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Original poster

If you had no qualifications

62 replies

WashedUpDriedOut · 26/08/2020 13:03

and you were nearing 50 and you needed to retrain to develop a career that would, in tome, bring you £50k per year for the next 15 years, what would you do?

OP posts:
titchy · 26/08/2020 14:15

@tectonicplates

So, why can't the OP study for a degree? I can't believe how negative everyone's being.
Because she wants 15 years of earning £50k and she's 50. A degree plus access is at least 4 years of commitment plus a loan.
Therollockingrogue · 26/08/2020 14:18

So much negativity! Tons of people have 50k ++ jobs with very few / no post gcse qualifications.
For people up to their eyeballs in student loan debt, or people who can barely live off their best possible wage when qualified ,it may be a hard pill to swallow. But it’s the truth.
Op I’d say learn a trade too. Something more specialised than the usual suspects though.

Smallsteps88 · 26/08/2020 14:18

@OrangeLavenders

I find it bloody depressing that people could be so negative about ANYONE wanting to better themselves. A masters degree is possibe in that time frame, if that's what the OP wanted!

Stop writing people off. It's shit. Anyone could be with no qualifications for a number of reasons. Abuse, physical, sexual, emotional. Bereavement. Just piss off with your assumptions. I'm not saying any of those apply to the OP of course but you just don't know people's life history

No one is writing OP off!!

She absolutely can retrain and earn a good salary. But she should be realistic. She is extremely unlikely to be earning £50k for the next 15 years. There is absolutely no point in anyone saying “yeah of course you can”. Unless they can provide details of a direct route for her (and the rest of us) to do that.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General money
titchy · 26/08/2020 14:20

@OrangeLavenders

I find it bloody depressing that people could be so negative about ANYONE wanting to better themselves. A masters degree is possibe in that time frame, if that's what the OP wanted!

Stop writing people off. It's shit. Anyone could be with no qualifications for a number of reasons. Abuse, physical, sexual, emotional. Bereavement. Just piss off with your assumptions. I'm not saying any of those apply to the OP of course but you just don't know people's life history

I don't think anyone is writing OP off, just the posters coming out with silly suggestions.

A trade, or bus/train driver with lots of overtime, driving instructor if you work all the hours you can, live in nanny, executive PA. really depends what experience OP has to date.

Smallsteps88 · 26/08/2020 14:20

Tons of people have 50k ++ jobs with very few / no post gcse qualifications.

They do. Can you name some of those jobs and how they got to those salaries and how long it took them please? This is the kind of information that is actually helpful on these threads. Rather than just “of course it’s possible”

CuriousaboutSamphire · 26/08/2020 14:20

I had no qualifications until my 30s. Then did degrees and started teaching.

At 50 I stopped and started my own business at 51 with no prior experience. Outside London my turnover was over £40k last year, year 3, with just short of 20% outgoings. I could increase it if I wanted to restructure.

So yes, it is possible in part, but you have to think carefully and work damn hard and have a meaningful time frame.

Ylvamoon · 26/08/2020 14:22

I think it's unlikely to retrain at your age and get a job that pays 50k soon after training.

Even if you go with a trade, you have to put in the work, long hours, going above and beyond to achieve your goal.
Then there is the current climate, add age discrimination and it looks unlikely that you will succeed.

but please don't take my word for it, as always the exception makes the rule

haveagoodyear · 26/08/2020 14:39

Considering your age and lack of qualifications I think it's too late.

Could you do cleaning? You can set your own rates. If you're in London then £25/hr is not unusual and you can charge more depending on what you can offer your customers.

HerRoyalNotness · 26/08/2020 14:43

What did you do before? What skill set do you have? I earnt more than that with no degree but of course had the experience after x number of years. I’m 47 and doing a degree that’s often asked for in job vacancies for my job as I can’t find a job. Even I’m panicking that I’ll never work again.

Comefromaway · 26/08/2020 14:45

Most people with qualifications that I know earn nowhere near that amount and those that do had to work their way up and were the lucky few after gaining their qualifications.

JoJoSM2 · 26/08/2020 14:52

Don’t you need at least 4 GCSEs to train as an electrician or plumber?

