn £50 by lunchtime and be home to collect the kids from school.

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