What would you do? Career Advice!

[ConfusedAndBedraggled]

I wonder if anyone has any ideas. I'd be so grateful just to even discuss this!

I have never really managed to build a career. I have a degree and a Masters in history, and a teaching qualification, but only taught for one year. I then moved to China for my husband's job (he is Chinese). I have taught a bit here, and done some other freelance stuff (just things like copy editing or writing blogs for people) but nothing very substantial. My husband and I want to live here for three more years, then move back to the UK. By then, I will almost be 40.

I don't think I want to go back to teaching. I don't mind doing it as a stop gap while I look for/train to do something else, but the thought doing it full time for another 20-30 years makes me feel terrified.

The thing is, I don't know what it is I want to do. I floated around a lot in my 20s, didn't really achieve much of anything. I was diagnosed with ADHD in my late 20s which answered a lot of questions. I also didn't have a very good childhood and my parents actively discouraged me from having a career, plus I never had any money so it's been really hard with little support and no real direction.

It's so hard to find any courses here in China, anything that is taught in English/would be accepted in the UK is stuff that I have no aptitude for eg business. I feel like the next three years are just going to be spent twiddling my thumbs. (I can speak Chinese but not to an academic level).

I have a few ideas for what I could do.

1. Occupational Therapy - this really appeals to me, as I like working with people but big groups of children are too much for me. The only issue is it is two years as a Masters and I'm not sure I'd get funding, and even if I did, if we could afford for me to not work for two years.

1. Programming - honestly, I'm not that into it, but I know a bit of Javascript and Python and it is one of the few things I could learn here in China.

1. Teaching but doing something more focused like special needs (not even sure how you get into that)

1. Doing something practical like gardening - honestly, this would be my dream but not sure how easy it is to get into

Or anything else! I am honestly open to all suggestions. But what would be best would be for me to be able to study in person in the evenings in the UK, or to study online here. It definitely needs to be something I could make a decent career out of (nothing special, even earning a teacher's salary was a big deal to me!)

I don't even know what I'm asking. I wish my mum was in any way interested in my career so I could ask her but she isn't, so I'm asking mums here.

A Chinese friend of mine is making a mint teaching Chinese to the military.
Lots of businesses are encouraging employees to learn at least the basics of Chinse these days - is your Chinese good enough to teach to conversational level, and would you prefer that over teaching kids in school? It's usually to adults who actually want to learn!

There are gardening courses, and qualifications you could do, and you could set up a gardening business. There's a big call for that round our way, especially gardening for older people. You can't advertise as such, but I bet lots of old ladies would prefer to employ a female.

Definitely do the gardening if it's your dream. Why not look into courses, also landscape gardening and floristry and garden design

@JaJaDingDong

Chinese DEFINITELY not good enough to be teaching, my accent is not good at all and writing is pitiful.

@mrsmarkgruffalo when I say it's my dream, well, I wish I had any talent for it but I don't. Courses are very expensive and no guarantee of work at the end.

Thank you for the advice!

I think for programming to be a sustainable option you would need to be interested in it.

Occupational therapy might be worth exploring in more depth to see your options?

Reflexology.

"I think for programming to be a sustainable option you would need to be interested in it."

I think I agree but it is definitely something I could easily make a career out of while having flexible study options.

"Occupational therapy might be worth exploring in more depth to see your options?"

I have looked into it a lot over the last year. It seems like the only thing I could do is a Masters while in the UK. I just don't know if we could survive on one income while funding a Masters.

"Reflexology."

Thanks for the suggestion but not my thing at all.

Courses are very expensive and no guarantee of work at the end

You can say this about anything that pays a decent wage at the end of the training, especially so soon after Covid, when people are being made redundant left, right and centre.

I'd aim for a level 2 or 3 RHS qualification in garden design and maintenance if possible as that's a 'good' recognised qualification. Pretty sure you can do this online (look on rhs website).
When back in the UK I'd also look at some short courses eg gaining some background in trees, as a lot of the time gardeners cannot 'do' the 3 Leylandii down the back. Perhaps a tree surveyors course or basic tree work, so you can advise on safety and what should be done with a tree that's a problem, and if not your cup of tea to climb a tree find a local tree surgeon to recommend (who might also give you referrals). Plus your pesticides PA1 would come in useful eg www.bca.ac.uk/subjects/land-based-training/ if you have a large area with problem plants or pests to deal with.

Are there any local gardens in China you could work for / volunteer at (equivalent of RHS, National Trust/Kew?) to gain practical experience?

However as for getting work it does depend where you relocate to in the UK, I cannot imagine as much call for a gardener in rural Lincolnshire as there is Home Counties where a good gardener is in short supply. Most gardeners round here work on a recommendation basis. You rarely if ever see the good ones advertise, and command a respectable £15-20+/hr it seems.