WWYD after being a SAHM for 14 years - University or entry level job?

[MidLifeDilemma]

So now my youngest is at secondary school I want to return to work after 14 years out. I’m 48.

I went on a short lived job hunt a few years back in the throes of desperate boredom but I never got any response at all so I gave up.

I decided to apply for a University degree (Business) as I thought it would be a good idea to refresh skills and use for a reference. Happily I got accepted to two relatively local Universities on the basis of my work history despite it being so long ago! I’ve accepted one.

I have been ummming and aahhing about committing 3 years to study at my age though. I’ll be early 50’s when I’ve finished and the job market will be even more difficult or so I thought .

On Monday I decided to apply for a few jobs as a last ditch attempt before I committed to Uni. Amazingly over 3 days, I got offered 3 interviews directly with employers and 4 different agencies wanted to talk to me about jobs they’ve put me forward for.

I was gobsmacked, especially as I got a lot of positive comments on my CV, that took me 15 mins to knock up, and which doesn’t show any work history since 2008!

The 3 interviews I’ve got are for entry level admin related jobs but are paying circa £22-25k (South East) so not minimum wage which I expected to get.

DH says I should go to Uni as I dropped out many years ago when I got pregnant with DC1 and I always wanted to get a degree to prove my intellect. It will be tight financially but doable.

I’m thinking that if I get offered a job now, I should take it as they’ll be no guarantee I’ll get one after Uni, I’ll be older and obviously the market must be hot right now if a middle aged SAHM is getting interviews!

WWYD?

Congratulations on your job offers, that's brilliant!

Take the job offers and do your degree at night! Easy option. If you wait a few months, they might even pay for it for you.

I'd take the job.

Job. You will leave uni after three years and unless it is a highly vocational course be starting off in entry level positions.

I’d wait to decide. You could interview and get no job offer. Many companies do up to three rounds of interviews so the first interview is just a quick screening. So while positive you are getting interviews, don’t count a job as possible until you get a written offer.

So accept university offer for now. Go through interview process and if you get an offer before university starts, assess based on an actual job and it’s prospects. You need to also think on your goals and what do you want. Do you want a job that pays reasonably well but no real chance of progression because you just want to prioritise family and coast to retirement? Or do you want a job that is a stepping stone to a career and higher earnings so you can catch up your pension pot?

At 48 you have plenty of time left to build a career as it takes about 10-15yrs to work up the ladder to a relatively senior position. But you need to decide what you want. If you have always wanted a degree, no shame in that. Go get one. But if you don’t really care about that now, that is ok too as our priorities do change as we get older.

If you get a great job offer between now and when classes start, you can always call the university and unaccept the offer, cancel student finance etc.

Work for sure
You need the experience
But also look into apprenticeship schemes where you study as well maybe in a years time

Congratulations!

It is great to hear such a positive story especially as SAHM 's are often written off

Go for job and study part time if possible

You may get in the job and get promoted

Good luck

I'm so jealous
Am in a similar position and don't know where to start
Applied for a couple of jobs with no response
I'd take the job in a heartbeat

I’d take a job. When you interview I’d ask about career progression and opportunities to study. You might find one where you can get qualifications paid for
And if you don’t you can get your degree part time

Take the job. The market after uni is unpredictable and you will be that much older and poorer

Take the job and defer your uni place till next year.

Keep your options open – there’s nothing to stop you doing a degree in the future.

Take the job.

Ooh I say take the job if one is offered after interview - providing its of interest to you of course!

You can always study for a degree alongside this - explore part time or online options. I really think you’re in a fortunate position to have such great feedback in today’s climate & the extra cash will be a real boost.

Ps I think it’s fab to pursue further studies & interests but don’t think a degree is necessarily proof of intellect - don’t let anyone make you feel lesser because you didn’t complete yours. I know highly intelligent people barely finished school & some right twits who are ‘academic’. Ps I have 2 degrees (one of which I never once used) & I often fall into latter category 😆

Do the interviews! That's a decent wage for starting off. Could be a stepping stone to higher paying jobs/promotions. You could always do a degree later while working (maybe even possible to get financial assistance from an employer to do so 😁)

Do both! You can always do Open University or similar. Personally I would get back into the workforce as it will only get harder as you get older.

Thanks for the replies. I know the interviews may well not turn into offers and I might be just a filler but I couldn’t believe I got any at all in such a short space of time!