GrumpyHoonMain · 26/08/2020 14:55

@WashedUpDriedOut

and you were nearing 50 and you needed to retrain to develop a career that would, in tome, bring you £50k per year for the next 15 years, what would you do?
You don’t need qualifications if you try and apply within your skillset (I am assuming you aren’t a housewife) and don’t mind a commute to your nearest big city.
GrumpyHoonMain · 26/08/2020 14:57

@Comefromaway

Most people with qualifications that I know earn nowhere near that amount and those that do had to work their way up and were the lucky few after gaining their qualifications.
Depends where you are. In manchester birmingham or London a good PA with only a couple of years experience and nothing beyond GCSEs could earn 50K in some industries. In other places even a lecturer with 20 years experience couldn’t.
Comefromaway · 26/08/2020 15:00

Sort of yes. If you don't have them it is possible to start on a Level 1 or 2 course at college and move onto a Level 3 course once you have passed them. But the issue is that there are TONS of plumbing/electrician courses (hint, plumbers don't earn that much, its those who are also gas engineers who do) however to gain the practical experience needed you need a company to take you on.

From looking at the company I work for the average wage for a gas engineer is between £26k - £32k per year plus overtime which in sone cases can take it up to £40k per year. The ones on £30k plus have at least 10 years experience.

Electricians can earn more, ours are on about £34k plus overtime.

Bigsighall · 26/08/2020 15:05

Business analyst/ project manager. You wouldn’t be earning £50k straight away but not unreasonable to start earning that in a couple of years if you get a few projects under your belt. The difficulty would be finding a company who would take you on if you didn’t have any experience in this field. Not impossible though. If it was me, I’d apply to a consultancy as a junior and try to get in that way.

TimetohittheroadJack · 26/08/2020 15:12

Assuming the OP is female, I’d say a trade is a bad idea. Plumbers, electricians, joiners etc are all pretty hard physical work. Most men who have been doing it since they were20 are slowing down and years on hard work means most have bad backs or knees.

WitchesGlove · 26/08/2020 19:20

@Therollockingrogue

So much negativity! Tons of people have 50k ++ jobs with very few / no post gcse qualifications. For people up to their eyeballs in student loan debt, or people who can barely live off their best possible wage when qualified ,it may be a hard pill to swallow. But it’s the truth. Op I’d say learn a trade too. Something more specialised than the usual suspects though.
Which trades do you suggest a 50 year old woman train as?
tangycalligrapher · 26/08/2020 19:23

You’re never too late to gain qualifications. I used to teach a Russel Group university and regularly had mature students and they always, without exception, did really well

I tried and failed miserably, maybe I should have gone to your university 😰

Smallsteps88 · 26/08/2020 19:57

Which trades do you suggest a 50 year old woman train as?

Exactly. No one is actually giving any useful information that OP can use. It’s all so vague airy fairy “you go girl” and “more specialised than the usual suspects” Confused how is that helpful?

Actual information would be good.

titchy · 26/08/2020 20:02

@Smallsteps88

Which trades do you suggest a 50 year old woman train as?

Exactly. No one is actually giving any useful information that OP can use. It’s all so vague airy fairy “you go girl” and “more specialised than the usual suspects” Confused how is that helpful?

Actual information would be good.

To be fair OP hasn't given much in the way of useful information about her skill and experience either 🤷‍♀️
lljkk · 26/08/2020 20:13

OP hasn't explained what she'd enjoy. You can't stick things you hate.

I'd like to say plumbing: but it's quite physical. I don't think I have the strength for it (as a fit early 50s female).

I'd like to say car mechanic: probably doesn't pay £50k & it's both physical and smelly/dirty. I couldn't stick it.

Does OP mean not even GCSE qualifications?

Well, there's probably granny porn. My guess is that's worthwhile for some. Else marry a 90yr old with an empire to manage?

Biscusting · 26/08/2020 20:33

@lljkk granny porn lol

sashh · 27/08/2020 08:58

If you are fit and healthy I would go for something practical. The last time I had my oven cleaned I was chatting to the person cleaning who had been a prison officer but wanted more time with his children, he did the training and worked both jobs for a while until he was earning the same in both and quit the prison job.

Now prison salaries are more in the £10-30K range but he has a job that is completely flexible and could do a part time uni course if he wanted.

I don't know what Sky pay but the person that moved the sky dish for me was female and part of a cohort that Sky had tried to encourage more women to join.

Original poster
WashedUpDriedOut · 28/08/2020 18:37

Programming is interesting.

I just wonder if I'm too thick for it.

OP posts:
Chesneyhawkes1 · 28/08/2020 18:46

Train driver is a good suggestion. I'm one. I have GCSE's and that's it.

However, whenever vacancies are released literally thousands of people apply.

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