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?

What about a compromise and apply for an apprenticeship with a good qualification associated (you can even get degree apprenticeships now)

I’d take the job. Study at night by all means if you can afford too. Another three years of not working means your children will be close to adults before ever seeing you work and the financial burden remains with your DH.

@Crankyoldboiler

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!

I agree with this 100%. I don’t think an entry level admin role is going to stretch you after a couple of months and the novelty has worn off. You could well end up feeling trapped in a job you can do standing on your head and the uni chance has gone.

A degree will give you more prospects. There will always be admin roles to be had after uni. I’d not turn your chance for a degree down so you can do basic admin. No way. Think about the next twenty years not just the next three.

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.

What are you basing that one?! Business subjects have one of the highest employability and salary return rates of any subject you can do - including law and medicine!

I spent 15 years as a trailing spouse, not working, and applied for a job at just short of 55. It's just an AO job in the Civil Service, but I got it and hopefully will pass my probation this month.

Do your degree if you want to; it's something for you, and there will still be jobs there; you'll be just in your 50s. It also helps with the childcare bit too; that's why I did my PGCE.

I'd do the degree. You have one shot at that, but there's plenty of jobs (unless this is a particularly special job). At the end, you'll have many more options open to you.

Once on the degree, you could always look for part time admin jobs (say hr administrator) and convert your degree to part time to do both, next year, if that's what you want.

But as you have said yourself, the options will be greater for you with a degree.

@Polmuggle

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.

What are you basing that one?! Business subjects have one of the highest employability and salary return rates of any subject you can do - including law and medicine!

I agree. In fact for me, going back to university and getting an MBA to go with my PhD actually made me more promotable to Director and above level where you’re doing only 10% technical direction and 90% business/personnel management.

Can you do job and study via OU or similar?

It really is quite usual for parents to be working when a child is 11 - there will be holiday you can take and likely flexitime? Etc?

I haven't found it easy returning to work as an older person and havent found high income jobs despite very good degrees (although that could be me!) It is always easier to get a job when you have a job.

Having said that if you don't need an income and the degree is a way of "keeping busy" then do that for fun!

@MeMumI

I'd do the degree. You have one shot at that, but there's plenty of jobs (unless this is a particularly special job). At the end, you'll have many more options open to you.

Once on the degree, you could always look for part time admin jobs (say hr administrator) and convert your degree to part time to do both, next year, if that's what you want.

But as you have said yourself, the options will be greater for you with a degree.

Hiw many people with business degrees walk jnto jobs at higher pay than the one offered? Experience counts for a lot A good reference from two years working plus part time study may be a better bet

Yep a business undergrad is quite different from experience plus mba.

Oh well looks like it’s definitely University.

I had my first interview this morning and completely ballsed it up! It was on Teams with two people and as I’d bought a new laptop for Uni, I thought I’d do it on there, but my internet was so slow I couldn’t open my emails to get the link so was 5 mins late joining, then I didn’t put my headphones in it properly so they couldn’t hear me . They were asking me to give examples of work scenarios and I just couldn’t remember any as I’ve been out for so long, just talked a load of shit, there were long awkward silences and I looked like crap on video, wrinkles and turkey neck looked horrific.

It was an absolute cringefest!

My other interview was a telephone one on Friday and even after seeing my CV and deciding to interview me, the interviewer said as I didn’t have a levels they couldn’t progress my application , so ended the call after 5 mins!

Job hunting is too stressful so I think I’ll leave it for a bit .

Start Uni tomorrow. Quite apprehensive, especially after seeing how old and decrepit I looked on video today.

Wish me luck!

I have got another interview on Thursday, virtual one again, I think I’ll just cancel it after this morning!

Why not treat it as practice? That will help reduce your nerves and if you do well then it may even have a positive outcome 😊

Interesting thread, OP.

Do drop in here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4327788-Is-there-a-specific-Mature-Study-Retraining-board?msgid=110096218

for more mutual support.

OP, I would recommend getting into the meetings early in case of problems but just turn off camera/mute till they join. Also put your laptop up on a pile of books and not too close to you - it's more flattering.

It's worth attending the meetings - you get asked the same kind of questions so you can rehearse your examples and your life/career story. I tend to explain what I've done and what has led me to want this particular career choice.

I have had a circuitous (random) career path as I was an expat in quite a few places - and tend to use examples from a variety of places - volunteering, self employment, actual employment etc. Whether you were paid or not, you still have to manage people, deal with conflict, deal with diverse groups of people. People are surprisingly open to it - don't be sheepish about what you've done!

If you can afford it, I'd advise doing a degree you really want to do, and work part time.

Interviews are like any skill - you need to practice and prepare! A degree isn’t going to change that. I’d put some energy into thinking through how to do well at interview. You’ll need to be able demonstrate team work, problem solving, good organisation, strengths etc so should think about examples to share from any part of life. Most interviews will be competency based. I’d definitely consider a part time job with the degree as it will make you more employable.

Don't cancel the next interview! What answers would you have given to those competency based questions from the first interview? Polish those up, rehearse them. I use the Job Interviews for Dummies for a list of the sorts of questions they ask. Once you've prepared a half dozen examples, you can usually tailor your answers to the questions you get asked. Get a post-it and stick it over the bit of the screen where you see yourself. That's what I do. Remember that the next interviewer didn't see the last interview. This can all be trained!