The problem is Uni starts the week after next and the course tutor has been chasing me to make sure I am going as he really wants me on the course apparently (very weird), I applied late and didn’t meet the published entry requirements but he talked to admissions to get me on it. I don’t think he’ll be impressed if I start and drop out within a few weeks. There’s also student finance that’ll have to be paid back although I might not even get it by then anyway as it’s still going through.

The other thing with going to Uni is being around in the school hols for DS, as he’s only just 11 and really too young to be left all day which he would be if I’m working. At least he’d be OK at 14 after I’ve finished the course. He’d also have to find his way home from school and be at home on his own for a bit until I finish work which we haven’t tried yet. Whereas with Uni he can stay a bit longer and go in the library until I pick him up and that’s only 2 days a week as that’s all I have to go in for.

I really want to get into a job now though if I get offered one.

My head is spinning and I don’t know what to do.

£22-25k (South East) is basically minimum wage for the SE.
Depends on number of hours but based on 40 it is £10.57 and hour which is just above national minimum but below the living wage for London is £10.85 an hour.

"Business" is too vague a degree. No 'business' ever hired someone with a degree in 'business', so you might as well just leave that. If you're going to do a degree do one in something you're interested in - I'd do history or something in the sciences if I could do it again. No point wasting 3 years on 'business'. Plus it's, what £45,000 for a degree now? You may as well do Coursera courses for free.

Anyway, I decided I didn't have the time either, so I retrained on an intense 3 month course, very hard work, but a straight-up gateway into software engineering. The students who attend are very successful and go on to great, well-paid positions at top firms.

That said, the entry level roles would be tempting.

Im going to go against the grain here, your son is 11? You will be off every holidays (and more)!, and can afford uni?

Honestly, go to uni. Your son will be 14ish when you finish, more off your hands so to speak when you can work.

Also after a year at uni you can always switch courses if you wanted to do something different

best of luck!

@Thadhiya

"Business" is too vague a degree. No 'business' ever hired someone with a degree in 'business', so you might as well just leave that. If you're going to do a degree do one in something you're interested in - I'd do history or something in the sciences if I could do it again. No point wasting 3 years on 'business'. Plus it's, what £45,000 for a degree now? You may as well do Coursera courses for free.

Anyway, I decided I didn't have the time either, so I retrained on an intense 3 month course, very hard work, but a straight-up gateway into software engineering. The students who attend are very successful and go on to great, well-paid positions at top firms.

That said, the entry level roles would be tempting.

Completely agree with this, if your goal is getting a job at the end business does not sound like the most useful degree. I would look at something more specialised if it were me, of otherwise least something that you’re extremely interested in.

I'd take the jobs. You have the opportunity to work your way up. They may even sponsor you through uni.
The university want your money. You're clearly competent and capable so you are an easy win for them.

It’s Business Management with Human Resources Management @Thadhiya so modules include Accounting, Finance and Economics, Human Resources, Marketing, Business Law and Organisational Psychology. I spent 15 years working in senior admin/Executive Assistant roles in big City (London) firms and always wanted to progress into a job where someone did MY admin or into HR especially but never had the qualifications.

I’m not sure if it’s too late to get them now though ? It also feels a bit self indulgent to get a degree at my age which may not count for much in real terms.

I really wish I’d done it ten years earlier but I couldn’t have done it then due to DC.

That what is going to sway me @GettingItOutThere but I’m concerned that I might miss my chance getting into any reasonably decent job in 3 years if I turn down an offer now. Sods Law innit .

The tuition fees would put me off the degree option as you may be paying them back past retirement! I work for a large organisation which offers a huge range of professional qualifications you can study for which are funded by the apprenticeship levy. It might be worth looking into whether your prospective employers offer anything like this.

If you want to get into HR you would be far better off taking the job and doing (self funding or asking your employer to fund) the first stage of the CIPD and then going for an HR admin job and going from there.

Doing single modules in finance, accounting etc are not helpful vocationally, and that’s what you should be looking for.

Congrats on such a positive return to the world of work - well done!

Uni. The chance won't come again.

I am going to disagree with most of the posters here and say that the value of university is not just economic. It is life enriching in so many ways and, if it is good, it teaches you how to think differently. You have the great good fortune to have a supportive DH and enough money to do this as well as 20+ years to go before retirement. The current labour shortages aren't going to go away in three years, they are going to get worse so the jobs will still be there. Remember, no-one ever died wishing they had spent more time in the office but I imagine plenty of people wish they had got more education!